Juventus ordered to pay Cristiano Ronaldo huge unpaid wages sum
- Juventus have been ordered to pay €9.8m to Ronaldo over unpaid wages
- Portugal forward had wanted the full €19.6m he believed was owed to him
- Juve considering formal appeal of the decision
By Tom Gott
Juventus have announced they are reviewing a court ruling that ordered them to pay former striker Cristiano Ronaldo close to €10m in unpaid wages.
When Ronaldo left Juventus for Manchester United in the summer of 2021, he claimed he was still owed €19.6m in wages relating to a deferral agreement reached during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case ultimately went to court and both parties were found to share the responsibility for the dispute, so it was ruled that Ronaldo should only be entitled to half of the full €19.6m amount.
Juventus, who admitted failing to pay Ronaldo, recognised the ruling but quickly released a statement insisting they were reviewing the verdict.
The Serie A side revealed that the agreement with Ronaldo "lacks any binding effect", which is why the 39-year-old was not awarded the full amount of his salary.
"The Company, also with the support of its legal counsel, is reviewing the decision made by the arbitration board, reserving all assessments and initiatives to preserve its rights," a Juventus statement read.
Ronaldo was one of several Juventus stars to agree to wage deferrals during the COVID-19 pandemic - many clubs in Europe also did the same after losing matchday income - but Juve found themselves in hot water after allegedly failing to accurately report their agreements.
While the club did reveal the agreements publicly, they were accused of paying several months of wages off the books as part of the major investigation into the club's finances over the past few years.
During his three years in Turin, Ronaldo racked up 101 goals in just 134 appearances, helping the club secure two Serie A titles before heading back to United.