Juventus post defiant birthday message to Andrea Agnelli

He may have resigned from his post, but that didn't stop Juventus from showering Andrea Agnelli with praise on his birthday.

Agnelli along with the rest of the Juventus board have handed in their resignations amid an investigation into illegal financial activity.

The Italian club have been accused of falsifying their financial records concerning player wages and club transfers.

The repercussions for such activity if the club is found guilty could be huge, with severe financial sanctions likely and sporting sanctions such as relegation from Serie A possible too.

Despite this, a birthday message to Agnelli signing his praises was still posted on the official club website.

In said message, digs were taken at the media for not giving the former president the praise he deserves.

"While leafing through the pages of the newspapers, you may risk losing sight of other pages - those of the history books," said the club.

"A history that has bound our club to one family for almost a century, in which Juventus became legendary, to then consolidate that status from 2010 onwards, thanks to an unprecedented era, on and off the pitch.

"All this is possible if it is driven by a vision. A clear, precise vision. Andrea Agnelli has not only demonstrated he has always possessed that vision but he has made it a distinctive trait of his, taking Juventus by the hand towards horizons that recently before had been unthinkable.

"On the pitch, and it is enough to scroll down a list of honours so long you risk forgetting some, and off - everything that is before our eyes today, and after a few years appears almost "normal", such as a new visual identity, such as the new modern infrastructure, such as a look at worlds "other" than football’s, such as sports projects never seen before in Italy, is a result of that vision.

"A vision that has had – and continues to have – the drive towards the future as its distinctive feature because, to borrow another concept dear to Andrea, after achieving victory you immediately start thinking ahead to the next one.

"Remembering this lesson is the best way to wish our President a happy birthday."