Say goodbye to Piemonte Calcio because Serie A side Juventus will officially return in FIFA 23, EA Sports has confirmed.
Juventus have been absent from EA Sports' FIFA franchise since FIFA 20 due to the Italian club having an exclusive agreement with Konami's eFootball series. For the last three FIFA instalments (FIFA 20, FIFA 21 and FIFA 22), Juventus have been known in-game as Piemonte Calcio, the region in which Juventus are based in Italy.
Not only was it a change in name, but the agreement between Konami and Juventus saw a change in kits, badges and stadium for the Italian club in all game modes of FIFA. But, their deal with Konami has run out, and EA has now struck a deal which will see them become Juventus’ exclusive Sport Video Gaming Partner, which will see the Old Lady officially return to FIFA 23.
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The multi-year agreement that was struck between Juventus and EA Sports will see the Italian Club exclusively licensed to FIFA 23, meaning players will no longer have to use the Piemonte Calcio name, kits and badge. Now, FIFA 23 players can use Juventus’ official club logo and kits, playing in the Juventus Stadium, Allianz Arena.
In FIFA 22, there are currently four Serie A teams including Juventus who are in the game with 'fake' names due to exclusive licensing agreements with Konami. AS Roma, Lazio and Atalanta are the other three teams, with the trio called Roma FC, Latium and Bergamo Calcio respectively in-game.
These three clubs will continue to be licensed to Konami's eFootball for FIFA 23, and they will be joined by fellow Italian side Napoli after their partnership with Konami became exclusive from the 2022/23 season. Napoli agreed the deal last year, but the agreement allowed them to feature in FIFA 22. As well as the club partnership, former footballer Claudio Marchisio will join as a FUT Hero and current player Dušan Vlahović will also serve as an ambassador for EA SPORTS FIFA 23.
“We’re excited to reaffirm our deep commitment to Italian football through this exclusive partnership with Juventus,” said David Jackson, VP of brand for EA SPORTS FIFA.
“This phenomenal club means so much to us and our fans, and will enable EA SPORTS to continue to deliver the most authentic and comprehensive interactive football experiences possible in FIFA 23 and beyond.”
“We are proud to return by EA SPORTS’ side,” said Giorgio Ricci, Juventus Chief Revenue Officer. “The partnership with EA SPORTS goes beyond the concept of traditional partnership, together in the shared project of looking into the future, talking to new generations, riding the wave of new trends, urban culture and lifestyle.
"We chose EA SPORTS to go one step further because it is a partner sharing our vision and ambition. We are pleased to make this journey with a brand standing out for its originality, uniqueness, and innovation, as Juventus does.”
The return of Juventus will be a major coup for EA, with Juve one of the biggest sides in world football. The Italian giants are known within the football community for having some of the nicest looking kits as well, so expect to see a few of your opponents in FIFA 23 repping the black and white stripes.
FIFA 23 is developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and will be available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Stadia, PS4, and Xbox One on September 30. Early access for FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition begins on September 27, 2022.
What are your thoughts on Juventus' return to FIFA 23? Let us know in the comments below!
