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Juventus investigated over Suarez Italian citizenship test, which showed 'irregularities'

Juventus are under investigation following irregularities found in an Italian citizenship test Luis Suarez underwent in September.

At the time of the initial investigation on Sept. 22, the Italian finance police chief Selvaggio Sarri had said Juve were not being looked into, but that situation has now changed.

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"It emerged that the contents of the test had been communicated in advance to the player, in order to arrive at a predetermined outcome and examination score to meet the requests that had been made by Juventus, with the aim of achieving a positive image return, both personal and for the university," a statement made on Friday by the Perugia prosecutor's office read.

"Investigations have also allowed us to understand how, in the first days of September 2020, the management of the Turin club was activated, even at the highest institutional levels, to accelerate recognition of Italian citizenship of Suarez.

"This suggests new hypotheses of crime against persons other than those belonging to the university, still in the process of study."

Sources had told ESPN that Suarez had agreed to join Juve after he was deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona.

However, as a non-EU player, the Uruguay international had to obtain Italian citizenship in order to facilitate the move and the exam undertaken at the Perugia University for Foreigners was investigated due to suggestions he had been given answers beforehand.

"During the investigation undertaken by the Perugia financial police corps into various and accrued issues with regards to the Perugia University for Foreigners, which been ongoing since February 2020, irregularities in the Italian language certificate test undertaken on this Sept. 17 by Uruguayan footballer Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz, necessary to obtain Italian citizenship, have emerged," a statement by Perugia prosecutor Raffaele Cantone published on Sept. 22 read.

"The investigation has shown that the topics covered in the test were previously agreed and that the relevant score was agreed before the test had taken place. This, despite the fact that during the course of distance learning with university professors, he had only displayed a basic understanding of the Italian language.

"Today, members of the financial police are acquiring university office documents for further information on the above described as well as a warrant for information of false certification offences committed by a public official."

Suarez has since moved to Atletico Madrid where he has scored five goals in nine matches across all competitions.

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