Socrates

Arsenal step up for Llorente http://www.football-italia.net/69673/arsenal-step-llorente? Jul 25, 2015 After Italian papers, now the English media also report Arsenal are in talks with Juventus for Fernando Llorente. Although there is interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid, Tuttosport claimed on Thursday that the Gunners were in pole position. Now The Sun also points to negotiations for the €12m-rated striker as an alternative to Karim Benzema on the transfer market. Llorente arrived in Turin as a free agent from Athletic Bilbao two years ago, scoring nine goals in 45 appearances last season. The 30-year-old is valued at €12m (£8.4m), but Arsenal’s proposal is currently £8m. Llorente is surplus to requirements at Juventus after Mario Mandzukic, Simone Zaza and Paulo Dybala signed on this summer.

Grande Neto.

2-0

E che siamo il Napoli?

Juventus Goalkeeper Wants Brazil Call-Up http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/juventus-goalkeeper-wants-brazil-call-up/? Jul 24, 2015 New Juventus goalkeeper Neto has spoken about his reasons for ending his four year stint at Fiorentina and joining the current Serie A champions. Despite looking like he will be second choice behind Gianluigi Buffon, the 26-year-old feels his move to the Bianconeri will enhance his chances of a call up to the Brazil squad. ”Getting selected and then playing for your national team is harder than most people think,” he told the reporters who had gathered for his first press conference. ”I played the last two seasons in Florence where I felt good and didn’t really get a chance with Brazil so I thought that moving teams could change something.” Neto also revealed the reason behind his squad number and said that his father has been a big influence on his successful career. ”I chose the number 25 as my squad number as I was 25 years of age last year and it was a big year for me so that that was the thinking behind that. My Father was also a goalkeeper back in Brazil and as a child I always wanted to be like him. I am always asking him for advice, so without his help I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Juventus name Dortmund squad http://www.football-italia.net/69661/juventus-name-dortmund-squad? Jul 24, 2015 Juventus have named a 26-man squad for their first match of pre-season against Borussia Dortmund, with Arturo Vidal not included. The Bianconeri will take on the German side in St Gallen on Saturday evening, as they prepare to defend their Serie A title. Kwadwo Asamoah is not included in the travelling party, as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, but new signings including Paulo Dybala, Daniele Rugani and Sami Khedira could feature. Arturo Vidal is also not included in the squad, with the Chilean on the verge of securing a move to Bayern Munich, while fellow South Americans Mauricio Isla and Roberto Pereyra are also not included as they recuperate from the Copa America. Juventus squad to face Borussia Dortmund: Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Pogba, Zaza, Marchisio, Morata, Llorente, Barzagli, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Khedira, Evra, Rubinho, Audero, Clemenza, Parodi, Tello, Cerri, Vadala.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND V JUVENTUS – FRIENDLY MATCH Saturday, 25th July – 19:00 CET – AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland http://www.juvefc.com/borussia-dortmund-v-juventus-friendly-match/? Jul 24, 2015 Preview Juventus return to action with their first friendly match of the summer against Borussia Dortmund. Follow the action here! Thank God ! Praise Jesus ! Hallelujah ! We can talk about something other than the transfer market ! Hurrah ! It’s been a trying month, especially given the way things started. At the beginning of July, it looked as though Juve had completed all their transfer dealings, bringing in Paulo Dybala and Sami Khedira with deals for Norbeto Neto and Simone Zaza also on the cards. Fast forward four weeks and the Bianconeri have lost Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo to Boca Juniors and NYCFC respectively, while Arturo Vidal is only days away from completing a move to German champions Bayern Munich. Juve moved quickly to replace Tevez by bringing in Mario Mandzukic and it looks as though Sami Khedira or Claudio Marchisio will be taking the place of the departed Maestro. While Arturo Vidal is pretty much irreplaceable, Juve look to be addressing a different area of the midfield as Coach Max Allegri has reiterated his desire for a bona fide trequartista, Julian Draxler being the most likely target. So what can we glean from all this ? Well first of all, we’ll be missing a whole lot of experience from the team next season. Tevez quite literally dragged the team to victory on more than occasion and Vidal, despite having a poor season by his standards, was the engine in midfield that kept things ticking over. As for Pirlo, well, he was Pirlo; Capable of turning a game on it’s head with a moment of utter brilliance, be it a pass, free kick or one of those goals from outside the area. On a much more positive note, Juve have had one of their most productive and hopefully most positive transfer periods in some time. A lot of money was spent on up-and-coming striker Dybala to inject some ingenuity, pace and creativity in attack, and Zaza and Mandzukic look like the kind of strikers we all hoped Fernando Llorente would be. Between the posts, we lost one of my favourite players in the shape of Marco Storari, but once again, we got another young star in Norberto Neto; A keeper who joins Juve following one of his best seasons to date at Fiorentina. Add into this the arrival of young centre-back Daniele Rugani, (a Juventino since childhood), the return of Kwadwo Asamoah (who will most likely be playing in midfield next season) along with Juve refusing several offers for Kinglsey Coman. Add all that together and one thing becomes overwhelmingly apparent: The Juve squad has gotten younger. We’re not talking about a year or two. We’re talking about 8 players all born after 1990 set to play in key positions across the pitch. In terms of formations and tactics, it’s difficult to say at this early stage. On paper, we’ve got a team that Allegri could easily field as a 4-3-3 with Pogba, Khedira and Marchisio in midfield and two of either Coman, Dybala or Morata playing wider while Mandzukic or Zaza would play as the target man. On the flip side, Allegri could just as easily switch things to his more loved 4-3-1-2 with Roberto Pereyra, Coman or even Dybala dropping in behind Mandzukic/Zaza and Morata. Exciting times, and i say that earnestly. After the successes of the last 4 seasons, it’s been disappointing to lose 3 key players in such a short period of time. Pirlo, Tevez and Vidal were never ‘squad’ players. They were truly one of a kind and utterly uinique, but if their hearts or heads were no longer in Turin, it was pointless to keep them. Beppe Marotta has never been one for that. Moving forward, we can look at this season as one of experiment, new ideas, formations and tactics. A new approach and a squad built completely around Allegri’s ideas for the future. While I understand the air of negativity and disappointment that lingers in the wake of player departures, I’ve followed the club long enough to see stars come and go and despite all that, Juventus always survive. They do better than survive. They flourish. Probable lineup: 4-3-1-2: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Pogba, Khedira, Marchisio; Dybala; Morata, Mandzukic 4-4-2: Weidenfeller; Durm, Ginter, Piszcek, Subotic; Castro, Weigl, Kagawa, Kampl; Reus, Hofman* *I should point out that this was total guess work on my part. Looking at Dortmund’s last few friendlies, this may be how they lineup… Juventus squad to face Borussia Dortmund: Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Pogba, Zaza, Marchisio, Morata, Llorente, Barzagli, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Khedira, Evra, Rubinho, Audero, Clemenza, Parodi, Tello, Cerri, Vadala.

Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: Team News & Preview http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2530296-juventus-vs-borussia-dortmund-team-news-preview-live-stream-tv-info? Jul 24, 2015 Borussia Dortmund will finally pick up the pace this weekend when they turn away from recreational friendly matches towards a more testing opponent in Italian champions Juventus. In St Gallen, Switzerland, Thomas Tuchel will undoubtedly come up against his toughest test yet as the newly appointed Dortmund manager as he tries to work around the very team that knocked the Bundesliga side out of the Champions League just a few months ago. Although this match may be labelled a friendly, both Tuchel and his namesake on the opposite bench, Massimiliano Allegri, will be expecting a full, thorough performance from their own players. Expect a very heated 90 minutes between two talented sides. Date: Saturday, July 25 Time: 7 p.m. CET Venue: AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland Predicted Lineups As far as Dortmund are concerned, we should see Tuchel stick to his pre-season plans and play the German side in something resembling a 4-3-3 formation. That will most likely mean a standard back line of Erik Durm, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer in front of either Roman Weidenfeller or Roman Burki in goals. The midfield will most likely stat with Julian Weigl as the lone defensive midfielder, with Ilkay Gundogan and Gonzalo Castro in front, making up the midfield trio. In front of them should be Shinji Kagawa playing as a No.10 behind Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. With no notable injuries to record, Juventus will most likely kick off their pre-season with a standard 4-4-2 diamond formation, as we've seen from Allegri's team in the past. Yet due to the nature of their summer schedule, it would be almost impossible to predict just who will be starting for the Italian side on Saturday afternoon. With both Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal now departed, there's a huge gap in midfield that needs filling. We await to see just who will step in to that role, alongside new signing Sami Khedira, while the club continue to strengthen ahead of the new season. Key Players Ilkay Gundogan For Dortmund much of this summer's preparations have been down to the transformation in the middle of the pitch and no player has truly turned things around quite like Gundogan. The German international may have once been linked with a move to Saturday's opponents but for now he's got his head down and looks determined to give this season another go. Starting with Juventus on Saturday. Paul Pogba Standing in Gundogan's way will be none other than midfield maestro Paul Pogba, the French international that may well be the most sought-after player in Europe right about now. The central midfielder has been an instrumental part of Juventus' side over the past few years and will certainly be one to watch for Tuchel and his side.

Arsenal Have Offer For Llorente Rejected http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/arsenal-have-offer-for-juventus-striker-rejected/? Jul 24, 2015 Following on from yesterday’s report that English Premier League side Arsenal have been monitoring Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, it now appears that the London-based outfit have made a bid to sign the Spanish centre forward. The former Athletic Bilbao forward looks surplus to requirements in Turin, as the likes of Alvaro Morata, Simone Zaza, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic are likely to be the preferred options of coach Massimiliano Allegri. According to The Sun, Arsenal are ready to offer €10 million to bring the centre forward to England, though Juventus are holding out for something in the region of €12-15 million. However, with the striker’s contract up at the end of 2017 and with the Bianconeri looking for funds to secure other targets, it is possible that the Gunners could get their man at the lower figure. Llorente signed for Juventus back in 2013 and has averaged just under a goal every three games for the Serie A giants.

Neto: Juventus the right choice for me The goalkeeper is unperturbed that he must serve as Gianluigi Buffon's understudy - and caused uproar in Fiorentina by leaving for their bitter rivals. http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2015/07/23/13837622/-? Jul 23, 2015 New Juventus signing Neto has revealed that he did not think twice about joining the Italian champions. The Brazilian goalkeeper has arrived in Turin on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Fiorentina and faces the unenviable task of trying to usurp Bianconeri and Italy icon Gianluigi Buffon as the Old Lady's No.1. However, despite the enormity of the challenge ahead of him, not to mention the consternation he caused among Viola fans by agreeing to join their bitter rivals, Neto already feels right at home at Juve. "Right through the organisation there is an expectation and desire to win and that is a mentality that I share," the 26-year-old told reporters at Vinovo on Thursday. "The time came, after a fantastic stay in Florence, for me to take my career into my own hands and I've done that by joining a team of this quality "There is no doubt that Juventus was the right choice for me. "Since I arrived in Italy my ambition has been to play at the very highest level, so when Juventus came in for me my mind was made up." Neto, who was a part of the Brazil squad for this year's Copa America, has penned a four-year contract with the Bianconeri.

Arsenal join Llorente chase http://www.football-italia.net/69618/arsenal-join-llorente-chase? Jul 23, 2015 Tuttosport claim Arsenal are in pole position for Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, ahead of Manchester United and Real Madrid. The Bianconeri hope his sale can generate €12m, a huge profit considering he arrived as a free agent from Athletic Bilbao only two years ago. Manchester United have set their sights on the Spaniard, but all reports suggest he is not enthusiastic about the idea. Now Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport suggest Arsenal are leading the race for Llorente. His favoured destination is Real Madrid, but they do not consider him a priority. Also interested to some degree are Porto and Barcelona.

Barcelona fined by Uefa for Catalan flags in Champions League final The European and Spanish champions have been charged €30,000 (£21,252) for the presence of the flags during their 3-1 win over Juventus in June. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2015/07/23/13832582/-? Jul 23, 2015 Barcelona have been fined by Uefa for their fans waving Catalan flags during their Champions League final win over Juventus. A large section of the Barca support are heavily in favour of Catalunya becoming an independent nation, while the club confirmed ahead of last year's referendum that it too supports the movement. While Catalan flags are ever present during the club's league games, they are not allowed by Uefa and the club have been landed with a €30,000 (£21,252) fine for fans waving them at the Olympiastadion on June 6. Uefa found Barca to be in breach of Article 16 2 (e) of the disciplinary regulations, which forbids "the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature".

Former Juventus Striker Believes Serie A Will Be Tight http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/former-juventus-striker-believes-serie-a-will-be-tight/? Jul 23, 2015 Former Juventus forward Vincenzo Iaquinta believes Juventus are title favourites for the upcoming season although their recent sales will make the Scudetto race tighter. The 2014/15 Serie A champions have recently witnessed an exodus of stars, after key players Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez departed for a move abroad, whilst midfield maestro Arturo Vidal is on the brink of joining German champions Bayern Munich. “Without [Carlos] Tevez they [Juventus] are definitely a lot weaker,” Iaquinta said in an interview with Tuttomercatoweb.com. “He is a player with great character and can score goals at the highest level, therefore his departure will be a great loss. “Juve have great new players in Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza, but I think Tevez’s departure will make the league more balanced this year.” Iaquinta then continued, discussing potential replacements for the outgoing stars, such as Schalke 04 midfielder Julian Draxler and he also recommended Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko to Italian sides. “A player like Julian Draxler would be very useful to Juventus, but we’ll have to wait and see if he arrives,” Iaquinta continued. “I would actually quite like to see [Edin] Dzeko in Italy. “He has done very well in England with Manchester City so it would be nice to see him here in Serie A.”

Neto: ‘Had to make step up’ http://www.football-italia.net/69583/neto-%E2%80%98had-make-step-up%E2%80%99? Jul 23, 2015 New Juventus signing Neto says he ‘had to make a step up’ after leaving Fiorentina in favour of the Bianconeri. The Brazilian shot-stopper has attracted the ire of Viola fans after allowing his contract to wind down and moving to their bitter rivals. “The situation definitely could have been handled in a better way,” Neto admitted in his first Juventus Press conference. “It’s in the past now, to sit here and say you could do things differently is useless now. Maybe the first thing that could have happened is we could have talked. “To the city, and the fans, all I can say is that for the years I lived there, it was wonderful. I had a lot of important moments in my career, I was very happy in the city, and I was very happy in the team. “However, I had to make a choice, the time has come when I had to make a step up in my career. From the minute I arrived in Italy, I wanted to join a team at this level. “The moment that opportunity came up, I didn’t think twice. This is what I wanted.” Neto is not the only big name to leave Fiorentina in acrimonious circumstances, with Mohamed Salah and Coach Vincenzo Montella also leaving under a cloud. “I can’t explain why these situations are complex. Every player has his own career, his own decisions, and has to think about what’s best for himself. “It’s hard to say what happened with Salah, Mario Gomez or others. Unfortunately it’s happened that way, so maybe the management situation isn’t the best, but that’s the way it is.” Finally, the 25-year-old explained how he is settling in, revealing he received a warm welcome from Gianluigi Buffon. “He welcomed me in a great way,” Neto revealed. “He’s a professional, we knew each other from playing against each other. I was greeted really well by the whole squad. “It’s a good squad, a group of people who really respect each other. “When will I be the Juventus goalkeeper? With respect, I feel like a Juventus goalkeeper from today. I’ll always be ready for anything they need, anything I have to do. “They [Juventus] convinced me with a winning project, a project where they always think about winning every competition, every League, every match. It’s similar to how I think. “I like to win, and it’s the project that convinced me to come here.”

Betting Special: Will Llorente be Van Gaal's surprise striker? The Manchester United boss sent the rumour mill into overdrive after hinting at an attacking arrival, and the out-of-favour Juventus man is first on the list. http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/4563/main/2015/07/23/13823472/-? Jul 23, 2015 Despite pouring cold water on rumours that his "surprise" signing is set to be a striker, many still expect Louis van Gaal to bring in more firepower before the end of the transfer window. Having lost Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao already this summer and with Javier Hernandez's future unclear, it would seem surprising should Manchester United start the season with just James Wilson and Memphis Depay to cover for Wayne Rooney in attack. William Hill certainly seem far from convinced, with Fernando Llorente priced at just to move to Old Trafford before the end of the transfer window. Seemingly on his way out of Juventus after falling out of favour in Turin, the Spain international has been widely pinpointed as Van Gaal's mystery target. However, with the Red Devils reportedly in advanced negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a move for Angel Di Maria, a swap deal involving one of their high-profile front men could suit all parties. While Edinson Cavani is generally seen as the man most likely to leave the Parc des Princes after growing tired of living in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's shadow, both he and the big Swede are on offer at the same odds to relocate to Old Trafford. After previously admitting that he was "flattered" to be linked with United, rising star Harry Kane is available at to make what would surely be a big-money move on the back of his breakthrough campaign last season. Consistently linked with a move away from Napoli, Gonzalo Higuain is also available at , as is Dutchman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who played under Van Gaal for the Netherlands national side. While more up-and-coming players such as Saido Berahino or Alexandre Lacazette may better fit the profile as understudy to Rooney, the Old Trafford faithful will be praying that the manager's cagey approach is really a cover-up for the shock return of Cristiano Ronaldo .

Pirlo ‘was always leaving’ http://www.football-italia.net/69581/pirlo-%E2%80%98was-always-leaving%E2%80%99? Jul 23, 2015 Andrea Pirlo says he would’ve left Juventus ‘even if we won the Champions League’ as he didn’t want to give up his key player status. The iconic midfielder joined MLS side New York City FC earlier this summer and reflected on a summer of change for himself and the Old Lady. “I would’ve left Juve even if we won the Champions League,” he told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Of course, losing made me reflect a little more. I would’ve re-played certain important, difficult matches and after having won four league titles it was the right time to leave. “The idea of no longer having the certainty of being a key player weighed on me a bit, absolutely. “I possibly wouldn’t have felt great about myself. I preferred to decide to do this myself rather than others wanting me to leave. “Juve will be a new and different team next year. The club is operating well, because some of the old players have left, including yours truly. “But they’ve signed young guys, a demonstration that a serious and long-term project exists. “Of course, the other teams have strengthened, but I think Juve are still the strongest team and the favourite for the Scudetto.”

Neto: ‘Why I joined Juventus’ http://www.football-italia.net/69580/neto-%E2%80%98why-i-joined-juventus%E2%80%99? Jul 23, 2015 Goalkeeper Neto has been officially presented as a Juventus player, and explains why he decided to move to Turin. The Brazilian goalkeeper was Fiorentina’s first-choice, but left at the end of his contract, and will now play the role of understudy to Gigi Buffon. “Everybody will ask that,” Neto admitted when asked why he gave up a starting shirt. “I thought it was the best thing for me, my career and my future. I thought about all the things that could happen here, and in the end I thought it was best to come here. “It’s a winning team, where I can continue the growth I want to achieve. “From that point of view [likely appearances] I don’t care, I’ve come here to help Juventus, I’m part of this squad and it’s my dream to be sitting here today. “I know what I’ve been through, and what will happen will happen.”

Pirlo: I walked out of Juventus before they threw me out The midfield playmaker says he was keen to join New York City on his own terms before he was deemed unwanted in Turin. http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/4677/usa/2015/07/23/13820282/-? Jul 23, 2015 Andrea Pirlo has explained that a desire to walk out of Serie A with his head held high was behind his summer move from Juventus to New York City. The 36-year-old trained with his new team-mates – including David Villa – for the first time on Wednesday having signed a two-and-a-half-year deal on a free transfer earlier in July. And the former AC Milan playmaker has revealed he did not want to be forced out of the Scudetto and Coppa Italia holders, which is why he chose an MLS move sooner rather than later. "It was time to leave," Pirlo told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "The idea of not being the protagonist at Juventus affected my decision-making. "I preferred to make the decision to walk out myself rather than wait for others to send me away. David Villa ✔@Guaje7Villa Primer entrenamiento con @Pirlo_official! @NYCFCEspanol First training with @Pirlo_official! "Even if we'd have won the Champions League final [which Juve lost 3-1 to Barcelona], I'd have left. I'd thought about it for a while. Certainly losing made me consider it more. "New York City is a great challenge and I like new challenges. We're beginning from scratch here – this team didn't exist until around six months ago. "It's a little like when I arrived at Juventus in 2011. We were essentially starting from scratch then, too. I had four fantastic seasons with a winning team that brought terrific results."

Pirlo's first training session for New York City FC The Italy international joined Frank Lampard and David Villa in his first session since joining the new MLS franchise. http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/4677/usa/2015/07/23/13811172/-? Jul 23, 2015 Andrea Pirlo joined his New York City FC team-mates for his first training session since joining the club from Juventus on Wednesday. The Italian, 36, decided to leave the Bianconeri for the new MLS franchise at the start of June, which ended his four-year stay in Turin. On Monday, Pirlo visited Juventus' training base one last time before flying to the United States to begin what is likely to be the final chapter of his career. Pirlo isn't the only big name who has opted to make the move to America, with former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and ex-Barcelona striker David Villa also at the club. New York have won four of their opening nine league games, but suffered defeat in their first derby clash with city rivals the New York Red Bulls, as they went down 3-1 at home. Pirlo isn't expected to feature for several weeks as he bids to regain match fitness, with the club's next clash against Kaka's Orlando City on July 26.

Llorente no Man Utd, just Madrid http://www.football-italia.net/69576/llorente-no-man-utd-just-madrid? Jul 22, 2015 According to Italian reports, Juventus striker Fernando Llorente will reject Manchester United, as he wants Real Madrid. The Spanish forward is on the exit list in Turin following the arrival of Mario Mandzukic, Simone Zaza and Paulo Dybala. The Daily Mirror claim that Manchester United have been working on a bid for the tall centre-forward for some time. However, Sport Mediaset insist Llorente is prepared to turn down Manchester United because he is determined to join Real Madrid. It would be a return to La Liga for the hitman, who joined Juve as a free agent from Athletic Bilbao two years ago.

Chiellini Rules Out Move To Arsenal http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/juventus-defender-rules-out-move-to-arsenal/? Jul 22, 2015 Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has ruled out a move to English Premier League side Arsenal. The Gunners have reportedly shown interest in the Italian international recently, but Chiellini has said the London-based outfit stand no chance of luring him away from Italy as he wants to remain in Serie A for the foreseeable future. “The Premier League is fascinating, but I’m fine where I am,” the 30-year-old told eFanswer. “If I had to have an experience abroad I would prefer to go to a completely different part of the world, perhaps the United States.” Chiellini has been at Juventus for ten years and is a vital cog in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad. He has won four Serie A titles and a Coppa Italia trophy in his 367 appearances for the Bianconeri, in which he has also managed to score 29 times.

Juventus Changes Give Massimiliano Allegri Chance to Shape Future http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2528329-juventus-changes-give-massimiliano-allegri-chance-to-shape-future? Jul 22, 2015 Having enjoyed an incredible debut campaign at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri rightly received much praise for his stewardship of the Bianconeri. A domestic double—only the third in the club’s history—was a remarkable achievement, while guiding the team to their first Champions League final in over a decade ensured the coach was widely lauded. However, almost every time Allegri was given a compliment, it came with the caveat that he had inherited an incredible squad who were already accustomed to winning. Indeed, the 47-year-old arrived in Turin to take charge of a team that had already won three consecutive Serie A titles under previous boss Antonio Conte. In taking the club from a seventh-place finish in 2009/10, he inspired them to an undefeated campaign that saw them seal the first Scudetto of the post-Calciopoli era. Conte built the team in his image and was clearly essential to the successes achieved during his tenure, and his exit could have caused major problems. Yet having been appointed the day after his predecessor walked out on Juventus on the second day of pre-season training, there is little doubt that Allegri entered at an extremely difficult and delicate moment for Italian football’s grand Old Lady. But the former Milan boss’ calm demeanour and ability to cope with pressure ensured there was no drop-off in performance, and he quickly won over a fanbase that had been hugely sceptical of his appointment. There were no signs of the problems that blighted his time with the Rossoneri however, Allegri smartly continuing with Conte’s 3-5-2 formation and making very few discernible changes to the style of play. Then, after a poor run of results in late October, he switched the team to a 4-3-1-2 framework that he had taught them before the season began. That saw an immediate improvement, sparking an upturn in fortunes that brought Juventus to the brink of a historic treble, with that tactical shift playing a major role. Allegri also moved away from the methodical attacking approach preferred by Conte in his final season, at times returning to the pressing that had been a hallmark of Juve in 2010/11. With the likes of Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal harassing defenders, the Bianconeri sought to quickly win the ball back and score in transition. That was perhaps most evident in the Champions League wins over Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, but Allegri will face an even greater challenge next season. With Tevez and Andrea Pirlo having already moved on, Juventus confirmed that Vidal will also be leaving at a press conference earlier this week. “Vidal has expressed his desire to embark on a different experience,” the club’s director general Beppe Marotta told reporters (h/t FourFourTwo.com). Sat beside him, Allegri appeared to relish the challenge of what is now a vastly different side, with the club having signed Paulo Dybala, Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic. “The new arrivals possess different characteristics to those who have departed,” the coach noted per the official Juventus website, adding that “it’s my job to enable them to best express themselves on the field of play.” How he approaches that remains to be seen, with the club also linked with a variety of attacking midfielders, such as Mario Gotze of Bayern Munich and Schalke’s Julian Draxler, per Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t Football Italia), and Allegri discussed that possibility at Monday’s media event: “Juventus have the opportunity to excel in Italy for the next four to five years and also build on last season’s success in Europe,” Allegri said, per the Juventus website. “As far as further signings are concerned, the club has got its eye out for an attacking midfield player with offensive qualities. We’re assessing our options and requirements.” Whatever he decides to do, this time it will clearly be “his” Juventus, and any success he achieves will undoubtedly be entirely his, with the team no longer resembling the one in place when he arrived.

Man Utd look at Llorente http://www.football-italia.net/69525/man-utd-look-llorente? Jul 21, 2015 Juventus striker Fernando Llorente is of interest to Real Madrid, but now Manchester United are linked with a swoop. The Spain international joined Juve as a free agent two years ago, scoring 27 goals in 90 competitive games. Rafa Benitez has requested Llorente as a potential transfer target for the summer. Now the Daily Mirror claims that Manchester United are in negotiations for the 30-year-old. Louis van Gaal told reporters during his pre-season tour of the United States that he is looking to sign a new centre-forward. Llorente is surplus to requirements following the arrival of Simone Zaza, Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala. Juve still hope to get around €12m for the forward who stands at 1.95m tall.

Cannavaro: 'Juve team to beat' http://www.football-italia.net/69520/cannavaro-juve-team-beat? Jul 21, 2015 Fabio Cannavaro tips Juventus for a fifth straight Scudetto, but Inter and Roma can give them a tough time. The former defender is in Italy at the moment visiting the Expo in Milan and was asked about Serie A. “Juventus remain the team to beat. Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal have all gone, but they brought in young players who are already at a high level. “Their opponents will be Inter, as Roberto Mancini’s project seems valid. Then there’s Roma, who have a solid squad.”