In case you had instructed Andrea Pirlo a yr in the past that he had coached Juventus for 23 months for 9 months, been promoted to the senior group after which stood on the sting of the bag, he would have spat out his glass of purple winnings and laughed.
However the 41-year-old actually broke away from the wonderful vineyards of Brescia to tackle the position of Bianconeri’s youth group coach in July, solely to then be pushed into Maurizio Sarris’ nonetheless sizzling spot as first group coach 9 days later.
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The extra cynical of us would say that we noticed this coming: Juve are 13 factors from the Serie A summit with 5 matches to play, and if that is just not dangerous sufficient, they threat lacking the Champions League qualifiers for subsequent yr.
Add to that their European exit in Porto, and Pirlo has to marvel what had ever left him after the stress-free lifetime of grape rising.
It is no shock then that the rookie coach’s job hangs within the stability and given their mediocre performances all through the marketing campaign, it is onerous to argue in opposition to his dismissal. However of all of the final three Juve coaches, he could really feel essentially the most troubled.
FT | ⏱ | Ultimate whistle in Bergamo. # AtalantaJuve #FinoAllaFine #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/x9icCRttAq
– JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) April 18, 2021
The outdated girl couldn’t have been extra bloated and unbalanced if she had gone to an all you possibly can eat Chinese language buffet and forgotten her dependable zimmer body. The squad is filled with common gamers, and you possibly can rely on one hand the variety of stars who can contemplate themselves worthy of a spot within the beginning line-up subsequent yr.
So it is an amazing group with an inexperienced supervisor. Hardly the recipe for a summer season revolution. The truth is, Pirlo deserves time. He was not employed for computerized success each on the continent and in Italy, and his appointment was thought-about the start of a brand new legacy.
However soccer is an unforgivable firm, and with a person like Andrea Agnelli on the helm, time is worthwhile. In any case, we understand how a lot he loves UEFA competitors, proper?
Ought to Agnelli concurrently press the panic and reset buttons this summer season, there is simply one various that makes that choice worthwhile: to recruit Massimiliano Allegri.
Allegri has been away from Turin for 2 years, and admittedly, town has turn into a darker place with out him. The one criticism made in opposition to the league winner throughout his time was the standard of soccer (successful soccer, due to this fact), alongside together with his incapacity to get them over the road within the Champions League.
If solely they had been Juventus’ solely downside now.
Whereas many in Italy normally warn in opposition to la minestra riscaldata (heated soup) – a supervisor returning to a former membership, on this case – only a few consider that this reunion could be a dangerous thought. There may be a way of unfinished enterprise between Allegri and Juve, and he will get the liberty wanted to remodel the outdated girl into his picture.
The gamers have acquired misplaced underneath Sarri and Pirlo. Of their quest for thrilling, adventurous soccer, they’ve misplaced the factor that makes them so important Juve: the will to win at any price and the gravel to play the recreation fino alla effective.
Allegri in its pure habitat – with trophies Chris Brunskill / Fantasista / Getty Photographs
Allegri embodies the Juve mantra, “Successful is just not essential, it is the solely factor that counts”, and it was that mentality that gave him 5 straight league titles in Turin, as nicely as a few shut shaves in Europe.
Juventus followers would kill in the course of the “boring” Allegri soccer days together with essentially the most managed and comfy winners, as nicely because the odd flirtation with the Champions League – slightly than Europe merely sweeping to the left to finish their romance to start with.
He’s the one man who can boast of his CV, manpower and expertise to goal via this Juve squad, select the gold nuggets and rebuild them to be essentially the most feared group in Italy. And he’ll win league titles at a gallop whereas he does too.
? Earlier than leaving Juventus, Allegri gave Agnelli recommendation: “Do away with Ronaldo, he is obstructing the progress of the group and the membership.”
[Via La Republicca] pic.twitter.com/ayrK8gfz6v
– Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) April 13, 2021
Assuming Agnelli has realized his lesson, he’ll go away Allegri the keys to creating the adjustments he feels are needed – together with a choice on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future – regardless of how commercially dangerous it could be.
I Bianconeri want a hero to cease them from sinking into one other season of mediocrity, and Allegri is the one man who can restore the nice occasions with quick impact.
