Lazio faces a tough challenge ahead of their match against Juventus, with midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dealing with a foot injury. Meanwhile, Juventus is grappling with a significant financial loss for the 2023-24 season, largely due to their absence from European competitions. Both teams are dealing with setbacks as they prepare for the crucial Serie A clash.
Guendouzi Injured Ahead of Lazio-Juventus Clash
Lazio are preparing for a vital away fixture against Juventus this Saturday evening, with both sides currently sharing third place in Serie A, trailing Napoli and Inter. As the match approaches, Lazio boss Marco Baroni faces a possible setback with midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
Calciomercato reports that the French midfielder sustained a foot injury during France’s 2-1 win over Belgium in the Nations League on Monday. Guendouzi was struck on his right foot and was replaced by coach Didier Deschamps in the 73rd minute.
Fortunately for Lazio, medical tests have confirmed there are no fractures in Guendouzi’s fifth toe. The midfielder will try to recover in time for the match and could make the bench. If he’s unable to play, Uruguayan Matias Vecino is prepared to partner with former Juventus player Nicolò Rovella in midfield.
In other team updates, right-back Manuel Lazzari will miss the match, with Montenegrin defender Adam Marusic expected to replace him.
Juventus Reports Major 2023-24 Financial Loss Due to Europe
Juventus recorded a $217m financial loss for 2023-24, with the lack of Champions League football severely impacting the club’s finances.
The Italian giants were forced to exit European competition last season due to charges of false accounting and market manipulation. Despite initially qualifying for the Champions League by finishing in the top four, a 10-point penalty in the 2022-23 season dropped them out of the Champions League positions.
They subsequently pulled out of all UEFA competitions for the 2023-24 season. Given the complete lack of European football, Juventus believes this significantly contributed to the extent of their financial losses.
Juventus has faced a challenging few years. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo placed a significant strain on the club’s finances, with the Portuguese forward costing Juve around ¢33m annually in wages.
The global pandemic also took a toll on Juventus’ finances, as the club couldn’t welcome fans to matches, and the cost of Ronaldo became unsustainable. On the field, success also declined after their nine consecutive Serie A titles in the 2010s.
Juventus’ last Scudetto came under Maurizio Sarri in the 2019-20 season, and they have yet to be close to winning it since. The club has secured two Coppa Italia titles under Andrea Pirlo and Max Allegri in 2021 and 2024, respectively.
The Serie A club’s revenue for the 12 months ending June 30, 2024, dropped to €394m ($429m), marking a 22.3% decline from €507m ($552m) in 2023.
The club is also without a primary sponsor, as its multi-year deal with Jeep, owned by Fiat (which also owns Juventus), expired at the end of last season. Juventus began this season without a sponsor but have since struck a deal with the charity Save the Children to feature their logo on the shirts until a permanent sponsor is secured.
Juventus is set to compete in FIFA’s expanded World Club Cup next summer in the US, with reports suggesting each team could receive around $50m. However, this claim has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear how much each club will actually earn from the month-long tournament.
Juventus have made a strong start to the Serie A season, currently sitting in the top three and remaining unbeaten across all competitions. The club also reduced its wage bill by 15% by parting ways with several high earners, including Alex Sandro, Adrien Rabiot, and Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.
Dusan Vlahovic is now Juventus’ highest-paid player, earning a reported $13m per season. However, discussions are ongoing between the player and the club to renew his contract while also reducing his wages, as Juve look to further lower their expenses.
Juve spent nearly $217m on players last summer, but many of the deals were structured to ease the club’s financial burden. The club had not turned a profit since the 2016-17 season, when it reached its second Champions League final in three years.
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