As the summer transfer market continues EA announces the return of La Juve in an exclusive, multi-year partnership that will transcend onto EA Sports FC.
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.
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.