The Future of Juventus: What Happens If Champions League Dreams Fade?
The prospect of Juventus missing out on next season's Champions League, which is looking increasingly likely given their performance in the league, threatens to upend the club's revitalisation plans. This setback could result in a staggering loss of over €60 million, a hit that would force the club to rethink their sporting strategy, including the transfer of key players and reconsideration of options to buy back loaned players currently in the ranks under Thiago Motta’s management. This scenario is particularly alarming, especially since Juventus has recently reported significant financial losses, tallying a deficit of €199 million as of June 30, 2024. Exor, the club's ownership group, hasn’t indicated any willingness to inject further capital after the €900 million already poured in over recent years to offset losses and support the club’s recovery efforts. As highlighted in their interim report from last December, the goal remains to achieve “positive net results and cash flow by the 2026/2027 season.” Achieving this with a season outside of European competition seems highly improbable. As the clock ticks down, Cristiano Giuntoli, now firmly in control of the technical side of affairs, finds himself facing a summer of hard graft to restore balance to the books without the Champions League's revenues and weighed down by prior investments with staggered payments that will soon impact amortisation costs. The path forward may hinge on capitalising on the club’s prized assets to secure the necessary capital to plug the financial gap. The standout candidates for such sales are Kenan Yildiz, a 2005-born talent in the sights of major clubs worldwide, and Andrea Cambiaso. While the latter almost struck a deal with Manchester City earlier this year, an expected offer of over €60 million has yet to materialise, leaving Juventus needing to make shrewd decisions for replacements to avoid compromising the team's competitiveness. With the 2024 summer transfer window looming, the potential profits from player sales may not suffice to cover the shortfall from lost UEFA prize money. Additionally, there’s the weighty matter of loans. Giuntoli’s recent high-spending market activities have left four loan deals unresolved. Pierre Kalulu's loan from Milan comes with a buy-back fee of €14 million plus €3 million in bonuses that Juventus is keen to activate. Conversely, Randal Kolo Muani, currently on loan from PSG, poses a substantial financial challenge, with a purchase cost likely hovering between €45 to €50 million, regardless of the transfer model chosen. Francisco Conceicao could be purchased permanently from Porto for €30 million—a deal that once seemed straightforward is now fraught with complications given the financial situation. This snapshot encapsulates the dire consequences of potentially missing out on the forthcoming Champions League, which would represent the final blow in what’s been a tumultuous season. It's a dismal scenario that Juventus are keen to avert, prudently aware of the significant distance this would create between them and their ownership's ambitious plans. A grim outlook indeed for the entire Juventus family. - Resource: "https://www.panorama.it/calcio/juventus-senza-champions-league-cessioni-prestiti
