Venezia Sack Stroppa as Juventus Pursue Supreme Court Appeal in Long-Running Ronaldo Wages Case
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Venezia sacked coach Giovanni Stroppa on Monday after a fifth straight defeat, a 3-1 loss at Atalanta in which they conceded twice in the opening six minutes, the club confirmed in a statement thanking him for his work. Stroppa, who had signed a three-year contract after winning promotion from Serie B last season, has been linked with a swift replacement in Davide Nicola, still under contract at Cremonese, with Paolo Zanetti and Roberto D’Aversa also under consideration, Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
Juventus have filed an appeal to Italy’s Court of Cassation in their long-running wages dispute with Cristiano Ronaldo, the club confirmed, after a 2024 arbitration panel ordered them to pay the Portuguese 9.8 million euros plus interest and a Turin labour court upheld that ruling in January, Gazzetta dello Sport reported. The case centres on a Covid-era pay-deferral agreement, the so-called “Ronaldo document,” tied to the broader Prisma investigation that led to former president Andrea Agnelli’s resignation; a hearing date for the Cassazione appeal has not yet been set.
Transfer and squad notes
A mural by street artist Drugi has appeared near the Stadio Olimpico ahead of Roma’s Champions League meeting with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, depicting Mourinho alongside a boy in Roma colours holding the Conference League trophy, with the caption “we will never forget who we were,” Forzaroma reported. The image reflects the emotional build-up to Mourinho’s return to the stadium where he won the Conference League with Roma before later taking charge of Real Madrid.
Genoa and sporting director Diego Lopez have parted ways by mutual agreement, with Lopez set to join Burnley, the club confirmed; Francois Modesto, formerly of Juventus, becomes Chief of Football and Stefano Melissano, released from his Spezia contract, takes over as sporting director, according to Genoa Oggi. Lopez’s signings this year included forward Vladan Osmajic, who has become a key performer, alongside Wiafe, Puczka and Traore, with his departure following Genoa’s win over Fiorentina.
What it means for the league
Venezia’s decision to move on from Stroppa so early in the season shows how little patience newly promoted clubs are giving coaches even after a successful promotion campaign, with Nicola’s possible switch from Cremonese adding a direct managerial reshuffle between two Serie A sides. The Ronaldo case remains a lingering reputational and financial issue for Juventus years after his departure, regardless of the outcome of this appeal. Roma’s Mourinho tribute underlines how much a single managerial spell can still shape a club’s identity, while Genoa’s leadership changes suggest a broader reset of their recruitment strategy even as results on the pitch have started to improve.