Financiers say they sense new Agnelli openness over Italy's Juventus

LONDON/MILAN : Financiers who normally find it almost impossible to get the ear of the Agnelli family on the future of Italian soccer club Juventus say they now sense more of a willingness to listen.

The "Old Lady", as Italy's most successful soccer club is known, is in the midst of tackling off-pitch issues and spiralling costs as it attempts to regain its magic.

Against this backdrop, representatives of the Agnellis have been more open in recent weeks to listening to ideas about its financial future, including even the possibility of a minority partner, five people involved in regular talks with them said.

There is no suggestion, the people told Reuters, that this implies any imminent change in stance, pointing out that any possible decision would only come once there is clarity on the accounting and judicial clouds hanging over the club.

The Agnellis, who have steered Juventus for almost a century, own 64 per cent through Exor, the holding company run by scion John Elkann which feeds dividend via its parent firm to several dozen family members.

"Our commitment to Juventus is unchanged and no meetings have taken place," a spokesperson for Exor said when asked to comment by Reuters on Friday.

"Any suggestion to the contrary is totally without foundation, misleading and intended only to create uncertainty."

Juventus has gobbled up 700 million euros ($771 million) in cash from shareholders over the past four years, roughly two thirds of which has come from Exor, in whose portfolio the club is the only major business not currently making money.

Despite the outlay, Juventus has not played a Champions League final since 2017 and three of the sources said that more significant investments are needed to make the club competitive at a