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Juventus returns for FIFA 23 after three-year EA Sports absence

Published 10:57 26 Jul 2022 BST

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Rest in peace, Piemonte Calcio.

EA Sports has confirmed that Serie A giants Juventus will officially return in FIFA 23 after being absent from the game since FIFA 20. The Italian outfit have not been part of EA Sports' FIFA franchise since FIFA 20 due to the club having an exclusive agreement with Konami's eFootball series. For the past three editions, Juventus have been known in-game as 'Piemonte Calcio' - the region in which Juventus are based in Italy. As well as the name change, the agreement between Konami and Juventus saw the Italian side's kit, badge and stadium missing from FIFA. However, with Konami's deal with Juventus expiring, EA has agreed on a deal which will see them become Juventus’ exclusive Sport Video Gaming Partner and allows the club to officially return to FIFA 23. The multi-year agreement means that players will no longer have to use the Piemonte Calcio name, kits and badge, but instead, are able to use Juventus’ official club logo and kits, playing in the Juventus Stadium, the Allianz Arena. https://twitter.com/EASPORTSFIFA/status/1551583321683116033

Four 'fake' teams in FIFA 22.

In FIFA 22, four teams have 'fake' names in the game due to exclusive licensing agreements with Konami. As well as the Old Lady, AS Roma, Lazio and Atalanta also don't feature in the game. Instead, they are called Roma FC, Latium and Bergamo Calcio respectively in-game. The other three sides will continue to be licensed to Konami's eFootball for FIFA 23 and will be joined by Napoli, who agreed a deal with Konami last year, but were able to feature in FIFA 22 under their agreement. "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."

Giorgio Ricci, Juventus Chief Revenue Officer, said: "We are proud to return by EA SPORTS’ side. The partnership with EA SPORTS goes beyond the concept of a traditional partnership, together in the shared project of looking into the future, talking to new generations, and 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." FIFA 23 will be available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Stadia, PS4, and Xbox One on September 30.