The Facts
On Friday, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) banned Italian soccer club Juventus from European competition next season over a false accounting case that deducted 10 points from the Serie A club and disqualified it from the Champions League.
In addition to fining Juventus £17.14M ($18.9M) for allegedly breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, UEFA also fined English club Chelsea £8.57M ($9.3M). While Chelsea has agreed to pay the settlement in full, Juventus will only have to pay half if its financial records for the next three years comply with regulations.
The Spin
Narrative A
Juventus should have expected to be banned from European competition for its financial scandals, but it should use its punishments as a learning lesson. The club thought it could cook the books and get away with it, but that eventually caught up to it. Juventus should respect UEFA’s ruling and work to mend ties with the association.
Narrative B
Juventus has been unfairly targeted for months. First, the club was docked 10 points in the standings, losing out on the chance to win the Scudetto, now UEFA is piling on the penalties. At the end of the day, UEFA’s decision is meaningless, and the club will come back stronger than ever.