Ronaldo wins wage case appeal over Juventus

• Juventus lost an appeal in Turin, keeping a ruling that Cristiano Ronaldo is owed wages tied to a COVID 19 pay cut agreement
• Ronaldo keeps the €9.75m already paid, plus interest, while Juventus must also cover legal costs of about €80,000
• The case stems from an April 2024 arbitration decision that ordered Juventus to pay half of the €19.5m Ronaldo sought

Juventus have lost an appeal against a court decision that awarded Cristiano Ronaldo millions in unpaid wages, with the Serie A club confirming the outcome to ESPN.

A labour court in Turin dismissed Juventus’ appeal on Monday. The ruling means Ronaldo will not have to repay the €9.75m he has already received, plus interest. Juventus must also pay all legal costs, reported at around €80,000.

The dispute relates to outstanding wages linked to a pay reduction agreed during the COVID 19 pandemic. An arbitration tribunal ruled in April 2024 that Juventus had to pay half of the €19.5m requested by the Portugal captain.

Juventus said the latest decision will not damage the club’s finances, with the sum already paid to Ronaldo and accounted for in the club’s 2023 to 24 budget. Juventus can appeal again to a higher court, and the club told ESPN its legal team will review the ruling in the coming days before deciding on next steps.

Ronaldo, now captain of Al Nassr, joined Juventus in August 2018 and won two Serie A titles, the Italian Cup and two Italian Super Cups, before returning to Manchester United in August 2021.

Ronaldo’s legal team issued a statement after the ruling: “The judge dismissed all objections raised by the club and reaffirmed the correct application of civil law principles regarding pre-contractual liability and the protection of legitimate expectations.

“Ronaldo had agreed to temporarily forgo part of his salary during the pandemic, but Juventus failed to honor the agreement, violating the Portuguese champion’s trust.”