- Tether becomes Juventus’ second-largest shareholder with a €128 million investment.
- Communications between Tether and Juventus remain limited despite repeated meeting requests.
- Juventus faces financial struggles while Tether pushes to modernize the club with tech solutions.
Tether has emerged as a major player in European football, acquiring a 10.7% stake in Juventus FC. The investment, valued at €128 million, makes Tether the second-largest shareholder in the Italian club.
Tether first disclosed its stake in February and has since increased its holdings. However, relations with Juventus remain tense. The crypto company wants a board seat and hopes to take part in future capital raises, but has been sidelined. CEO Paolo Ardoino said communications with Juventus and majority owner Exor NV have been “very, very limited.”
Tether Pushes for Influence
Tether has requested a meeting with Juventus to discuss its board ambitions and long-term plans. The club proposed a date after its season ends in early July. No final date has been confirmed. Tether also expressed interest in a future capital raise of up to €100 million. Juventus has yet to respond.
Exor, which owns approximately 65.4% of Juventus, agreed to inject €15 million into the club in March. The holding company manages around $40 billion in assets and also owns prominent brands like Ferrari and Stellantis
Tether, based in El Salvador, became Juventus’ first crypto investor. The company holds over $150 billion in assets, including $115 billion in U.S. Treasury securities, and reported $13 billion in profit last year. Its interest in Juventus stems from its Italian roots. Both Ardoino and chairman Giancarlo Devasini are longtime fans of the club. “We are here to help,” Ardoino said, adding that he bought his own match ticket to watch the team with fans.
Tensions and Broader Strategy
Tether believes it can bring advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to help modernize club operations. The company is also eyeing areas such as player management, talent scouting, and business strategy. However, Juventus has not signaled a willingness to collaborate, prompting Tether to reconsider additional share purchases.
Juventus faces its own issues. The club has not won a Serie A title in five years and was penalized in 2023. It lost 10 league points and paid fines after accusations of financial misconduct and inflated player values. The club is also expected to post an €18 million loss in its upcoming annual financial report.
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Football clubs across Europe have welcomed outside investors to address growing financial pressures. Juventus sold 35% of its shares to the public in 2001 to fund stadium and training upgrades.
Tether is not new to sports. It sponsors a Swiss football team and hosts a Bitcoin summer school in Lugano. It also invested in Italian media company Be Water, as well as other sectors such as farming and biotech.
The Juventus investment marks a shift. While crypto firms have sponsored clubs, few have become shareholders. Tether hopes to change that, seeking to exert more influence in the sports business and governance.
Legal experts suggest that in private companies, a 10% shareholder would typically expect to have board access or influence. But Juventus is publicly listed, which complicates Tether’s path to internal decision-making.
Exor has said it will reassess its position once Juventus and Tether hold formal discussions.
Until then, the future of Tether’s involvement with the football giant remains uncertain. “We first want to understand if there is space for collaboration,” Ardoino said. Tether insists its goal is the long-term success of Juventus, but its approach has yet to gain traction with the club.
