Ronaldo Wins Juventus Wage Dispute as Court Upholds Ruling
Cristiano Ronaldo has won his long-running legal battle with Juventus after an Italian court upheld a ruling ordering the club to pay part of the wages deferred during the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision confirms that the Portuguese star is entitled to £8.5 million from his former employers, closing a major chapter in the dispute.
The case stemmed from agreements made in 2020 and 2021, when Juventus players, including Ronaldo, accepted delayed salary payments as football shut down across Europe. While others were eventually paid, Ronaldo pursued legal action after the funds owed to him failed to arrive.
The ruling matters because Ronaldo had initially sought the full £17 million promised to him, representing four months of deferred salary. An arbitration panel concluded that responsibility should be shared, ordering Juventus to pay half of the amount claimed. That verdict has now been upheld by the Turin Labour Court.
Juventus argued that the deferred wages, described internally as salary manoeuvres, were never formally recorded in their financial statements. The club appealed the original ruling, insisting they should not be liable for the payment in full or in part.
The legal process reached a decisive moment when Judge Gian Luca Robaldo rejected Juventus’ appeal, confirming that the club cannot recover the funds already paid to Ronaldo. Juventus president Gianluca Ferrero had previously confirmed the payment was made in April 2024, while also signaling the club’s intention to fight the decision.
The judgment effectively ends the dispute from a financial standpoint. The sum had already been accounted for in Juventus’ 2023 to 24 budget, meaning there will be no additional hit to the club’s finances despite the legal defeat.
While reports in Italy suggest Juventus could still explore another appeal, the momentum is firmly with Ronaldo. The outcome reinforces the player’s stance and brings closure to a case that has lingered since his exit from Turin.
Ronaldo’s Juventus spell ran from 2018 to 2021, a period in which he scored 101 goals in 134 appearances and won two Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, and two Super Cups. He later returned to Manchester United before moving to Al Nassr, where he continues his career in the Saudi Pro League.
For Ronaldo, the ruling secures a final victory over his former club. For Juventus, it is a reminder of the financial and legal consequences left behind by the pandemic era, even years after football returned to normal.