by Emanuele Costa

Serie A reigning champions Juventus are well known for their capacity of putting together a very young and talented squad, selecting youngsters from all over the world and “breeding” them through one of the most well-organised academies in Italy. The Bianconeri have also built what may be called a proper “loan-web”, with clubs such as Empoli, Sassuolo, Pescara and Cagliari playing the role of subalternate in the arrangement.

The Bianconeri are also believed to be looking onwards to a Portuguese expansion, trying to purchase a club to build a new academy, in order to exploit the Portuguese legislation that allows more extra-EU players to be registered each season, and that guarantees a quicker process to acquire EU citizenship.

The Old Lady, however, might be biting off more than they can chew since they are believed to be moving around some Brazilian risky prospects. The names have been circulating among the press for a couple of weeks now: Gabriel Jesus, a 19-year-old forward from Brazilian club Palmeiras; Matheus Pereira, an 18-year-old midfielder from Corinthians; finally, to these one might add Rogerio Oliveira da Silva, currently a loanee at Sassuolo, acquired by Juventus from Porto Alegre Internacional.

The investments for all of these players are quite risible when compared to the incredible talent bank that Juventus might be setting up; however, the whole process of acquiring these players has taken place in what might be defined as a moral grey zone, to say the least.

Rogerio, for example, was purchased by the Bianconeri through fellow club Sassuolo, paying €1.5 million not to Internacional – the youngster’s previous club – but to Doyen Sports, the infamous TPI/TPO organisation that, according to the most recent (actually, year-old) FIFA orders, must have been disbanded from the practice of trading in players.

A similar case is being set up for the signing of Matheus Pereira, as the Old Lady is dealing not with Corinthians, but with several investment funds connected with the player (read about the investigation) . These practices are, as stated by the FIFA ordinance dated to May 2015, illegal, and yet Juventus (together with numerous other clubs from Europe) are plainly operating as if nothing was changed.

The same thing is going to happen about the purchase of Gabriel Jesus: doubts are currently being settled about the percentages that Palmeiras and “representative” organisation AdequateSports are going to receive from the Bianconeri. The Italian champions, together with many other clubs throughout Europe, are openly operating in defiance of the FIFA regulations. Because, after all, the problem was just Sepp Blatter. Right?