The Prisma investigation into Juve’s financial affairs is now looking at the clubs dealings with other clubs, namely Udinese and Atalanta. The investigation was initially focused on ‘salary maneuvers’ that relate to ‘under the table’ payments from the Bianconeri to their players, but is now expanding into their dealings with other Serie A teams.
La Repubblica report that the investigation is looking at the transfer of Rolando Mandragora who was signed by Juventus for €9m in January 2016 before being sold to Udinese for €20m in July 2018, providing the Bianconeri with a capital gain of around €13.7m.
Juve then re-signed Mandragora for €10m plus 6m in add-ons two years later, shortly before sending him back to Udinese on loan a day later. Investigators have decided to take a closer look at the transfer and have called a number of witnesses, including the player himself.
The investigation will also look at Atalanta, with the accusation being that a number of private contracts, totaling around €14.5m, were not entered into the clubs financial statements – the deals in question are Federico Mattiello (€4m), Simone Muratore (€4m), Mattia Caldara (€3.5m) and Cristian Romero (€3m).
According to Repubblica, these clubs were used a bit like ‘banks’ to help Juventus balance their accounts, and this is why the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office is continuing to listen to witnesses less than a month before the preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin on 27 March.
The investigation is already closed, but these elements could lead to additional charges during the trial. The prosecutors Marco Gianoglio, Mario Bendoni and Ciro Santoriello were particularly interested in Juve’s relationship with Udinese, who had total debts of €26 million, and Atalanta, who had total debts of €14.6 million. With both clubs, ‘side letters’ (private papers) emerged which, according to former Juve club director Fabio Paratici, ‘morally’ committed Juventus, the only club signatory to these writings, to future payments.
