Outgoing Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, who quit amid claims of false accounting at Italy’s biggest football club, told shareholders Tuesday that leaving was difficult but the club “comes before everything”.

Agnelli, whose 12-year reign brought a host of trophies for the Turin giants, said allegations against the club were “not justified”, but said he was leaving to avoid complicating the situation further.

The decision to resign along with the rest of the board in November “was not an easy decision for me”, he said, saying he “always loved this club” and had worked “as hard as I can” for its success.

“However, it was a decision that I made with complete conviction and in complete serenity,” he said.

Just days after they resigned, Turin prosecutors sought trials for Agnelli and 11 others over alleged financial irregularities, including in the transfer and loans of players, reports said.

Originally 15 people were targeted in the probe, prosecutors told AFP.

Read the full story on sportsdesk.com.mt...