Serie A: Fagioli extends Juventus contract until 2028
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli has signed a new long-term contract with the Bianconeri until the end of the 2027-28 season.
The 22-year-old – who is currently serving a seven-month suspension for betting offences – joined the Juventus youth ranks in 2015 and has progressed through the academy to make 45 appearances for the first team.
READ ALSO:World Cup Qualifier: Zimbabwe Arrive Huye For Super Eagles
Fagioli has come up with three goals and six assists for Massimiliano Allegri’s side since making his debut in January 2021, directly contributing to seven goals in the 2022-23 Serie A season.
Already boasting one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana from his time in Turin, Fagioli earned his first cap for Italy in a friendly win over Albania in November 2022 and registered one assist from his first six Serie A outings of the 2023-24 season.
However, Fagioli – alongside Italy teammates Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo – were embroiled in a betting scandal during the October international break, and the 22-year-old was banned for seven months by the Italian Football Federation after admitting to gambling on illegal platforms.
The midfielder will therefore not be eligible to return until the closing stages of the season in May, but he has nevertheless been handed a new-and-improved contract by Juventus, who have committed to supporting him through his addiction.
“We confirm what we had already communicated a few weeks ago: we support Nicolo Fagioli in his therapeutic and training journey, and we want to provide him with all the support he will need in the coming months,” Juventus technical director Cristiano Giuntoli told the club’s website.
“The renewal of his contract is precisely in line with this, but not only: Nicolo is a very important player for us, his technical quality and his tactical intelligence are known to everyone, and we are convinced that his return to the pitch will be for us an added value of primary importance.
“So Fagioli must know, and he does know, that he can continue to work here, training every day with the team, with the necessary serenity. And he also knows that we are counting on him and waiting for him.”
Fagioli has extended his Juventus contract only a few days after fellow midfielder Manuel Locatelli put pen to paper on a renewal, while defender Federico Gatti also signed new terms until 2028 in October.
Despite coming to an agreement with Locatelli and Fagioli’s camps, Juventus are still expected to pursue a new midfielder in the January transfer window as Paul Pogba awaits to learn his fate following a failed doping test.
The Frenchman could have his contract terminated if he is banned for a lengthy period of time, and Juve are believed to have identified Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips as an ideal replacement after cooling their interest in Arsenal’s Thomas Partey.
Juventus sit second in the Serie A table with 29 points from 12 games – two behind current leaders Inter Milan, whom they meet in a top-of-the-table clash on November 26 following the international break.