After Juve’s walkover win over Napoli was cancelled and they lost 3-0 to Fiorentina, could it finally be someone else’s year?There have been times in Juventus’s recent history when dropping six points in a month might have been considered as a run of poor form. On Tuesday, they saw that number slip away in the space of less than six hours.First came the news that the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) had overturned the decision by Serie A’s sporting justice to award Juventus a 3-0 win for their unplayed game against Napoli in October. The Partenopei were a no-show for that fixture in Turin after two members of their first team, and a further member of staff, tested positive for Covid-19....
The result of the biggest match of the season so far may be decided in court after Napoli stayed away because of CovidThe stage was set for one of the biggest games on the Serie A calendar – Juventus against Napoli, historic rivals from opposite ends of Italy’s boot. The wealthiest team in the country, fresh from their ninth consecutive title, against opponents who have consistently outperformed their budget to produce some of the most entertaining and effective football on the peninsula, finishing as runners-up in three of the past five years.The sub-plots were enticing. Could Andrea Pirlo, in his third game as a manager, answer the questions posed by his former teammate Gennaro Gattuso? Who would shine brighter between...
Will the rookie manager steer Juventus to a 1oth straight title or could Inter, or Lazio or Atalanta, finally topple them?Millions of Italian children went back to school on Monday. So did the manager of Juventus. Andrea Pirlo was completing the final stage of his Uefa Pro licence course, defending a thesis he had submitted two weeks earlier under the title “My Football”.His writings will soon be made available, joining those of every other coach who has passed through Italy’s famous Scuola Allenatori (Managers’ School), in the library of the technical centre in Coverciano. Most of us, though, will get our first real insight into Pirlo’s vision for how the game should be played when Juventus host Sampdoria in their...
Juventus legend projects confidence but has no coaching experience and the move shows marketing men are in control“And what exactly are your qualifications for this position, Mr Pirlo?” “I played 119 league games for the club and won four league titles.” “I see. Any coaching qualifications?” “I signed up to do my pro licence last August.” “Right. Any relevant experience?” “I’m Juventus Under-23s coach.” “Great. And how long have you held that position?” “Nine days.” “And results are good?” “We haven’t actually played any games yet.” “But the training sessions are going well?” “Well, I did go to watch the under-19s play Monza last week.” “Excellent. The job’s yours.”The world of the super-clubs can seem very odd at times. Football...
The two do not fit together and so the Italians’ push for Champions League glory seems even more like a last throw of the dice In 2015, Max Allegri led Juventus to the double. In 2016, Max Allegri led Juventus to the double. In 2017, Max Allegri led Juventus to the double. In 2018, Max Allegri led Juventus to the double. In 2019, Max Allegri did not lead Juventus to the double, although he did lead them to an eighth straight Scudetto.Failure to win last season’s Coppa Italia was not why Allegri was ousted last summer. He probably would have been replaced even if he had landed a fifth double in five seasons, because this is the pitch of absurdity...