Juventus CEO Giovanni Carnevali has warned that missing Champions League qualification would bring a severe financial setback, describing a top-four finish as vital to the club’s finances.
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Carnevali said Juventus were already recording losses without Champions League participation. He stressed that qualifying is not the ultimate ambition, however: the club wants to win, not settle for fourth place.
The warning comes after Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season and entered the Europa League, a result that added pressure to already tight transfer-market finances. Carnevali also acknowledged that the current campaign had begun difficultly, making the league position and its financial consequences an immediate concern.
Carnevali said the club must respect UEFA’s financial parameters and would assess how the market develops before deciding what opportunities to pursue. Juventus’ financial pressures extend beyond one season: the club has reported nine consecutive years of losses, while its 2023-24 accounts recorded a deficit of approximately €199 million. That loss was linked to the absence of UEFA competition as well as other costs. The club’s financial position and revenue pressure help explain why Champions League income matters so much.
The difference between qualifying and missing out is not only a matter of prestige or European fixtures. A place in the Champions League provides a more favourable financial base for planning, while the Europa League brings a different revenue profile and Thursday matches that can complicate the domestic schedule.
Carnevali’s comments carry added weight because he addressed both the club’s finances and its sporting strategy at the same event. He said Juventus want to bring more Italian players into the squad and identified the Next Gen side as a route for developing young talent, whether for the first team or a loan elsewhere.
He also described the transfer market as inflated and said Juventus would need to be selective. Discussing Kerim Alajbegovic, Carnevali framed the signing as an investment in a promising young player who could eventually command a sale price of €70–80 million. His remarks point to a strategy built around developing value as well as pursuing immediate results.
There is no certainty in Carnevali’s comments that Juventus will have to sell a major player. He said the club would monitor market opportunities while respecting UEFA’s rules; the capital increase and Exor support form part of the wider financial context, but do not remove the pressure to qualify. The message is plain: fourth place matters economically, yet Juventus’ stated ambition remains winning.
The post Juventus finances hinge on a top-four finish, Carnevali says appeared first on Juvefc.com.
