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On the first day of a hearing held behind
closed doors, initial procedural issues were being addressed.
The hearing is expected to last several months, after which
judge Marco Picco will decide whether to order a trial.
Last December, prosecutors requested to send all the defendants
to trial after investigating the club's accounting and
statements made to financial markets in three recent years.
Turin prosecutors allege the club understated its financial
losses for three seasons - 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.
They have been looking into the values ascribed to player
transfers between clubs and whether, as stated, salaries were
sacrificed during the COVID-19 pandemic or simply deferred.
Juventus have denied wrongdoing and said their accounting is in
line with industry standards.
The case has stirred strong feelings in soccer-mad Italy.
Juventus, owned by the Agnelli family for a century, enjoy
strong support around the country but their wealth and success
have stoked resentment from fans of rival teams.
One of three prosecutors in charge of the case against the club
last week stepped aside from the proceedings after the emergence
of previous derogatory comments he made about the team and his
stated support for Serie A rivals Napoli.
Agnelli stepped down as chairman, resigning along with the rest
of the club board in late November, days before the prosecutors'
request for a trial.
The Turin criminal investigation has triggered a separate
inquiry over the club's finances by Italy's sport authority,
which resulted in a 15-point deduction for Juventus this season.
Napoli, with a 19-point lead and 11 games left to play, appear
certain to win the title for only the third time.
(Reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Keith Weir, Peter
Rutherford)
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