Juventus ordered to pay Cristiano Ronaldo huge unpaid wages sum
Juventus
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
12:40 PM GMT+1
Ronaldo is owed money from Juventus
Ronaldo is owed money from Juventus / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
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.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo agreed to defer his wages / SOPA Images/GettyImages
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.
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Former Man Utd midfielder warns Joao Neves against summer transfer
Nemanja Matic has advised Joao Neves against a move to Old Trafford this summer
Matic believes it is 'too early' for the youngster to leave Benfica
Neves has been linked with both Manchester United and Arsenal
By Katie Catherall
12:55 PM GMT+1
Matic believes Neves should remain at Benfica
Matic believes Neves should remain at Benfica / SOPA Images/GettyImages
Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has warned Portugal star Joao Neves to reject a move to Old Trafford this summer and instead develop his career at Benfica.
19-year-old wonderkid Neves has been on the radar of many top clubs this season. He has so far featured in 50 fixtures across all competitions, impressing in both the Champions League and Liga Portugal especially.
Manchester United are among the many suitors of Neves, who is expected to command a huge fee when he does eventually leave Benfica, but fellow midfielder Matic believes that Neves is at the right club, and should not rush to the Premier League.
Speaking to O Jogo on Benfica's talented youngster, Matic said: "He is fantastic. At just 19 years old, he is a fantastic player. He is the future of Benfica. Of course he has interested some Premier League clubs too. I really like these types of players, who are young but play with a lot of maturity.
"I think it's too early for him to take that step of leaving. If I were him, I would stay at Benfica for a few more years to play in the Champions League and to mature more. I'm sure his time will come and, therefore, he doesn't need to rush.
Nemanja Matic
Matic made 183 appearances for United / Matthew Ashton - AMA/GettyImages
"Joao is already at a big club at this point. I'm sure his future at Benfica will be very good. I think it's too early to leave, but of course, in the end, it's always his decision."
Matic, now 35, made 183 appearances for United after leaving Chelsea in 2017 for £31m. He spent four years at Old Trafford before departing for Roma in 2021. He joined Rennes in 2023 and made the switch to Lyon in January.
It was with Benfica that Matic first made his name and the Serbian international believes Neves, who only made his senior debut last season, should follow his lead and wait before making the move to England.
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The 10 best players from the Champions League quarter-finals - ranked
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund into semi-finals
Ousmane Dembele, Antonio Rudiger and Joshua Kimmich among standout performers
Reigning champions Manchester City eliminated on penalties
By Toby Cudworth
Apr 18, 2024
Mbappe and Dembele starred for Paris Saint-Germain
Mbappe and Dembele starred for Paris Saint-Germain / David Ramos/Pedro Salado/Getty Images
The quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Champions League are in the history books and boy did we enjoy a feast of unbelievable football.
Four teams are left standing after eight enthralling games of football, highlighted by Paris Saint-Germain's tremendous comeback against Barcelona and Real Madrid's dethroning of reigning champions Manchester City.
Borussia Dortmund are also in the mix after dispatching Diego Simeone's dogged Atletico Madrid, joining Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich - the conquerors of Arsenal, who were made to pay for their inability to capitalise on home advantage in the first leg.
There were a number of outstanding individual displays, as you might expect, with the following ten players the ones to really stand out on the biggest stage in European football.
10. Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
Federico Valverde
Valverde scored a scorcher at the Santiago Bernabeu / Visionhaus/GettyImages
Valverde's sensational volley ensured Real Madrid took away a share of the spoils with Manchester City at the Bernabeu - the sixth goal of a truly absorbing contest.
The Uruguayan then reinforced his ability to do absolutely everything by providing Dani Carvajal with a superb shield during the return leg, and genuinely did not stop running.
9. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich's goal sent Bayern through to the semi-finals / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
Bayern Munich may have surrendered their Bundesliga crown to Bayer Leverkusen, but did people really think they were going to roll over against Arsenal?
The consensus was that Mikel Arteta's side would prove to be far too strong over two legs, but Joshua Kimmich had other ideas as Arsenal attempted to win away at Bayern for only the second time in their history.
He scored the winning goal in the second half, sending the Bavarian giants through to a mouthwatering semi against Real Madrid.
8. Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)
Andriy Lunin
Lunin got down low to keep out Mateo Kovacic's penalty / James Baylis - AMA/GettyImages
With Thibaut Courtois out injured and Kepa, well, Kepa, it was down to Andriy Lunin to deliver the goods between the sticks for Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old clearly understood the brief, making a number of smart saves across the 120 minutes of action before denying Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic in the penalty shootout. Unsurprisingly, Lunin was Madrid's player of the match.
7. Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Leon Goretzka
Goretzka was formidable at the Allianz Arena / Alexander Hassenstein/GettyImages
Most people associate Leon Goretzka with one of the greatest physical transformations of modern times.
Now they'll be associating the German with a superbly efficient performance in Bayern's midfield - one that dominated Arsenal's tiring midfield to end their European adventure. Still, a Champions League journey to be proud of, right?
6. Raphinha (Barcelona)
Raphinha lines up for Barcelona before their Champions League second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain
Raphinha's efforts were in vein / Tim Clayton - Corbis/GettyImages
Barcelona may have succumbed to Paris Saint-Germain to complete La Remontada 2.0, but it wasn't for the want of trying on Raphinha's part.
The Brazilian winger dazzled in the first leg in Paris, scoring a brace, and it was his goal that extended Barcelona's aggregate advantage to 4-2. Sadly, teammate Ronald Araujo hadn't read the script on how to defend one-on-one - much to Ilkay Gundogan's dismay - and his red card led to Barca's unfortunate, but also funny, collapse.
5. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe was at the double at Barcelona / Christian Liewig - Corbis/GettyImages
Kylian Mbappe's going to win the Champions League in his final season with Paris Saint-Germain, isn't he?
He's then going to pack his bags to Real Madrid, making everybody involved a winner. Happy days.
4. Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund)
Julian Brandt celebrates with Jadon Sancho
Julian Brandt celebrates with Jadon Sancho / Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/GettyImages
If anybody tells you they had Borussia Dortmund down to make the last four of the Champions League, they're lying.
It's not a lie, however, to say that Julian Brandt was absolutely brilliant against Atletico Madrid - the 27-year-old's goal getting the party started in a six-goal thriller at Signal Iduna Park.
3. Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
Ousmane Dembele
Dembele haunted his former club / Pedro Salado/GettyImages
9,144 injuries plagued Ousmane Dembele's six-year tenure at Barcelona, leading many to conclude that the Frenchman's stay made him one of the worst transfers of all time.
The 26-year-old sought a fresh start in the summer, returning to France to join PSG, and decided the hilarious thing to do would be to haunt his former club by scoring in both legs of their quarter-final tie.
Dembele's all-around play was outstanding too, reminding many of his undeniable talent.
2. Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger kept Erling Haaland quiet in both legs / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
Stopping the Erling Haaland goal juggernaut isn't a job many defenders have completed successfully, particularly in the Champions League.
But Antonio Rudiger isn't any old central defender, rather it appears he's one of the world's very best. Sure, his mistake led to Kevin De Bruyne's equalising goal at the Etihad, but his complete nullification of Haaland in both legs was a sight to behold.
1. Vitinha (PSG)
Vitinha celebrates scoring for PSG away at Barcelona
Vitinha was outstanding in both legs for Paris Saint-Germain / Christian Liewig - Corbis/GettyImages
The undisputed player of the round was Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha, whose menacing, penetrating runs were far too much for Barcelona, even when they had 11 players on the field, to handle.
The Portuguese maestro rocketed a tremendous low drive into Marc-Andre ter Stegen's bottom right corner to hand PSG the advantage on aggregate, and his relentless energy and drive was key to Luis Enrique's side ensuring they retained the upper hand.
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