Juventus players ‘call for crisis talks with the club’s new directors’

Juventus players want to meet the club’s new directors to voice their concerns about the club’s current state, according to reports.

The Serie A giants were rocked last month when they were docked 15 points by an Italian football court following an investigation into their transfer dealings.

The prosecutor of the case alleged that Juventus had misrepresented losses between 2018 and 2020, particularly regarding the amount ascribed to player sales, and they were subsequently given a heavy punishment which saw them drop out of the top four and into mid-table.

While the investigation was still ongoing, Juventus’s entire board of directors resigned in November, including president Andrea Agnelli and vice-chairman Pavel Nedved.

The duo took a hands-on approach while they were at the club, and would often meet the players. But the team don’t have the same connection with Agnelli’s replacement Gianluca Ferrero or CEO Maurizio Scanavino, and would like to meet them to receive reassurances over the club’s future, as reported by Corriere della Sera.

Juventus players want to meet Gianluca Ferrero (left) and CEO Maurizio Scanavino (right)

Juventus have been deducted 15 points and are currently down in 13th place in Serie A

A number of stars are worried about their contractual situations, with several players now into the final six months of their deals. The club offloaded Weston McKennie to Leeds last month, and may need to do the same with more players in the summer to ease their financial woes.

Agnelli and Nedved guided Juventus through one of the most successful periods in their history as they won nine straight league titles between 2012 and 2020.

The current crop of players fear that the connection with those working behind the scenes is missing, and they want to address this to get the club back on track.   

Since receiving their points deduction, Juventus have failed to win either of their two league matches, and they hit a new low on Sunday when they were beaten by newly-promoted Monza at home.

This result saw them fall to 13th in the table, just 10 points above the relegation zone, while they are now 15 points adrift of the top four.

That loss against Monza came just 10 days after they beat the same team in the Coppa Italia, a match that was played the day before their points deduction was announced.

Juventus have the chance to move into the semi-finals of the competition on Thursday night when they host Lazio at the Allianz Stadium. 

The players feel they don’t have the same connection with the new directors as they did with ex-president Andre Agnelli (right) and former vice-chairman Pavel Nedved (left)