So there will be no Juventus in FIFA 20, but what are they being replaced by? How will it work exactly?
FIFA 20 will be released on September 27, 2019 and it will feature some of the biggest teams in the world, but there is one notable omission: Juventus.
Instead, Piemonte Calcio will take their place, entering into the game with a unique club badge and their own distinctive kit.
It is undoubtedly a blow to EA Sports to have a club of Juventus’ stature absent from their flagship football title, but they will hope that Piemonte Calcio can do enough to fill the gap.
So why is this unusual change happening? Goal takes a look at the reasons.
Why are Juventus called Piemonte Calcio on FIFA 20?
The end of the partnership between Juventus and EA Sports is the reason the Italian champions will be called Piemonte Calcio in FIFA 20.
Juventus have actually struck a deal with EA Sports’ rivals Konami to appear exclusively on their upcoming title eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 instead.
That deal prohibits EA Sports – or anyone other than Konami, for that matter – from using the Juventus brand, including their official badge and kits.
Juventus are to be renamed as “Piemonte Calcio” in #FIFA20 😵
What’s your favourite fake name from a video game? 🎮 pic.twitter.com/X8OySFyg6J
— Goal (@goal) July 16, 2019
It has reversed fortunes somewhat, since Konami’s titles – from International Superstar Soccer to Pro Evolution Soccer – earned cult status precisely because they did not have official team or player licenses.
The sudden severing of ties comes after EA Sports’ decision to remove Juve star Cristiano Ronaldo – the cover star of FIFA 18 and FIFA 19 – from promotional imagery and as their sole cover star.
A trio of players, Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne and Paul Dybala, appeared in Ronaldo’s place in February 2019. It is not clear if Juventus’ new partnership with Konami is related to EA Sports’ decision.
Why Piemonte Calcio? What does it mean?
Since EA Sports cannot use the real name of the team Juventus, they have had to use an alternative nom de guerre for the Serie A giants.
The name Piemonte Calcio literally means ‘Piemonte Football’ and is inspired by the region of Italy in which Juventus are based.
Piemonte – sometimes known as Piedmont – is situated in north-west Italy, on the borders of Switzerland and France.
It translates as ‘At the foot of the Mountains’, which is an acknowledgement of the area’s famous Alps backdrop.
Piemonte Calcio follows a naming style that is used by a number of Italian clubs in real life – think Brescia Calcio, Cagliari Calcio or Associazione Calcio Milan (AC Milan).
Interestingly, Juventus were known as ‘PM Black and White’ (PM as an abbreviation for Piemonte) in Pro Evolution Soccer 2019.
Will Piemonte Calcio have real Juventus players?
While the Juventus brand will not feature in FIFA 20, Piemonte Calcio will probably feature players who play for Juventus.
EA Sports explained : “Real-world players, including authentic names and faces, will be used in the Piemonte Calcio squad throughout FIFA 20 and FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.”
Matthijs De Ligt is going where no man has gone before 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/DpW52Q5ozd
— DAZN Canada (@DAZN_CA) July 17, 2019
That means we should see Matthijs de Ligt, Aaron Ramsey and Ronaldo lining out for the “new” outfit, which is good news for any FIFA-playing Juventus fans.
Aside from cosmetic differences, Piemonte Calcio will strongly resemble Juventus and the team will be fully incorporated into the game, playable in Kick-Off, Ultimate Team, Career Mode, and VOLTA Football.
However, despite that, it looks like Juventus’ home venue, Allianz Stadium, will not feature in FIFA 20.
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