Cristian Romero arrived at Tottenham on loan this season from Serie A side Atalanta, the loan deal includes an option to buy at the end of the current year. So far so good, just another typical loan move, but after playing 7 games for Spurs, Romero’s loan move is one of many transfers Italian police are investigating amid allegations of false accounting.
It all began on Friday when authorities raided Juventus offices amid claims that the club has doctored transfer values over a two-year period. The falsification of these values is for the Turin club to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
In total 42 transfers are being investigated by Italian police and president Andrea Agnelli and Pavel Nedved along with other past Juventus employees are being investigated. Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici is also under the microscope since he oversaw Spurs loan acquisition of Romero, Paratici also worked at Juventus when Romero was loaned from the Italian Old Lady to Atalanta in 2020.
Spurs managing director of football Fabio Paratici under investigation
While the player has little to do with the case, Cristian Romero may have been one of many transfers with false accounting, Romero moved from Juventus to Atalanta at a reported £13.5 million. This deal was done in 2021 and Romero was quickly loaned to Tottenham on the same day he transferred officially to Atalanta, in South America these kinds of transactions are known as “bridgetransfers” usually designed to avoid taxes or give agents bigger percentages on transfers on a given player.
Tottenham as a club have spoken to Paratici, but at the moment have not issued a statement or relieved Paratici of his duties. Spurs as a club look, at the moment, free from any wrongdoing.
If found guilty of manipulating their finances Juventus could be dropped down to Serie B and have their Scudettos revoked. It would be the second time Juventus were dropped down to Serie B amid a scandal allegation, in 2006 the club was relegated amid the Calciopoli scandal.