Report: FIFA opens Juventus investigation over Paul Pogba transfer

Weeks ago, reports surfaced that FIFA would be investigating Manchester United due to suspect of illegal transfer dealings over Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester last summer. A report from ESPN has surfaced today that Manchester United was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The bad news is that there is a claim that disciplinary proceedings have been instead opened against Juventus. The article claims:

A FIFA spokesman said: "We can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Juventus FC. We cannot comment further as proceedings are ongoing. We can confirm that no disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Manchester United."

So, yea. That’s not good. Of course, nothing is official yet, but ESPN is a pretty credible source, and I certainly don’t believe they would pull a FIFA spokesman quote out of thin air like that, given their reputation.

It is understood by them that Raiola’s agreement with Juventus could have breached third-party ownership rules, and this is why they are being investigated.

The claims are that potential punishments ranging from a fine to a transfer ban could be in order. That would not be ideal given the financial situation and potential incoming transfers like Patrik Schick and Douglas Costa, as well as the already lagging financial situation compared to some of the other European Giants.

For now, all we can is sit, wait, and hope for the best.