Juventus CEO Giovanni Carnevali has warned that failure to qualify for the Champions League would result in a serious financial loss, describing a top-four finish as crucial to the club’s finances.
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Carnevali said that “Juventus” already registered losses without participating in the Champions League. He emphasized that ranking is not the ultimate ambition: the club wants to win, not settle for fourth place.
Champions League revenue is central to the equation
The warning comes after Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season and qualified for the Europa League, adding to pressure on already tight transfer market finances. Carnevali also admitted that the current campaign has got off to a rocky start, which is an immediate concern for the state of the league and its financial results.
According to Carnevali, the club must respect UEFA’s financial parameters and will assess how the market develops before deciding which opportunities to pursue. Juventus’ financial pressures extend beyond one season: the club has posted a deficit of around €199m in its 2023-24 accounts, with nine consecutive years of losses. This loss was attributed to the lack of UEFA competition and other costs. Club finances and revenue pressure help explain why Champions League revenue is so important.
The difference between qualifying and missing out is not just a matter of prestige or European matches. A place in the Champions League provides a more favorable financial basis for scheduling, while the Europa League brings a different revenue profile and Thursday matches that can complicate the domestic schedule.
Carnevali points to youth and discerning market choices
Carnevali’s comments carry extra weight as he addressed both the club’s finances and sporting strategy at the same event. He said Juventus wanted to bring more Italian players into the squad and identified the Next Gen side as a way to develop young talent, either for the first team or on loan elsewhere.
He also described the transfer market as overblown and said Juventus needed to be selective. Discussing Kerim Alajbegovic, Carnevali saw the signing as an investment in a promising young player who could eventually command a €70-80m selling price. His remarks point to a strategy built around value development as well as immediate results.
Carnevali’s comments leave no doubt that Juventus will have to sell the key player. He said the club would monitor market opportunities by following UEFA rules; capital raising and Exor support form part of the wider financial context but do not remove the pressure to adapt. The message is clear: fourth place is important from an economic point of view, but Juventus’ claim to victory continues.