Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli feels the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was the beginning of the current crisis.

Cobolli Gigli believes former president Andrea Agnelli never wanted to sign the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker.

He said, “Agnelli was talked into signing Ronaldo because it would bring enormous marketing revenue and get Juve closer to the Champions League.

“However, (Beppe) Marotta did not agree with that at all and he stepped aside. Afterwards, the investment in Ronaldo was proved to be too expensive. Meanwhile Fabio Paratici, who had pushed for the CR7 signing, also got Juve into more investments that weighed on the balance sheet and put the club in trouble.

“It’s no coincidence if they had to raise €700m in fresh capital… Meanwhile more mistakes, like hiring Maurizio Sarri, and slip-ups like the Luis Suarez Italian citizenship test, or the Super League project. There must’ve been a big change in Agnelli’s outlook.

“Agnelli always had a more elevated vision of the horizon for Juve, like the Super League, but he also took on too much and neglected to keep the board informed, which you cannot do with a club floated on the stock exchange.”

Juventus and other clubs have bee cleared over inflated capital gains because it is impossible to prove how much a player is worth other than the transfer fee two clubs agree on.

“I don’t think the capital gains will be an issue, but the delayed payment of wages will be,” continued Cobolli Gigli.

“If there really is this rumoured private contract showing Cristiano Ronaldo is owed €19m, then that would be a smoking gun.

“But it’s too early to say now, we have to wait and see what the magistrates say. I am also certain John Elkann’s lawyers will find the best approach.”