Manchester City's possible future? How Juventus recovered from Calciopoli scandal and relegation punishment
The Bianconeri were relegated to the Italian second division in the summer 2006 after the Calciopoli scandal erupted
• 4 min read
On Friday it was reported, and confirmed by CBS' James Benge that the Premier League believe they have won their case relating to breaches of their financial regulations by Manchester City, though penalties for the violations have yet to be determined. While we're still yet to hear what that would mean for City, there are now an incredibly wide range of possibilities on the table, from fines to points deductions, past titles being stripped and even potentially relegation to the English Championship or below. This is a historic moment for the Premier League, but it's not the first time a high-profile team like this has been faced with the potential fallout from a massive scandal.
The summer of 2006 was one of the strangest moments in the history of Italian soccer. While 60 million Italian fans were celebrating the 2006 World Cup after beating France on penalties, millions were also dramatically following the latest news on the Calciopoli scandal. More than anyone else, Juventus players and fans were waiting to hear what was about to become a historic decision: Juventus were relegated to the second division, while their 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 Serie A titles were stripped of them. It's a sobering memory for Manchester City fans as they wait to hear their fate.
What was Calciopoli about?
Calciopoli was a big thunderstorm that affected Italian soccer and some of the biggest clubs in the summer of 2006, a few weeks before Italy won the 2006 World Cup against France in the Berlin final. Juventus were the biggest club involved as the Bianconeri were later relegated to the Italian second division after proof emerged of clubs who were selecting favorable referees for their own matches. Juventus saw their 2004-05 and 2005-06 titles stripped as a result while the 2005-2006 title was awarded to Inter. AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and multiple referees and club officials faced sanctions, but Juventus were by far the most affected side, as their head of soccer Luciano Moggi was banned and considered the mastermind behind the scandal.
What happened later?
The Calciopoli scandal erupted in May 2006, a few days before the last matchday of the season, which became surreal. While Juventus players celebrated their Scudetto victory on the pitch, the media was spreading the latest rumours and leaks on the scandal involving referees, Moggi and more Juventus officials. Some even questioned the presence of the Italian national team at the 2006 World Cup, as it was headed by a former Juventus coach, Marcello Lippi and there were five Juventus players in the team: Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero.
After the summer tournament, there were multiple changes in the roster. Some of the Juventus key players left the team, such as Fabio Cannavaro who joined Real Madrid, but two transfers ended up being the most controversial. That summer, both Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved from Juventus to Inter, leaving the club at the centre of the scandal to join the team that had been awarded the vacated title. Their transfers further fuelled criticism and resentment among Juventus supporters, which became even bigger from that moment on.
Players who left Juventus in the summer 2006
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Inter for €25 million
- Emerson joined Real Madrid for €16 million
- Gianluca Zambrotta joined Barcelona for €14 million
- Patrick Vieira joined Inter for €9.5 million
- Adrian Mutu joined Fiorentina for €8 million
- Fabio Cannavaro joined Real Madrid for €7 million
- Lilian Thuram joined Barcelona for €5 million
Notable players who did NOT leave the club
- Gianluigi Buffon -- Goalkeeper
- Alessandro Del Piero -- Forward
- David Trezeguet -- Forward
- Pavel Nedved -- Midfielder
- Mauro Camoranesi -- Midfielder
- Giorgio Chiellini -- Defender
- Alessandro Birindelli -- Defender
- Federico Balzaretti -- Defender
- Robert Kovač -- Defender
- Jonathan Zebina -- Defender
- Marcelo Zalayeta -- Forward
- Nicola Legrottaglie -- Defender
How Juventus recovered
It took years for Juventus to fully recover from the shock and the consequences on the pitch, even if they dominated their only season in the second division, also thanks to the dedication of the players that didn't leave them in such a difficult moment, like Buffon and Del Piero. Didier Deschamps, the former 1996 Champions League winner, led the team to victory but then left his job after reaching the target two games before the end of the season. Juventus struggled for some years until a young and not experienced coach was hired to bring back the Juventus mentality: Antonio Conte. The Italian manager won three titles in a row from 2012 to 2014 before leaving to join the Italian national team, bringing back the Scudetto to Turin six years after the Calciopoli scandal.
| Season | Division | Position | Manager | Trophies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2006-2007 | Serie B | 1 | Didier Deschamps - Giancarlo Corradini | - |
2007-2008 | Serie A | 3 | Claudio Ranieri | - |
| 2008-2009 | Serie A | 2 | Claudio Ranieri - Ciro Ferrara | - |
2009-2010 | Serie A | 7 | Ciro Ferrara - Alberto Zaccheroni | - |
| 2010-2011 | Serie A | 7 | Luigi Delneri | - |
| 2011-2012 | Serie A | 1 | Antonio Conte | Serie A |
| 2012-2013 | Serie A | 1 | Antonio Conte | Serie A, Supercoppa Italiana |
| 2013-2014 | Serie A | 1 | Antonio Conte | Serie A |
| 2014-2015 | Serie A | 1 | Massimiliano Allegri | Serie A |
| 2015-2016 | Serie A | 1 | Massimiliano Allegri | Serie A, Coppa Italia |
| 2016-2017 | Serie A | 1 | Massimiliano Allegri | Serie A, Coppa Italia |
| 2017-2018 | Serie A | 1 | Massimiliano Allegri | Serie A, Coppa Italia |
| 2018-2019 | Serie A | 1 | Massimiliano Allegri | Serie A, Supercoppa Italiana |
| 2019-2020 | Serie A | 1 | Maurizio Sarri | Serie A |
| 2020-2021 | Serie A | 4 | Andrea PIrlo | Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana |
| 2021-2022 | Serie A | 4 | Massimiliano Allegri | - |
| 2022-2023 | Serie A | 7 | Massimiliano Allegri | - |
| 2023-2024 | Serie A | 3 | Massimiliano Allegri, Paolo Montero | Coppa Italia |
| 2024-2025 | Serie A | 4 | Thiago Motta, Igor Tudor | - |
| 2025-2026 | Serie A | 6 | Igor Tudor, Massimo Brambilla, Luciano Spalletti | - |
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