Juventus News

Socrates · September 6, 2016

Scholes: 'Juve beat any English club'

http://www.football-italia.net/90992/scholes-juve-beat-any-english-club?

Sep 5, 2016

Paul Scholes is confident “Juventus would beat any team” in the Premier League and assures Serie A “isn’t boring.”

The Manchester United and England legend pointed out some home truths to those who value the Premiership above all else.

“You hear about people saying English football’s the best football there is around. I think Spain’s by far the best league,” he told The Guardian.

“Germany has better teams. In Italy probably the strength in depth isn’t great. They talk about Italy being a bad league, but I don’t think English people look at it.

They say it’s boring. No chance.

“The Juventus team would beat any team in this league. They came up to Manchester City and beat them easy. But we have this interpretation of the Italian league that it’s rubbish, that they only try to defend. No chance.”

Socrates · September 8, 2016

Juventus, unsurprisingly, has the highest paid

player, manager and payroll in Serie A

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/9/7/12827394/

serie-a-2016-17-salaries-juventus-gonzalo-higuain-max-allegri

Sep 7, 2016

The summer of 2016 will be remembered for a number of things. And no, not just because of the three-month-long Paul Pogba-to-Manchester United saga that turned Adidas’ ad campaign into a total mess of blah, blah, blah.

But when it comes to what’s still actually in Turin, it’s all about what kind of cash Juventus spent this summer, one of the club’s highest-ever spending sprees during June, July and August. Director general Beppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici had the money to spend, and they certainly did just that.

We know all about the transfer fees by now. But we got the other end of the equation with the players all signed, sealed and delivered as we hit the first-full week of September.

Wednesday morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport features the annual release of salary information that we have come to anticipate with the closing of every summer transfer window and the start of a brand new season. To the nobody’s surprise, the biggest of figures as a heavy bianconero-colored theme to it, with all three of the main categories of big financial figures being led by those who are currently employed by Juventus.

What are those things exactly? Well, here you go...

Juventus has the highest-paid player in all of Serie A, Gonzalo Higuain at €7.5 million a season.
Juventus has the highest-paid manager in all of Serie A, Max Allegri at €5 million a season.
Juventus has the highest team payroll in all of Serie A at €145 million. It was €124 last season.

Of course, the only next logical step is to show all of Juve’s 2016-17 season payroll. Here it is, with first team players listed below.

Side note No. 1: Higuain’s salary of €7.5 million is more than half of what the entire Crotone teams makes this season (€14 million). That’s pretty crazy.

Side note No. 2: Expect some of those numbers to change relatively soon with contract extensions reportedly in the works for Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Bonucci (and probably a few others, too).

One final side note that is just funny for some incredibly obvious reasons: Paolo De Ceglie, who will not be playing for Juventus this season unless there are extreme circumstances, makes €1.7 million a season. He would be the highest-paid player on 13 other Serie A teams.

DJ Paolino jokes aside, none of the salary information above should be surprising considering how Juventus’ overall financial standing has greatly improved under Andrea Agnelli’s tenure as president. Juve were well in the red back in 2010. Now, Juve are financially healthy officially in positive territory in terms of its bank account and set to make record-setting profits in terms of revenue during the 2016-17 season.

All of this has allowed Juventus the way the club has this summer. You don’t go and spend a club-record €90 million for Higuain, another €32 million for Miralem Pjanic and€23 for Marko Pjaca and not even blink twice about it. Times are good. Very, very good.

What does this all mean? That Juve are more than willing to spend more and more as the years are going by. The club can do that because of selling a few assets, but also because of how financially stable they have become under Agnelli’s watch. It’s all good in the hood, man. And it’s never bad to see Juventus flex some of their financial muscle over its closest league rivals every now and then, that’s for sure.

Socrates · September 9, 2016

Del Piero: 'Protect the #10'

http://www.football-italia.net/91160/del-piero-protect-10

Sep 9, 2016

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero calls for a protection of the footballing #10 as an endangered species.

The 41-year-old responded to yesterday's first page of the Gazzetta dello Sport, in which the newspaper lamented the lack of fantasisti or classical #10s competing for the Scudetto nowadays.

“Gazzetta, now that pandas are no longer an endangered species, let's protect the #10!” he tweeted. “I know a good one who lives in LA.”

The second part of the tweet was an ironic reference to himself.

While light-hearted, Del Piero's comment confirms the atmosphere in Italy high-lighted by the Gazzetta's article, in which there is a feeling that classical #10s like Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona or Roberto Baggio are slowly vanishing.

Socrates · September 17, 2016

Del Piero: ‘No Juventus regrets’

http://www.football-italia.net/91536/del-piero-‘no-juventus-regrets’?

Sep 16, 2016

Alessandro Del Piero has “no regrets” over his Juventus departure, and doesn’t rule-out returning one day.

The forward left the club in 2012 after the Bianconeri didn’t offer a new contract, closing out his career with Sydney FC and Delhi Dynamos.

Many were unhappy with the way the club treated one of its legends, but Pinturicchio insists his relationship with Juve President Andrea Agnelli is fine.

  “It’s a long-distance relationship since I’m not in Turin and we don’t have the chance to see each other, but there’s no problem for me,” Del Piero told Corriere dello Sport.

“There are no regrets, we just parted ways. I’m happy with my life.

“Could I return in future? I don’t put limits on what could happen in the future, in any field.”

The Old Lady’s all-time top-scorer also looked ahead to this weekend’s Derby d’Italia against Inter.

“Juve are coming off the draw in the Champions League with Sevilla, a game they wanted to get more from.

“This 0-0 will give the team even more determination after the great start to the League season. Inter are on the rise, and the second half against Pescara showed they have unity, character and a deep bench.

“Of course it won’t be a decisive meeting, but it can give a boost to the season, particularly for the Nerazzurri.

“Allegri’s team is the stronger, but there’s a big difference between saying a team is favourite and thinking the win is already in the bag.

”Finally, the World Cup-winner was asked about some of this summer’s signings, starting with Dani Alves, Miralem Pjanic, Juan Cuadrado and Medhi Benatia.

“I’d sum it up like this: they have quality, experience, and are used to playing high-pressure games,” Del Piero explained.

“I like them as reinforcements.

“Marko Pjaca? In the midst of the arrival of so many great names, maybe his arrival went under the radar a bit, but Juve have a player with enormous potential.

Now the pitch will speak.

“Did I expect Juventus to spend €90m on Gonzalo Higuain? No, I must admit that. Investing so much money on one player, even such a proven one, is a brave choice because there’s no margin for error.

“Higuain can give a lot, because he’s in the prime of his career but he’s also very hungry. And, as we’ve seen already, he has great harmony with his new teammates.”

Socrates · September 23, 2016

The Strange Legend of Simone Padoin at Juventus

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2665363-

the-strange-legend-of-simone-padoin-at-juventus?

Sep 23, 2016

As at most matches, the announcement of the visiting team’s starting XI is almost always roundly booed or whistled at Juventus Stadium. Yet as the Bianconeri warmed up before their Serie A clash with Cagliari on Wednesday evening, that was certainly not the case.

It started as a low rumble of anticipation following the name of goalkeeper Marco Storari, the noise continuing to grow as the rest of the teamsheet was read aloud, the likes of Bruno Alves and Joao Pedro ignored by the almost capacity crowd.

Then it happened. “No. 20: Simone Padoin.” A huge cheer went round the stadium, the veteran midfielder getting the kind of reception normally reserved for a returning hero. Yet even when Arturo Vidal visited Turin with Bayern Munich last season, he was not given the same treatment.

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You're not a juventus player now but we have a lot of respect for You Grazie Padoin! #JuveCagliari

7:02 PM - 21 Sep 2016

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Essentially, this is the strange phenomenon a journeyman player sparked among fans of the Old Lady, an internet meme in human form. Padoin has never been remotely close to being a star player, but Juventus fans across the globe recognise his approach, professionalism and dedication.

The Italian moved on this summer, joining Cagliari after the Sardinian club secured their promotion to Serie A, recognising he would have no place in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad as the Bianconeri hierarchy placed even more talent at the coach’s disposal.

“Many squad players before him have left the club barely noticed, but Padoin left Juve as a cult hero,” one supporter told Bleacher Report. “During his five seasons at the club, he was often used as the measuring stick when talk of increasing the squad's quality was bought up.“

It seems the club took the same approach, constantly adding players who were better than Padoin until the man himself was surplus to requirements. Looking at his career before he joined the Bianconeri is a study in mediocrity, the Friuli native joining the Atalanta academy as a youngster only to be sent to Vicenza while still a teenager.

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FELICE CALABRO'/Associated Press/Associated Press

Padoin during his time with Atalanta.

Over 100 Serie B appearances for the Biancorossi followed, Padoin maturing into a hardworking and consistent midfielder who knew his limitations and strived to play within them. He returned to Atalanta in 2007, playing over 150 games as the club bounced between the top two divisions.

That included the 2009/10 campaign, when a certain Antonio Conte took charge of the club for a brief stint. The coach was clearly impressed by Padoin’s effort and tactical discipline.

Perhaps spotting something of his own playing style in his willingness and gritty determination, Conte asked Juventus to bring Padoin to Turin in January of 2012, just six months after he had taken his place on the bench of his former club.

Juve’s official website revealed they paid £4.2 million to do so (h/t Stefan Coerts of Goal, via Yahoo Sports), and he would act as the fourth-choice midfielder behind Claudio Marchisio, Vidal and Andrea Pirlo as the Bianconeri ended a six-year Scudetto drought.

Completing the campaign without a single league defeat, he made just six Serie A appearances as the club focused on becoming champions once again. The following season saw a return to European competition, meaning the reserve players would see more action, and Padoin featured in 26 games.

Often seen as below the required standard, he also learned to play in a new role, filling in as a wing-back whenever Conte needed to shore up the defence. Rarely venturing forward, he applied himself diligently to the task, and as he became a multiple-time Scudetto winner, he slowly began to garner appreciation among supporters.

Various memes began cropping up on Twitter, such as the one above showing him as a Ballon d’Or winner, while his nickname of Lord Padoin became more and more popular. He was often cited in attacks on other clubs, comparing his number of Serie A title wins (five) with players such as Francesco Totti (one) and Diego Maradona (two).

It was a truly strange phenomenon, but it never showed signs of slowing down, with fans at the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana in Shanghai taking it to a new level. “Who needs Ronaldo? We’ve got Padoin,” they sang, much to the embarrassment of the Juventus midfielder, who never seemed comfortable with the added attention.

As he helped the club clinch a fifth successive title last season, he became one of only seven players—beside Gigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Martin Caceres and Marchisio—who had been with Juventus for that entire run.

Delivering the trophy to the Juventus museum and that moment in Shanghai were two he looked back on most fondly, as the man himself explained in an interview shortly after his move to Cagliari was announced back in June.

“Handing over the Scudetto trophy with those I’ve played alongside for the past five years was also a fantastic moment,” Padoin told JTV (via the club’s official website). “I’ll also never forget the fans’ chant for me, something unexpected that made me happy. Thank you, Juventus fans.”

Those in the stands every week still seem unable to fully explain their strange bond with a player who made 47 of his 84 Serie A appearances with Juventus from the bench.

Nate, a lifelong Juventus supporter, gave his opinion on the cult figure to Bleacher Report after watching his return to Turin with Cagliari: "Padoin became something of a Juve meme, compared to Lionel Messias the No. 1 challenger for the Ballon d'Or each season. Even in his farewell letter, he explained that he felt a little ashamed by the fans' compliments as he felt he didn't deserve them.

"Although it was all in good humour, it stemmed from a genuine affection the fans had for him, as he was a loyal servant for the club. Padoin went about his business without any fuss or complaint and was always ready when called upon like a true soldier."

That is the crux of what Padoin was to the club and its fanbase: a loyal fighter who never gave less than 100 percent, even when his best wasn’t good enough. The letter Nate referred to was published on Padoin's wife’s Instagram account, as the player does not have any social media accounts of his own.

It was a lengthy goodbye to everyone he had crossed paths with at Juve, thanking team-mates past and present, the staff and coaches who had helped him before finally bidding farewell to supporters with his usual self-deprecating modesty

“And thank you to all the fans who, in these years, let me feel their support and personally appreciated me despite the fact my qualities are mediocre for the Juventus level,” Padoin wrote (h/t Football Italia). “But they realised that on every occasion I tried to honour the shirt by giving my all.”

Those who cheered for him were not the only ones to recognise his impact, however, with a number of Juve players taking to various social media platforms in order to wish him the best for the future.

The most notable perhaps came from Leonardo Bonucci, who wrote on his Instagram account that Padoin was a great player and a great man, crediting him with setting the example everyone else followed.

Coach Allegri joined the chorus of well-wishers, the tweet below noting Padoin “gave everything and more” to the Juve cause, something that nobody who watched the Bianconeri in recent years could deny.

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Un saluto affettuoso a Simone Padoin, calciatore esemplare che ha sempre dato non tutto, di più! Grazie e in bocca al lupo Pado!

3:03 PM - 20 Jun 2016

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Padoin arrived at Juventus as an average midfielder and left as virtually the same player five years later. In between, however, he won over an entire fanbase and gave birth to a strange legend that will live on for years. Grazie, Pado!

Socrates · September 24, 2016

Pogba brings gifts to Juventus

http://www.football-italia.net/91939/pogba-brings-gifts-juventus?

Sep 24, 2016

Manchester United man Paul Pogba returned to the Juventus camp on Friday to bring everyone gifts of luxury watches.

The midfielder had left this summer without emptying his locker, as confirmed in a series of jokey tweets by Patrice Evra.

According to Tuttosport, Pogba took advantage of a free day yesterday to fly back to Turin and get all his things.

The world transfer record €105m player also brought gifts of expensive watches, believed to be Rolex, for all his former teammates, directors and club staff.

Socrates · September 27, 2016

Remembering the Sheer Brilliance of Marcello Lippi's Juventus

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2664944-remembering

-the-sheer-brilliance-of-marcello-lippis-juventus?

Sep 26, 2016

Italy has been creating and revering beauty for centuries, whether through grandiose art and architecture or expressing it with something as simple as a perfectly tailored suit. As such, "la bella figura"—literally “the beautiful figure”—has become an essential philosophy, one so deeply embedded in the psyche of the nation that it rules the lives of people on the peninsula far more intently than any law passed by the government.

The phrase has many meanings, but at its core is presentation; how one looks, how one comports oneself, how one makes the best possible impression in all things. It goes beyond image and outward appearance, but if anyone in football embodied the phrase to the world at large it should be Marcello Lippi.

While many Italians would perhaps look to Gianni Agnelli as the perfect example, the former Juventus and Fiat owner lived in an era where it was much more difficult to earn the international recognition that Lippi so clearly has.

Born in Viareggio—a small town in northern Tuscany—back in 1948, Lippi’s playing days spanned 12 years spent as a stylish central defender. He was never quite good enough to merit consideration for the Azzurri, but he was still recognised as an adept sweeper. An intelligent passer who was supremely comfortable on the ball, he would hang up his boots in 1982 and begin a career in the dugout to very little fanfare.

After starting with a role in the Sampdoria youth sector, he would go on to be fired three times as he coached eight teams with very little tangible success during his first 11 years in management. That would change when he was appointed by a declining and unstable Napoli in 1993.

Beset with behind-the-scenes problems in aftermath of their DiegoMaradona-led glory years, Lippi would enhance his reputation by guiding them to a sixth-place finish in Serie A, earning a place in theUEFA Cup as a result.

That would in turn see him granted the opportunity of a lifetime 12 months later, as he was handed the reins of Juventus as GiovanniTrapattoni left the club for the second time. But he would not inherit a dominant vintage of the Bianconeri. It was a team struggling for an identity and without a league title since 1986, the longest drought the Turin giants had endured since the outbreak of World War II.

Lippi would prove to be the perfect man to lead them back to greatness, establishing Italian football’s grand Old Lady as the most feared side anywhere in Europe. It was a side that mirrored the man then charged with leading them; young, ambitious and yet to win anything of real significance, but with a hardened edge and a steely determination.

Young and unproven talents like Angelo Peruzzi, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Antonio Conte were supported by veterans such as Gianluca Vialli andJurgen Kohler who knew exactly what was required if Juventus were to be truly successful.

Juventus would go on to win the 1994/95 Serie A title, clinching a rare double by beating Parma in the Coppa Italia final. Led by former Juvemidfielder Dino Baggio, the same opponent would deny them a UEFACup win, emerging 2-1 victors in the two-legged final.

It was a season of immense satisfaction, and one that owed almost everything to the coaching style of Lippi, the man whose outward appearance—that embodiment of Italian style and grace—belied a steely determination that was characterised by his team on the pitch.

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Gianfranco Zola and Alessandro Del Piero before the start of the 2nd leg of the 1995 Coppa Italia final.

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He may have resembled Paul Newman as he patrolled the touchline, smartly dressed and eloquently spoken, but away from the cameras, the players saw a very different side to him.

“Sometimes I think that my only real merit is that I am a royal pain in the ass every day out on the training pitch,” he said in an interview with the UEFA website some years later. “Sometimes, I go over the top, I admit that, but I still think that the bond between me and my players is something that you simply won't find in other teams. No coach and squad know one another inside out like we do.”

There is little doubt to that assessment, and his team was built far more on the rugged impact of players like Ciro Ferrara, Paolo Monteroand Conte than on the attacking flair of Alessandro Del Piero orZinedine Zidane. Yet Lippi knew he needed both, telling a coaching seminar in 2012 that in “selecting a side that must work together, you have to send away a talented player who will not merge into a team.”

He constantly preached the values of team dynamics over the virtue of a star player, telling his audience that "you must manage the individual performer, but only because that develops team unity."

Lippi would prove to be a master at doing just that, developing a tactical plan that allowed each member of his side to perform at their best, certainly far more concerned with evolution than revolution.

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Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Lippi brought the best from players like Ciro Ferrara.

There are no incredible game-changing formations or tweaks to be found anywhere across his incredible career, instead it is a collection of teams that outperformed their rivals and almost always emerged triumphant. His sides were built upon a solid defensive unit, with the team ahead of them disciplined and aware of their own responsibilities whenever the ball was lost.

Even the likes of Del Piero and Zidane would adhere to that game plan, putting forth the effort that they are rarely given credit for but which was essential if they were to not follow Baggio’s undignified exit.

Lippi’s unquenchable thirst for trophies was passed onto his players—never satisfied and always seeking the next victory, becoming a relentless machine as he created a team capable of coping with the twin demands of domestic and European football.

The following season he guided them to the UEFA Champions League final. Meeting Louis van Gaal’s Ajax, they would eventually win thanks to a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 following goals fromRavanelli and Jari Litmanen.

It would be the first of three consecutive finals in the competition, losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund and 1-0 to Real Madrid in the subsequent editions, but Juve would claim the Club World Cup against River Plate in Tokyo.

They would win two more league titles before Lippi left for Inter in 1999, an ill-fated move that would last just 15 months. Unable to get the Nerazzurri players to buy into his philosophy, he struggled to replicate the success he enjoyed in Turin. He lambasted his squad after the first match of the 2000-01 season, and he was sacked by Inter president Massimo Moratti just a day later.

He would return to Juventus the following season, overseeing the arrivals of Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and Lilian Thuram, once again leading the Old Lady to a title in his first season. A year later he would repeat the feat, also advancing to a fourth Champions League final where they would meet Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan.

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Marcello Lippi returns to the Juve dugout for the second time#OnThisDay in 2001. The rest is history...

11:38 AM - 20 Jun 2016

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This time the penalties would favour his opponent, and 12 months later, he would take charge of the Italy national team, picking them up after a disastrous showing at Euro 2004. Leading an incredible revival, he would once again end on a high, lifting the World Cup in typical fashion, overcoming the Calciopoli scandal to end Italy’s 24-year wait for glory.

Using 21 members of his 23-man squad and with no fewer than 10 different goalscorers, the 2006 World Cup was yet another example of his belief in the power of the collective over individual brilliance paying huge dividends.

After taking a two-year hiatus, he would return to the Italy post to oversee a poor showing in South Africa. Unable to replicate that initial success, he moved on to China where he guided GuangzhouEvergrande to three league titles and the Asian Champions League. Add in five Serie A titles, an Italian Cup win, the UEFA Champions League, a European Super Cup and Club World Cup and he boasts a personal trophy haul unrivalled by almost any of his peers.

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ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images

It all began with that initial league title win with the Bianconeri—a victory that gave birth to a legend. But while his accomplishments led to thousands of people flooding the streets of Turin and Rome, the man himself had a very different way of celebrating.

Indeed, as his players partied late into the Berlin night following their World Cup triumph, the coach was nowhere to be seen. “I grabbed something to eat,” Lippi said afterwards (h/t ESPN FC's JamesHorncastle), “then went to my room and watched the entire game including the penalty shootout over and over again because that's my way of celebrating: watching the game again and enjoying it on my own with a lovely cigar.”

The 1994/95 Scudetto may have embodied everything that was to follow, a triumph that showcased everything their young coach would become, but that image perhaps surpasses it: Marcello Lippi alone in a room, enveloped in a cloud of smoke, savouring every moment of victory he has amassed over the past 20 years. He earned it.

Socrates · September 29, 2016

Who is Juventus-owned wonderkid Pol Lirola?

Sassuolo’s Spanish right-back set for stardom

The teenager only joined the Neroverdi on a two-year loan from the Italian champions

during the summer but he is already justifying comparisons with Dani Alves.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2601/features/2016/09/29/27996892/-?

Sep 29, 2016

There were 59 minutes gone in Sassuolo's first ever Europa League group game when Pol Lirola picked up possession wide on the right flank, some 40 metres from the Athletic Bilbao goal.

The Spaniard stepped inside one opponent, accelerated past another and then skipped around a third on his way into the penalty area before calmly opening up his body and coolly rolling the ball past the goalkeeper with his weaker left foot.

It was one hell of a way for a 19-year-old right-back to announce himself on the European stage but then, the continent's top scouts had long since been familiar with Lirola's prodigious talent.

Indeed, the Catalan had only just played his first competitive game with Espanyol's B team in the Segunda Division B when he emerged from the dressing room to find his agent in deep conversation with Juventus' chief scout.

"They told me that the Bianconeri wanted me and I had no doubts," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month. Manchester City and Barcelona were also interested but Lirola had his heart set on a move to Turin.

"I chose Juve because I love Italian football," he explained. "It's the most complete and formative championship. I thought Juve would be the best place to grow and develop my value."

pol-lirola-sassuolo-europa-league-stats_

Lirola joined the Bianconeri in January 2015, initially on loan, but then completed a €500,000 permanent transfer to Turin that summer. He initially struggled to settle - but only off the field (he missed the Mediterranean!). On the field, he flourished. In 37 appearances for Juve's Primavera, he scored three times and racked up nine assists.

Unsurprisingly, Massimiliano Allegri took an immediate interest in the youngster's development, regularly inviting Lirola to train with the first team. "Every session is like a university lesson," the teenager enthused.

In that sense, Stephan Lichtsteiner was effectively Lirola's lecturer. "Lichtsteiner is my role model," he told Juve's TV channel earlier this year. "He's a great right-back. I always watch him in the defensive phase. I try to learn from him and I hope, one day, to be on his level."

However, while Lirola was learning from Lichtsteiner, it was obvious that the former Espanyol starlet, who had started out as a winger, shared more similarities with then Barcelona right-back Dani Alves. Lirola was thus disappointed to see the Brazilian arrive at Juventus just after he'd departed on loan for Sassuolo.

“I grew up with the legend of [Philipp] Lahm, but I see more of myself in Dani Alves," he admitted. "It's a shame I couldn't train with him."

That is not to say that Lirola was in any way upset at having to leave Juve in search of first-team football. In Sassuolo, he has already found an arguably even more ideal environment in which to continue his footballing education and the perfect mentor in coach Eusebio Di Francesco.

"As soon as I arrived," Lirola revealed, "Di Francesco told me, 'I don't care about your age. If you're humble, willing to learn and you deserve to play, then you'll get a shirt.'"

pol-lirola-juventus-ps_1a1yocr0k93vi1q53

Di Francesco was as good as his word, handing his new arrival a start in the second leg of Sassuolo's Europa League qualifier with Red Star Belgrade. Lirola vindicated his selection by providing the pass from which Domenico Berardi earned the Neroverdi a 1-1 draw that saw them progress to the group stage 4-1 on aggregate.

The first goal of his professional career arrived against Athletic and it was clear that Sassuolo had another very special talent on their hands. Di Francesco, though, was quick to quell the hype. "Lirola has impressive offensive potential but he must improve at the back," he told Sky Sport Italia immediately after the game in Reggio Emilia.

However, it's already clear that Lirola is ready, willing and able to improve, which is an exciting prospect not only for Sassuolo but also Juventus.

“Knowing that my club considers me an investment for the future is something that fills me with pride," he admitted. "My objective is to develop [at Sassuolo] over two years so that I can be worthy of Juve. Playing for them is my dream."

The dream for Juve, meanwhile, is that in 2018 they could soon be in a position to replace the 'old' Dani Alves with 'the new Dani Alves'.

Socrates · October 8, 2016

Dybala and Higuain Look to Emulate

Juventus' Legendary Strike Partnerships

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2668160-dybala-higuain-

look-to-join-juventus-rich-history-of-strike-partnerships?

Oct 7, 2016

Paulo Dybala enjoyed a sensational first season at Juventus, adapting quickly after his move from Palermo in June 2015 and coping with the pressure that comes with playing for one of European football’s biggest clubs.

Yet even after watching their newest star explode with a career-high 19 league goals, the Bianconeri were not satisfied with their attack and opted to make another major investment just 12 months later.

Gonzalo Higuain—whose 36 goals in 2015/16 made him the only player in Serie A to outscore Dybala—arrived at a cost of €90 million, according to Juve’s official website. He has already begun to repay that fee.

The prospect of seeing the two Argentina internationals in tandem instantly struck a chord with Paolo Rossi, the former Juve striker and 1982 FIFA World Cup winner telling La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) how good he thought the duo could be:

Higuain will score less at Juve, certainly, and will have to share the goals with Paulo Dybala, but I don’t think it’ll be that big a difference. He is at the height of his powers and will settle in quickly.

Dybala is extraordinary and can play alongside anyone, so I’m sure he’ll form a crazy partnership with Higuain. They can become one of the best strike partnerships in Bianconeri history.

Given the sheer talent that has donned those famous black-and-white stripes, that is a bold claim, with some of the finest forwards ever to play the game having represented the club during its near-119-year history.

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Rossi is among their number, but even before his highly successful spell with the Old Lady, she had already benefitted from some extremely prolific attacking partnerships, with one duo in particular standing out.

"I wish I'd seen him playing in his prime with Juventus," Leeds Unitedlegend Eddie Gray remarked at the funeral of John Charles per the Guardian. "And I wish I'd seen him playing with Omar Sivori."

Gray is not alone in that sentiment, with Charles and Sivori mythical figures for Juventus fans of all ages. The Welshman was a beast of a player: tall, strong and powerful, capable of scoring goals with either foot or his head, dominating defenders whenever the ball was in the air.

He arrived in the summer of 1957, with Sivori following soon after. The two men struck up a superb relationship. Charles scored goals at a remarkable rate—108 in 155 appearances to be exact—with many laid on by the genius of his new sidekick.

Indeed, if Charles took the honour of being Serie A’s leading scorer in their first season together, it was due in no small part to the Argentinian No. 10. They won the Scudetto in their first campaign together, ending Juventus' six-year drought, and they added two more in the following four seasons, as well as two Coppa Italias.

While Charles was the Gentle Giant, Sivori was a firebrand, audaciously nutmegging defenders and repeatedly embarrassing them with a devastating array of tricks he delighted in pulling off.

He was a gifted player, capable of the most breathtaking moments of skill, and it was no surprise when he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1961, the first Juventus player to be given the honour.

Their partnership was broken up when Charles returned to Leeds United in 1962. Sivori left for Napoli in 1965, with the Bianconeri waiting many years for a duo to rival that original pair. The likes of Roberto Bettega and Zibi Boniek shone in the 1980s alongside Rossi, but their success owed far more to the magic of Michel Platini.

After the Frenchman retired in 1987, Juventus struggled in the shadow of Silvio Berlusconi’s mighty AC Milan, going almost a decade without winning a title before the 1994/95 campaign ended their long wait for glory.

Roberto Baggio had inherited the No. 10 shirt that once belonged to Sivori and Platini, but ahead of the trequartista were two strikers who need little introduction. Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli were both at their best, each playing a vital role as the Bianconeri won the Scudetto by an astonishing 10 points.

Vialli scored 17 times in Serie A and Ravanelli added 15, the latter bagging six more in the Coppa Italia as Juve won a domestic double for only the second time. That the first came in 1959/60 was perhaps no coincidence, the two strikers matching the earlier accomplishment of Charles and Sivori.

The following season saw coach Marcello Lippi turn his tandem into a trio, selling Baggio and adding Alessandro Del Piero to the mix, a move that helped the Bianconeri clinch the UEFA Champions League in 1996.

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Vialli and Ravanelli then departed for England, their young team-mate subsequently going through a series of strike partners but never truly clicking with anyone else. The likes of Christian Vieri, Alen Boksic and Filippo Inzaghi passed through, but none hit it off with Del Piero as he suffered a series of injuries.

Then came the blockbuster summer of 2001. Zinedine Zidane was sold to Real Madrid and Inzaghi to AC Milan, with the likes of Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and Lilian Thuram arriving to replace them.

Yet those moves also created space for a player who had arrived 12 months earlier but had largely sat on the sidelines. David Trezeguet would capitalise on his opportunity in spectacular fashion, netting 24 league goals to share leading-scorer honours with Dario Hubner of Piacenza.

Four Serie A titles, a Champions League final and even the Serie B crown in 2006/07 would follow. Del Piero became Juve’s all-time leading goalscorer, but no foreign player can match Trezeguet’s tally of 171, overtaking the previous record-holder, Sivori.

That perfectly balanced duo soon moved on as former team-mate Antonio Conte became coach, the retired midfielder winning titles with the likes of Alessandro Matri and Mirko Vucinic in attack, his midfield often carrying the scoring burden.

Then the club signed both Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, a little-and-large partnership that evoked memories of Charles and Sivori, but it only lasted one year, as Alvaro Morata replaced his compatriot in the starting XI.

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Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez.

He fired the Bianconeri into the Champions League final in 2015 before moving back to Real Madrid this past summer, bringing the story full circle, as Higuain and Dybala look to live up to their illustrious predecessors.

Netting seven times in his first nine appearances for the Old Lady, it seems the 28-year-old has continued the form that saw him dominate Serie A last season, but his partnership with Dybala has yet to truly click.

Injuries in midfield have seen Dybala drop deep in search of the ball, but once those issues are resolved, he should be alongside his compatriot, his skill eerily reminiscent of Sivori in his glorious pomp.

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Dybala and Higuain have yet to fully click for Juventus.

Playing with similar joy and even mimicking his style as his socks slump down, this truly could be a devastating partnership over the next couple of seasons. Former Juve star Marco Tardelli told Gazzetta World (h/t ESPN FC) that they are “a perfect tandem.” Rossi went even further in that aforementioned interview.

"Higuain is a great player who guarantees an important step up in quality for Juve," he said. "Now they can really go on to win the Champions League."

Over to you, boys. You have a lot to live up to!

Socrates · October 28, 2016

Pogba misses Juventus - and Juventus miss Pogba

The Bianconeri have yet to adequately replace the French midfielder,

who is having even more trouble justifying his €105 million price tag.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2016/10/27/28918842/-?

Oct 28, 2016

When Luke Shaw was asked last week what Paul Pogba had brought to Manchester United, the left-back quipped: "A lot of dance moves in the dressing room!" It was a harmless attempt at humour but nobody else was laughing - except for maybe Juventus general director Beppe Marotta, who revealed at the club's annual shareholders' assembly on Tuesday that the Italian champions had made a €72 million net profit on the Frenchman's world-record transfer to Old Trafford.

However, the sad fact of the matter is that while Pogba's move to Manchester represents a great deal for both the midfielder's agent, Mino Raiola, who made a sickening €27m on the transaction, and the Bianconeri's bank balance, it is not working out well for either the player or his former club. Put quite simply: Pogba misses Juve - and Juve miss Pogba.

A period of adjustment was always inevitable for both parties. Certainly, Juve were always going to take a while to find their feet, given that they began the 2016-17 campaign without a single member of the midfield that gave Barcelona so much trouble in last year's Champions League final.

Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo have all since left Turin, while Claudio Marchisio missed the start of the season of through injury. The hope now is that the latter's eagerly-awaited return, which came against Sampdoria in midweek, will bring a level of balance and direction to a team that looked worryingly rudderless in the recent losses against AC Milan and Inter. The early signs are encouraging, with the Italy international having turned in an accomplished display in a facile 4-1 victory for Massimiliano Allegri's men.

paul-pogba-juventus-stats-ps_yrmj385zktt

Still, there is no denying that Pogba's imposing presence is missed in midfield and PSG's stubborn refusal to allow Blaise Matuidi to move to Turin has only looked more and more costly as the games go by. Indeed, it is no surprise that Juve are now planning to strengthen their squad - in every sense - by signing Axel Witsel in January rather than pick the Belgian up for free when his contract with Zenit expires next summer.

Of course, while Juve have missed Pogba's explosive, match-winning brilliance, they are undeniably getting by without him. The Bianconeri are two points clear at the top of the Serie A table ahead of Saturday's showdown with Napoli, while a home win over Lyon will secure the Old Lady a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with two group games to spare.

Pogba, though, is struggling to reacclimatise in Manchester, which is hardly surprising that he was afforded just three Premier League outings during his first spell at Old Trafford.

However, there has been widespread surprise at just how poorly Pogba has formed so far this term. Compatriots such as Thierry Henry and Hugo Lloris have rightly requested patience, with the former pointing out that he took his time to settle at Arsenal before becoming the club's all-time record goalscorer, and the latter arguing that his France team-mate is still feeling the effects of a mentally and physically draining Euro 2016 campaign.

paul-pogba-jose-mourinho-manchester-unit

Others have been less forgiving, though, with Gary Neville describing Pogba's defensive efforts against Chelsea last weekend as "embarrassing" and Jamie Carragher confessing after last month's Manchester derby that he was astounded by the Frenchman's ill-discipline from a positional point of view.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I felt so sorry for Marouane Fellaini," the Liverpudlian exclaimed in the wake of United's 2-1 loss at Old Trafford. "The only way to describe it would be the best player in the schoolyard running where we wants, doing want he wants."

Given the size of his transfer fee, though, Pogba's desperation to prove himself is wholly understandable. He is, as Paul Scholes reasoned, trying too hard to impress.

"He should keep it simple for now," the former England midfielder stated. "Manchester United didn't buy a Lionel Messi to go and beat five players and stick it in the top corner all the time. They bought a powerful, strong midfield player who can take the ball forward."

It is mystifying, then, that manager Jose Mourinho has used Pogba in a number of roles to which he has been repeatedly proven unsuited: defensive midfielder, playmaker, No.10. With the Portuguese now publicly claiming that Pogba would make a great centre-half, is it any wonder that the 23-year-old looks so "confused", as ex-United right-back Neville put it after last week's 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield?

paul-pogba-manchester-united-stats-ps_17

Still, the decision to recall Michael Carrick to the starting line-up is certainly a positive for Pogba, who thrived alongside a bona fide playmaker in Andrea Pirlo in Turin. "I think he showed at Juventus," Scholes mused, "that he needs a controlling midfielder next to him and I think Michael's got that kind of ability on the ball."

It's also worth noting that Pogba endured an similarly chaotic start to last season, as he tried desperately to prove himself worth of the prestigious No.10 jersey at Juventus. Just as he is now, he was attempting to play several positions all at once, seemingly intent on replacing Pirlo and Vidal all by himself.

Happily, with the help of Allegri, he eventually settled upon performing the mezzala role that has always suited him best. If he is allowed to do likewise by Mourinho, Pogba will soon be showing off as many eye-catching moves on the field as off it.

Socrates · October 30, 2016

Conte: 'Juve my greatest joy'

http://www.football-italia.net/93648/conte-juve-my-greatest-joy?

Oct 29, 2016

Antonio Conte described the “greatest achievement of my career,” the first Scudetto at then-unfancied Juventus and the importance of Alessandro Del Piero.

Conte returned to Turin as a tactician following a seventh-place finish and went on to win the title unbeaten in his debut season.

“The first Scudetto with Juventus as a Coach was the greatest achievement of my career, the greatest joy. We won that year in an incredibly difficult situation, where we started out from seventh place and were not considered contenders at all,” the Chelsea manager told Sky Sport Italia programme Mister Condo’.

“We created a remarkable alchemy and there was this unconditional faith. If I had said: ‘Let’s all throw ourselves off a building’ – we would’ve done it. There was such belief and unity between us.

“I arrived at Juventus with the conviction we could reach the Champions League zone in the first season. President Andrea Agnelli believed that too.

“The year I arrived there were many players who had left, there was a renewal process and when you finish seventh for two years in a row, that is not a coincidence. The situation was one of seventh place.

“That Milan should’ve dominated the League with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta, Robinho – they had a squad at the top. Compared to them, we were inferior in all ways.

“I think that was to our advantage, as when you are clearly stronger, you have to win and the pressure is all on you. We won because we had more hunger, more determination, more everything.

“Don’t forget in that league Inter had won the Treble, Napoli had Edinson Cavani, but people only realised afterwards that our transfer campaign was smart. At the time Andrea Pirlo as a free agent, Stephan Lichtsteiner and this unknown Arturo Vidal didn’t seem very impressive!”

Del Piero was Conte’s teammate and then left Juventus during his tenure as a Coach.

“Alessandro was one of the best talents in the sport. I’ve been fortunate to have Del Piero and Gigi Buffon as both teammates and players in my team.

“They understand the difficulties, we’ve shared joy and pain, because at Juventus we won a lot, but lost a lot too. Ale was so important, as even if he didn’t always start, the moment he came on he was ready to change a game.

“There was a moment when we would either win the Scudetto or finish second. I had to play him then, as he had the sense of responsibility and the class to make the difference.

“I remember his final game against Atalanta and he said goodbye. The entire stadium came to a halt. I remember the referee stopped play for about three minutes, all the Atalanta players too stood up to applaud and salute a great champion, but also a great person.”

Socrates · November 1, 2016

Massimo Carrera, former Juve assistant, thriving at Spartak Moscow

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/2985926/

massimo-carrera-making-the-most-of-his-role-as-spartak-moscow-manager

Nov 1, 2016

Spartak fans are over the moon after their team convincingly thrashed CSKA 3-1 in the big Moscow derby on Saturday. They are used to being cautious and skeptical -- after all, Spartak are the perennial losers who haven't won the championship title since 2001 and have enjoyed no trophies of any kind since 2003. This is not the first time they enjoy a good start only to fall apart later on. And yet, the Red-and-Whites simply can't help feeling euphoric these days. Could this finally be their season?

Beating CSKA and pushing their rivals deeper into crisis was absolutely crucial. The champions are now seven points adrift from the top spot, occupied by Spartak who have won nine of their first 12 fixtures. Zenit, level on points with them, remain favourites for the title but the fight is on, and the man responsible for such a fortune got the job almost by accident after the season had started. Massimo Carrera didn't expect to be in charge after moving to the Russian capital in the summer but he took the opportunity with both hands.

Carrera is a former defender who enjoyed a successful career in Serie A, winning almost every possible title during his five seasons at Juventus in the 1990s; he's also considered a legend at Atalanta. After hanging up his boots, he returned to Juve and soon became a trusted assistant to Antonio Conte. In fact, he even took full charge of the team in August 2012, while Conte was suspended, and lifted the Supercoppa, prompting Exor CEO John Elkann to joke: "Carrera won more titles in his first game as a coach than Zdenek Zeman in his entire career."

When Conte sensationally resigned in 2014, Carrera followed him to the national team but their fruitful cooperation came to an end this summer because there was no room for him at Chelsea. The 52-year-old was thinking of a new challenge, and it so happened that at the beginning of Euro 2016, Carrera met Spartak Moscow coach Dmitry Alenichev.

Spartak were looking for a new assistant coach for their defence after sacking Dmitry Ananko and the owner Leonid Fedun thought that he should be an Italian, just like the goalkeepers' coach Gianluca Riommi. The top choice was Alessandro Nesta but the former Italy star naturally refused to leave his big project at Miami FC and move to Russia as an assistant. Riommi then suggested Carrera and Alenichev, who speaks good Italian from his playing days at Roma and Perugia, called the specialist himself.

"We met in Lyon after the game between Italy and Belgium and made an official offer immediately afterwards. Massimo agreed in principle and the contract was signed after the tournament ended," Alenichev recalled. Little did he know that he was bringing his own successor to the club.

Alenichev is a figure of mythical proportions for Spartak supporters. He was one of the symbols of the great team built by Oleg Romantsev that ruled Russia in the 1990s. The attractive short-passing style, long associated with the club, was abandoned at the beginning of the new millennium and Alenichev, who returned to the club after winning the Champions League with Porto, strongly disagreed. "I am ashamed with Spartak these days," he told Sport Express in 2006, in one of the most sensational interviews, and he was promptly thrown out of the team.

Ever since, the Spartak faithful had dreamed of his return as a coach, believing that Alenichev was the only man able to bring good old days back. Fedun didn't like the idea but the public pressure became unbearable and he was forced to sign the legend in the summer of 2015 after Swiss coach Murat Yakin failed miserably. Sadly, Alenichev fared little better in his debut season last term. Spartak finished fifth, 15 points behind CSKA, and there was no sign of the eye-pleasing aesthetic football everyone wanted to see. The owner described the result as "a disgrace" and yet was forced to keep the coach after Kurban Berdyev refused to take over.

Berdyev, who built an empire at Rubin Kazan and then almost led small but financially unstable Rostov from a relegation battle to the brink of winning the league last season, has always been Fedun's favourite. It was clear that Alenichev was living on borrowed time, though, as the boss was waiting for his failure. It arrived in a spectacular fashion in the beginning of August when Spartak amazingly lost to AEK Larnaca of Cyprus in Europa League qualifying.

Alenichev was fired, Berdyev resigned from Rostov at the same time and everyone assumed that the natural move is about to happen. Carrera was given the reins on temporary basis while Fedun started negotiations with the coach of his dreams. Berdyev was even supposed to bring a number of Rostov players with him but there was a twist in the tale.

The problem was that Fedun and Berdyev failed to establish a mutual understanding: the coach wanted to decide absolutely everything, just as he did at his previous clubs, but the owner was used to being in total control as well. The talks started on a positive note but led nowhere.

In the meantime, Carrera made a very positive impression on players, fans and journalists alike. The Italian's boundless energy, reminiscent of Jurgen Klopp's antics on the touchline, added much needed spice to the team that was used to Alenichev sitting motionlessly on the bench. Spartak played fast, coherent and emotional football in the first two matches under Carrera and on August 17, as Berdyev no longer appeared relevant, he was given the job on permanent basis. Eventually, Berdyev stayed at Rostov and continues to coach them even though he was officially named vice president.

Carrera's promotion was unexpected to all involved, including himself, but he looked ready for the adventure from the first moment. "I am glad and proud that the club chose me, and we only have one goal -- to win. I will work day and night and put my soul into this team, so that it returns where it belongs," the Italian said upon his unveiling.

With the word "caretaker" removed from his job title, Carrera won four matches in a row, convincingly beating a strong Krasnodar side and city rivals Lokomotiv in the process. The momentum was stopped when Spartak were thrown out of the Russian Cup by second division Khabarovsk and then lost 1-0 at home to lowly Ufa. Carrera, who usually wears a tracksuit, uncharacteristically came to the game well-dressed and joked after the final whistle: "I will burn that jacket." Eventually, despite losing 4-2 at Zenit in a dramatic top-of-the-table clash, the good mood returned and now the team has since won three in a row.

Spartak have suffered from an inferiority complex against CSKA in recent years: the champions had also won seven of the previous 10 derbies. This time, Leonid Slutsky's depleted squad stood no chance. Carrera's men were dominant, passionate, enthusiastic and self-confident. They scored three quality goals and could have added more. "Our fighting spirit is growing every day," the coach proudly said.

Quite ironically, Fedun's hugely disappointing era started when he got rid of the famous Italian coach Nevio Scala shortly after taking over the club in 2004. He later tried to sign big names but was never patient with them. Michael Laudrup and Unai Emery were gone long before they could possibly settle and find their feet in unfamiliar surroundings; Yakin only got one poor season as well. Now, remarkably, his search could be over in the most unexpected manner.

Despite his inexperience, Carrera seems to understand Russian mentality much better than his well-known predecessors. If Spartak can go all the way and win the elusive title, that would be one of the best stories of the season and Conte would surely be proud of his friend. However, it is way too early to start celebrating. Over the years, Spartak proved again and again that they are able to self-destruct in any circumstances. It is up to Carrera to stop that nightmare.

Socrates · November 2, 2016

Juve third in CL earnings list

http://www.football-italia.net/93801/juve-third-cl-earnings-list?

Nov 2, 2016

Juventus have come third in the Champions League earnings list, raking in more than £69m during 2015-16.

The figures, based on proportional value of TV markets, have been released by UEFA and show that the Bianconeri are only behind Manchester City and Real Madrid in the standings.

The third place finish is despite making an exit from the competition in the Round of 16 against Bayern Munich, losing 6-4 on aggregate.

AS Roma were also seventh in that list, after also losing their last 16 fixture 4-0 over two legs against Real Madrid. The Giallorossi earned over €62m for their efforts, and were ranked just behind Chelsea in the table.

Socrates · November 2, 2016

Italian Super Cup set for Doha

http://www.football-italia.net/93820/italian-super-cup-set-doha?

Nov 2, 2016

The Italian Super Cup between Milan and Juventus will be on December 23 in Doha at 16.30 GMT.

This is where the winners of the Coppa Italia and Scudetto face off, but as Juve won both tournaments, they are up against the losing Finalists of the Cup.

It has now been announced the fixture will be at the Al Sadd – Jassim Bin Hamad stadium in Doha at 16.30 GMT.

The game has been organised for December 23 in Qatar to gain more international interest.

Socrates · November 11, 2016

Juventus Supporters Will Never Stop Loving Alessandro Del Piero

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2674949-juventus-

supporters-will-never-stop-loving-alessandro-del-piero?

Nov 9, 2016

When looking back at the long and successful history of Juventus, it ought to be extremely difficult to identify the club’s greatest player. Names like Gianpiero Combi, Giuseppe Furino, Gaetano Scirea and Michel Platini stand out as iconic captains who led the Bianconeri to some truly memorable achievements.

Yet to almost every supporter of Italian football’s grand Old Lady, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest: Alessandro Del Piero. He made his debut as a fresh-faced 19-year-old back in 1993, a game away at Foggia marking the first of what would eventually become a staggering 705 appearances for the club.

That total remains a record, although current skipper Gigi Buffon is quickly closing in on it. Yet the retired No. 10 is also Juve’s all-time leading goalscorer with 289, an incredible 110 more than the total scored by Giampiero Boniperti who ranks second on that list.

November 9 marks Del Piero’s birthday, so there is no better time to remember his accomplishments and what he represents to Juventus fans across the world. In addition to those two aforementioned records, he helped the club to win eight league titles (as well as one in Serie B), a Coppa Italia, four Italian Super Cups, a UEFA Champions League, an Intercontinental Cup and the European Super Cup.

He will always be remembered as one of the best to ever take to the field for Juventus, but his contribution can never be discussed in terms of mere statistics and trophies. Ever since his first appearance, the player and club became intertwined.

It was a romance that simply never ended, a love that has endured the passing of time and new, exciting alternatives. Many great players have worn the famous black and white stripes alongside Del Piero and after he left, but none has ever come close to surpassing the faith and love he inspired.

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He began his career vying for playing time in an attack that already boasted Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli, with the four men helping Juventus to win a league-and-cup double in 1995.

Del Piero’s performances in that side prompted Marcello Lippi to push Baggio out, the “Divine Ponytail” sold to AC Milan in order to give the younger man more space. It was a bold move, but one that reaped instant dividends as the Bianconeri clinched the Champions League crown just 12 months later.

They would lose in the final in each of the following two seasons, yet Del Piero’s personal impact continued to strengthen as his importance to the team and stature as a player constantly increased.

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Juventus with the Champions League trophy in 1996.

However, 1999 would see him suffer a serious knee injury against Udinese and be ruled out for the remainder of the season. Juventus, even with the likes of Zinedine Zidane in the team, simply could not survive the loss of their most important player. Having won back-to-back league titles, they would slump to a sixth-placed finish with their captain on the sidelines.

It would take him almost two full years to recover. By then, Carlo Ancelotti had been hired and fired as coach. The return of Lippi once again bringing the best from Del Piero, after Zidane was sold to improve the team, was immeasurable.

Playing alongside Buffon, Lilian Thuram and Pavel Nedved, they would win four Scudetti in five years and lose the 2003 Champions League final in a penalty shootout with Milan.

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Antonio Conte, Gianluigi Buffon & Alessandro Del Piero, Juventus 2002/03.

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In 2006 he would surpass Boniperti as Juve’s all-time leading goalscorer, win the Serie A title and the FIFA World Cup, only to find that the Calciopoli scandal would tear apart the team and club he loved so dearly.

Yet he would change nothing about what followed, explaining in a 2014 interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that the Bianconeri deserved every accolade no matter what the outside world believes.

“It was also the year I stayed at Juventus in Serie B and I would change nothing about Calciopoli, because we proved that we were there,” he said (h/t Football Italia). “We got back on our feet. I know what we won and how we won. We did it with sweat, and it was fully deserved: from the first to the last point, from the first to the last trophy.”

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There is only one Alessandro Del Piero, and he is forever one of us.
Lo Stile Juventus embodied....

7:20 PM - 10 Oct 2015

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A man who had scored a penalty to help the Azzurri win the game’s ultimate prize chose to spend a year in Serie B. Juventus may have been relegated as punishment for their role in the scandal, but unlike Thuram, Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Del Piero chose to stay and fight.

The Bianconeri won the division at a canter, and he was the leading scorer, a feat he would repeat in the top flight just 12 months later. Like Nedved and Buffon, his decision to stay only served to endear him even more with the club’s supporters, many of whom had watched his entire tenure with the club.

"We are basically the same age,” a Juve fan and Turin native named Maurizio told Bleacher Report. “I grew up with him, with his goals, his injuries, his trophies and his class. I was at the stadium when he played the last game. While I was crying like many other fans around me, I also realised how blessed I was to have seen such a great player for so many years."

Unsurprisingly, Del Piero’s final Serie A match saw all those emotions. Playing against Atalanta in May 2012, he scored and Juventus were once again champions of Italy. But the tears Maurizio mentioned were not just in the stands, the video below showing that Del Piero was equally emotional as he bid his final farewell.

The match became a sideshow, supporters ignoring the game as their beloved skipper took a lap of honour. He cried too as he collected scarves and other mementos thrown to him, but it was not just in Turin where the iconic star became so synonymous with the club, as Farah—president of the official supporter’s club in Singapore—explained to Bleacher Report:

"While Baggio was the one who ignited my passion, it was Del Piero who kept it burning. That makes me exactly like most Juventini of many ages, in many parts of the world. Del Piero is the start of conversation and the end of banter.

"He is hope and faith; respect and pride; love and loyalty. He is everything we believe Juventus to be, and everything we do our utmost to be ourselves. To love Juventus is to love Del Piero. Our love for Del Piero not only makes us fans and friends; it makes us family. Even from 10,000 kilometres away."

Seen as more than a player, more than a captain, Del Piero is the physical embodiment of the style and spirit Juventus supporters believe separates their club from the others. His name will never be seen as just one among a list of legends, it will be forever above those others, the very best of the best.

Happy birthday to Alessandro Del Piero, and thank you for the countless wonderful memories you left behind.

Socrates · November 11, 2016

Alessandro Del Piero's Top 10 Goals for Juventus

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2675186-alessandro-del-pieros-top-10-goals-for-juventus?

Nov 10, 2016

There is little doubting the fact that Alessandro Del Pieroremains a beloved figure for Juventus supporters. As the retired captain celebrated his birthday this week, the club’s fans sent him messages from across the globe and social media platforms flooded with congratulations.

As discussed in this previous post, the iconic No. 10 sits above the lengthy list of legends to have pulled on those famous black and white stripes, his contribution in helping the Old Lady ensures he will never be forgotten.

Del Piero also scored more goals for Juventus than any other player in history, hitting the back of the net on no fewer than 289 in all competitions over his distinguished career. He scored all types of goals, and perhaps more than the volume of his final tally, it is the variety that most makes your jaw drop.

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478 - Over his 19-year spell with Juventus Alessandro Del Piero played 478 Serie A games, scoring 188 goals. Farewell.

2:28 PM - 30 Jun 2012

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In order to continue those birthday celebrations a while longer, what follows is a look at 10 of his very best strikes. They are ranked only in chronological order, but they are the best from Del Piero’s substantial collection. Sit back, relax and enjoy them, remembering just how deadly “Ale” was in front of goal.

1. Juventus vs. Fiorentina (Serie A, December 1994)

While Del Piero was a well-known talent across Italy, his first year with Juventus saw him remain under the radar of the wider footballing world, but that would change in December 1994, with the Bianconeri trailing 0-2 at home against bitter rivals Fiorentina.

Skipper Gianluca Vialli would get his team back on level terms, setting the stage for his young team-mate to steal the show. Left-back Alessandro Orlando spotted a run from Del Piero, picking him out with a superb long ball from near the halfway line.

Watching it drop over his shoulder, he fired a wonderfully timed volley with the outside of his boot, and goalkeeper Francesco Toldo was utterly powerless to stop it.

2. Borussia Dortmund vs. Juventus (Champions League, September 1995)

Played in down the left channel, Del Piero cut inside his marker and moved towards the edge of the box. A little hesitation and a step back away from goal, he then fired an amazing shot into the far top corner, once again leaving the goalkeeper merely a spectator.

3. Juventus vs. Steaua Bucharest (Champions League, September 1995)

After receiving another long ball from deep inside Juve’s half of the field, Del Piero killed the pass with a stunning first touch. He then faced up his marker at the edge of the box, faking a shot before cutting inside and steering an astonishing effort around the ‘keeper into the top corner.

It was the second of three goals in a 3-0 group-stage victory at the old Stadio delle Alpi, with the Bianconeri eventually going on to lift the trophy after a penalty shootout victory over Dutch giants Ajax.

4. Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund (UEFA Champions League final, May 1997)

Having won the Champions League 12 months earlier, Juventus returned to the final in 1997 but were swept aside by a rampant Borussia Dortmund side who jumped out to a two-goal lead.

As Alen Boksic burst beyond former Juve defender Jurgen Kohler and fired a low cross into the box, Del Piero cut towards the near post. The pass went somewhat behind him, prompting an incredible backheel with his left foot, a finish that can only be properly appreciated in the subsequent replays.

5. Bari vs. Juventus (Serie A, February 2001)

Just days after his father’s funeral, Del Piero joined his team-mates for a tough away trip to Bari. The southern side held the Bianconeri scoreless as time ticked on, prompting then-coach Carlo Ancelotti to send on his No. 10 as a late substitute in hope of snatching all three points.

Del Piero understandably looked like a shell of himself in his first few minutes on the field, miscontrolling the ball and misplacing passes. Yet with time running out, he came to life, running at the Bari defence and completely befuddling his marker before lifting a superb left-footed shot over Jean-Francois Gillet.

His emotional celebration was visceral and captivating, with close friends Gianluca Pessotto and Alessio Tacchinardi sharing his relief and congratulating him.

6. Juventus vs. Piacenza, Serie A, January 26, 2003

Something of a combination between the aforementioned goals against Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina, this is a simply sensational goal. Gianluca Zambrotta is the man firing the ball forward this time, but Del Piero’s perfectly timed leap and heel-flick are utterly outrageous.

7. Juventus vs. Fiorentina (Coppa Italia, January 2006)

When you pull level with a club record, is there any better way to break it than with a hat-trick? Del Piero came into this Coppa Italia match level with iconic former skipper Giampiero Boniperti on 182 career goals for Juventus in all competitions, going on to to take the honour in emphatic fashion.

The landmark strike came when Del Piero received a pass in the box from Adrian Mutu, gliding his way past a defender before slotting it between two others and beyond Viola goalkeeper Sebastien Frey.

After watching the goal, let the clip run on to catch another of his goals, as the perfectly struck free-kick certainly deserves your attention.

8. Juventus vs. Real Madrid (Champions League, October 2008)

Back in the Champions League for the first time after the Calciopoli scandal, the group stage saw the Bianconeri pitted against Real Madrid. They would win both home and away against the Spanish giants, with Del Piero earning a standing ovation for his wonderful display at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yet he scored a fantastic goal in Turin, too, exchanging passes with Amauri before firing a vicious shot that completely baffled goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Beautiful.

9. Juventus vs. AS Roma (Serie A, November 2008)

Del Piero has scored some incredible free-kicks, but this one against AS Roma sticks in the memory for its amazing range, curl and power. From about 30 yards out, he struck a stunning shot beyond the outstretched fingers of Doni and into the net, putting Juve on their way to an eventual 2-0 win.

10. Juventus vs. AS Roma (Coppa Italia, January 2012)

With Juventus in the midst of an undefeated campaign in Antonio Conte’s first season as coach, perhaps the marginalisation of Del Piero was the one blight on the resurgence of the club.

Clearly in a reduced role under his former team-mate, Del Piero stepped up in the Coppa Italia to help power Juve to the final. In their quarter-final clash with AS Roma, he collected a pass and attempted to pick out Marco Borriello, only for Rodrigo Taddei to block the ball back to the No.10.

Ale responded with a magnificent shot low and into the net, lifting the Bianconeri to a 2-0 victory.

Socrates · November 13, 2016

Remembering Alessandro Del Piero's Tumultuous International Career

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2675420-remembering-

alessandro-del-pieros-tumultuous-international-career?

Nov 12, 2016

Alessandro Del Piero is often identified as the greatest player ever to pull on the famous black-and-white-striped shirt of Juventus, a living embodiment of the spirit and style of Turin’s grand Old Lady.

His contribution to the history of the Bianconeri and connection with the club’s supporters was discussed at length in a previous post, with his birthday earlier in November offering the perfect opportunity to recall Del Piero’s sheer brilliance.

Yet as fondly remembered as he his for his contributions at club level, the same cannot be said of his time with Italy. Indeed, if Juve’s monochromatic colour scheme brought the best from Del Piero, then for many years, the royal blue of the Azzurri appeared to act as his kryptonite.

His talent was recognised from an early age, with Del Piero representing his country at under-17, under-18 and under-21 level, making a total of 29 appearances and scoring 16 goals but never helping those sides to clinch any honours.

Having made his debut for Juventus in 1993, he would wait almost two years for his first full international appearance. Arrigo Sacchi handed him his maiden cap at the age of 20. The former AC Milan boss introduced the young striker during a UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying match against Estonia on March 25, 1995, with the Azzurri running out 4-1 winners.

Playing another match in that same group in November of that year, Del Piero netted his first goal for Italy, a deflected effort against Lithuania. He followed that up with an assist for Gianfranco Zola just minutes later, with the former Chelsea and Parma man netting a hat-trick and leading the team to the 4-0 victory shown below.

Del Piero had made a good impression, prompting his inclusion for the tournament proper in England. In the first of many international disappointments, a start against Russia marked his only appearance that summer. He was substituted at half-time and watched from the sidelines as Italy crashed out in the group stage.

He rebounded quickly, inspiring Juventus to three consecutive UEFA Champions League final appearances and carrying that form into the 1997 Tournoi de France, a warm-up competition for the impending FIFA World Cup.

The Bianconeri star would shine despite new coach Cesare Maldini’s Italy finishing in last place, claiming top-scorer honours with three goals, netting twice against Brazil and bagging a penalty against France.

As can be seen in the video above, he was superb in the first of those two matches. However, he suffered an injury that left him out of form by the time the World Cup began 12 months later. Del Piero had replaced Roberto Baggio as the idol of Juve fans and as the club’s No. 10, but the Divine Ponytail enjoyed a much better tournament on the game’s biggest stage.

Assists for Christian Vieri against Cameroon and Austria could not mask Del Piero’s lack of fitness and overall poor play, and Maldini repeatedly took him off as Italy advanced to the quarter-finals, where they faced hosts France.

The match ended 0-0 after extra time, with the Azzurri eliminated on penalties and their opponents going on to lift the trophy. The Juve man was criticised for a poor performance prior to being replaced by Baggio in the second half, but much worse was to come.

By the time Euro 2000 began, Del Piero had lost his place in the starting XI to AS Roma’s Francesco Totti, and the Giallorossi skipper would deliver in spectacular fashion throughout the tournament.

Del Piero’s first start came against Sweden, setting up a goal for Luigi Di Biagio and putting the Azzurri on their way to a 2-1 victory. He also scored himself, skipping past two players before curling the ball into the top corner with his left foot. The display ensured he returned to the lineup for the semi-final against the Netherlands after appearing as a substitute in the quarter-final win over Romania.

Italy won the clash with the Oranje on penalties, meaning a rematch with France awaited in the final. Marco Delvecchio gave the Azzurri the lead, and they dominated the game. Two wonderful chances came Del Piero’s way, but he wasted them both.

Had he scored either, his side would almost certainly have won, but a late strike from Sylvain Wiltord sent the match into extra time, and David Trezeguet’s Golden Goal clinched the trophy for Les Bleus.

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Thierry Henry comforts Del Piero after France beat Italy at the Euro 2000 Final.

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The next six years saw Italy and Del Piero experience few high points together. The Juve captain's goal against Hungary sealed qualification for the 2002 World Cup, only for the Azzurri to be sensationally eliminated in the second round by South Korea.

Qualification for Euro 2004 saw him net five times in six matches, but in the finals, Italy would be knocked out in the group stage after disappointing displays against Bulgaria, Sweden and Denmark.

At the 2006 World Cup, however, that would all change, as both the player and his team would finally have their moment in the sun. Del Piero had once again been dropped in favour of Totti but made his contribution from the bench in spectacular fashion in the semi-final win over host nation Germany.

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My favourite ever Del Piero goal (NB: that is not to say the best) - for Italy, against Germany, in 2006: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la4xKzK_ISA …

3:47 PM - 13 May 2012

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Curling a wonderful shot beyond goalkeeper Jens Lehmann in trademark fashion, the emotion and frustration of over a decade of failure with his country appeared to flow from Del Piero in his celebration.

Meanwhile, then-Oasis star Noel Gallagher revealed his unlikely role in the strike during an interview with the official FIFA website, recounting his meeting with the striker earlier that day:

It was the first time I'd seen Italy play and before the game we went to the hotel and Del Piero was a bit upset because he wasn't starting but he then said, 'I'm going to come off the bench and score!' After the game he said I'd become his lucky mascot so I've got to go to the Final and wear the exact same clothes and underwear and socks to bring him good luck.

It seems the superstitious approach paid off, with the Azzurri winning on penalties. Del Piero netted his spot-kick in the shootout, realising a lifelong dream of lifting that most prestigious of trophies.

"The final, when you take the cup and lift it to the sky, it's beautiful," he told CNN in an interview in 2015. "I can't hide that my greatest victory is the World Cup. Since you're a kid, you think you want to win that. It was massive."

He lost his place over the following two seasons but returned to the squad at Euro 2008 after a nine-month absence. Sadly, normal service had resumed, and Del Piero could not help Italy find their way past quarter-final opponents Spain, marking his last major tournament appearance.

On September 10, 2008, came his final outing for the Azzurri. He set up a goal for Daniele De Rossi, helping the side to a 2-0 win over Georgia. He had amassed 91 caps, netting 27 goals along the way—a tally only bettered by Luigi Riva (35), Giuseppe Meazza (33) and Silvio Piola (30).

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Clive Mason/Getty Images

Del Piero’s one shining moment in international football.

Retiring as joint-fourth on the list of Italy's all-time leading scorers and as a World Cup winner, it is hard to criticise his international career. However, there is an inescapable feeling that he could and perhaps should have done so much more.

He will never be remembered as fondly by followers of the Azzurri as he is in Turin, but perhaps given Juve’s status among fans of other clubs, that was always going to be the case.

Socrates · November 13, 2016

Juventus in top 10 Euro salaries

http://www.football-italia.net/94289/juventus-top-10-euro-salaries?

Nov 13, 2016

Serie A average wages are less than half those of the Premier League, but Juventus, Roma and Inter are in the top 15 clubs.

The Global Sports Salary Survey (GSSS) found that the average salary for a first team player in England’s top division is £2,438,275.

In La Liga it’s £1,239,295 and Serie A comes in third on £1,105,633.

The German Bundesliga follows on £1,039,856 and Ligue 1 in France is just £728,514.

However, when it comes to individual clubs, there are quite a few high-flying Italian sides.

Juventus are the top earners, as their players get on average £3.97m per year – the eighth highest wage in European football behind only Manchester United, Barcelona, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Roma are next in line, sitting in 11^th place on £2.95m and Inter come in 14^th on £2.47m.

Socrates · November 16, 2016

Juventus among top 10 highest paying teams

List shows highest average salaries in world football

h ttp://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/11/14/13613706/juventus-

among-top-ten-highest-paying-teams-world-football-average-salary

Nov 14, 2016

Juventus are ranked eighth among the highest paying football clubs in the world game. The Bianconeri’s annual average wage comes to £3.97 million per year (€4.61 million), which works out to £76,000 per week (€88,000).

A The Mail on Sunday report released over the weekend showed that the Serie A was the third highest paid football league in the world, with an average salary of £1.1 million per year (€1.3 million), or £48,800 a week (€56,650). The La Liga is second, just over half of the cash-flush Premier League in first place.

Serie A has just three teams in the top twenty, with the Premier League having eleven, the La Liga with three and the Bundesliga with two.

The global sports salary survey (GSSS) looked into the salaries of nearly 10,000 sportsmen at 333 teams in seven sports across 17 of the world's richest leagues. Three football teams are in the top ten there, with the NBA taking six spots and baseball placing one.

Socrates · November 16, 2016

Happy Birthday Capitano: A brief recap of some

personal Alessandro Del Piero memories

Alex Del Piero has turned 42 this past week.

It's a great excuse to remember Pinturicchio's legacy.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/11/14/13615792/alessandro

-del-piero-capitano-italy-juventus-history-happy-birthday

Nov 14, 2016

Hi, my fellow Juventini, I missed you. As you already know, we’re on an international break and our beloved Juventus is on hold. I was thinking about writing another chapter for “The Lost Jewels of Juventus,” and I was debating with myself between Diego Ribas and Fabian O'Neill. However, I had a tough week and didn’t feel like writing another sad story. Maybe, my soul needed some chicken soup.

Anyway, it’s funny how destiny works, because Juventus made me smile once again. And ironically they are not playing this weekend. I’m telling you this because, on Nov. 9, 1974, Alessandro Del Piero was born. Furthermore, I’m smiling right now — not just because I remember his goals and his playmaking ability, but it's because Alex was my childhood hero and he’s still one of my role models.

Sometimes words are not enough. If we want to recap Del Piero's era with Juventus fully, we’ll need an encyclopedic work or a four-hour documentary. Sure, we can find on the internet a lot of stories, videos and photos of this soccer genius. However, Del Piero is more than a football player. Pinturiccio is the central part of a concept that only real Juventus fans understand. So, I decided to bring to you my favorite Del Piero moments. Some of them are sports achievements, and others are examples of his personality. Nevertheless, these three chapters are meaningful souvenirs of my life and maybe yours as well.

The Artist

Every prominent artist has a signature. They are unique because they offer something new that’s significant inside the frame of their work. Sure, Alex marked a lot of great goals that showcased his incredible skills. By now, you must be thinking of various examples. The superb volley against Batistuta’s Fiorentina in 1994 — which could be one of the greatest goals in soccer’s history — is on the top of my head. Maybe, you prefer the backheel goal versus Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in 1997. Or what about the double against Real Madrid in 2008 that worth Bernabeu’s standing ovation. Nonetheless, my favorite is “the goal a la Del Piero.” It is a creation that marked a generation of players and fans. Perhaps I’m not fair, as the goal a la Del Piero is not just a goal, it’s an art collection.

This unique kind of play appeared for the first time in the Westfalenstadion on Sept. 13, 1995. During the second half of that match, Pinturicchio controlled the ball in the left flank of the BVB’s territory. He drove the ball onto Borussia’s penalty area and with a series of skillful movements, he hypnotized the defense. Then, he shot a wicked curveball into the far top corner. An authentic stunner. Juventus won that game 3-1.

Juventus FC v AS Roma - Serie A

Amazingly, two weeks later, Del Piero performed a carbon copy of that goal against Steaua Bucarest. From that moment on, that play has been Del Piero’s trademark. He executed that goal many times during his illustrious career, victimizing a significant number of teams. Del Piero showed us the importance of being an innovator. The way hard work and imagination can help us to put our print in the world.

The Warrior

Not everything was sweet in Alessandro’s soccer life. Alex was already a star entering the 1998-99 season. He was the new face of Juventus and calcio in Italy. The past season he scored 10 goals in the Champions League and he was the reigning Capocannoniere in Serie A at that time. However, Pinturicchio had a date with tragedy. He was playing at the Friuli against Udinese on Nov. 8, 1998, when his knee was severely injured in a challenge with a defender. That season Juventus ended in the sixth place and the injury threatened his career seriously. Del Piero returned the next season, but his acceleration was gone and his world-class first touch was missing. The demigod was just a mere mortal. He played with Italy at the Euros in 2000, where he failed several clear opportunities to score in the final against France. Italy lost that game. The press claimed that he was done, they said he was another choker.

The next year Alessandro’s father died. At that moment, Juventus had a game against Bari and Alex started on the bench. The score was 0-0 in the second half, when Carlo Ancelotti made a gamble and brought Del Piero into the game. In the final minutes, the wizard revived. He tricked a defender with a skillful dribble, then he chipped his shot over Bari’s goalkeeper Jean-François Gillet to break the deadlock. Pinturicchio celebrated the score with tears in his eyes.

That was a turning point, as Del Piero re-invented himself. He wasn’t the fastest player on the pitch, but he was the cleverest. At the 2006 World Cup, Alex silenced his critics. He scored two vital goals that helped Italy to capture the trophy. The first one against Mexico in the group stage, and the second versus Germany in the semifinals at the Westfalenstadion. Del Piero proved that he was a clutch player. He taught us to never give up and don’t be afraid to reinvent ourselves.

Semi-final Germany v Italy - World Cup 2006

The Person

As you know, Juventus played in Serie B during the 2006-2007 season due to the Calciopoli scandal. Also, It’s well known that Del Piero stayed at Juventus along Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, David Trezeguet and Pavel Nedved. They were referred to as the five samurais. When the press asked Alessandro if he was going to leave Juventus, he responded: “A True Gentleman never leaves his lady.” The rest is history. Pinturicchio was the top scorer in Serie B and the next season he was the Cappocanioniere in Serie A. That kind of loyalty is hard to find in today’s material world.

In 2012, Juventus was fighting with Milan for the Scudetto. The Bianconeri were the leaders in the table, and they were playing against a weak Lecce squad in Turin. In the last minutes of the match, the impossible happened. Buffon, the legendary Juventus goalkeeper, made a huge mistake that gave Lecce the equalizer. Everybody in the Juventus Stadium was stunned; suddenly apprehension and nervousness flooded the pitch. Del Piero, ran calmly towards Buffon and shook the hand of the best goalkeeper in history. We knew that everything was going to be OK. Juventus secured the Scudetto the very next week against Cagliari in Trieste.

Del Piero performed this kind of acts with a lot of people. Fabian Carini, the Uruguayan backup goalkeeper who rarely played for Juventus, remembers that when he was playing for Cagliari. Del Piero called him to pass the holidays together. Carini was shocked because he hadn’t seen Del Piero in three years, and he wasn’t a close friend. Yet, the Juventus captain spent with him that weekend. Del Piero was a professional, a leader and a person that regularly showed us that we must have the same respect for anyone on the planet.

So, these are the anecdotes that I wanted to share with you. I’m looking forward to reading yours in the comments below. See you soon.

Socrates · November 18, 2016

As the BBC Breaks Down, What's the

Future of the Juventus Defence?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2676345-as-the-bbc-

breaks-down-whats-the-future-of-the-juventus-defence?

Nov 16, 2016

The strength of the current Juventus side is easy to see. Over the past five seasons—each ending with the Bianconeri being crowned champions of Italy—the reputation of their vaunted back line has continued to grow.

The trio of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are known as the “BBC” and have squashed attacks with ease for half a decade, ably assisted by full-backs Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra.

Indeed, such has been their dominance that the team has conceded just 111 goals in those same five seasons, their 190 league matches becoming a masterclass in denying chances to opposing strikers.

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The message from Juventus fans to goalkeeper Gigi Buffon on Saturday...

Unconditional love. Always.

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Yet, if Geoffrey Chaucer is to be believed, all good things must come to an end. The inevitable and eventual breakup of this formidable defence is a real problem and one Juventus have already begun to prepare for.

Evra, 35, is arguably the closest to the end, declining rapidly and no longer assured of his place in the side. He has been supplanted at left-back by Alex Sandro, and the Brazilian has been sensational over the past 12 months, looking worth every penny of the substantial cost of signing him.

According to Juve’s official website, the Bianconeri handed his former club, FC Porto, a fee of €26 million in August 2015 and have been rewarded with a superb level of consistency. Sandro made just 15 Serie A starts last term, but he has appeared in all 12 league games so far this season.

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33 - Alex Sandro has created 33 goalscoring chances, more than any other defender in Serie A this season. Train.

11:19 AM - 1 Mar 2016

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Statistics taken from WhoScored.com highlight just how good he has been, his tally of 24 completed tackles and 31 interceptions both ranking as team-high marks. The same is true of his number of blocked crosses (five) as the 25-year-old showcases his vastly improved defensive ability.

Of course, being a Brazilian full-back, it is also no surprise to see him routinely bombing forward to join the attack. Sandro has registered two assists, but if Juve’s strikers were more accurate that figure would be much higher, with WhoScored showing he also leads the team for chances created (30).

The same source shows that only Paulo Dybala can match his tally of successful dribbles; the duo both recording 16 thus far as Sandro’s his powerful running and superb skill provides a vital weapon to coach Massimiliano Allegri’s tactical approach.

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defender. set up man. and occasional goal scorer. that last one during the first game back after heart surgery.... http://fb.me/2MEzdJXcB

4:52 PM - 14 Nov 2016

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On the opposite flank, the picture is much less clear. Lichtsteiner has been woeful this season, seemingly unable to focus after he was denied the chance to join Inter Milan this past summer.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Barcelona could make a move for the 32-year-old. Sadly, an exit might now be the best resolution for all concerned, while former Camp Nou idol Dani Alves has also yet to find his best form.

Joining the Bianconeri before the current campaign, the 33-year-old has shown glimpses of his old self, but he has yet to demonstrate he can maintain that standard for a sustained period. Juan Cuadrado often fills in as a wing-back, but he is far better in a more advanced role and is clearly not the long-term solution here.

That job could well fall to 19-year-old Pol Lirola, who is thriving in a loan spell at Sassuolo. He had spent two seasons in the Juve academy after leaving Espanyol but moved to the Neroverdi this summer and is relishing the opportunity to showcase his talent regularly.

Coach Eusebio Di Francesco has no fear of fielding young players, handing Lirola seven starts (and one sub appearance) in Serie A and a further four in the UEFA Europa League. The Spanish defender has not disappointed, with WhoScored figures showing he has averaged 1.8 tackles and 2.1 interceptions over those 12 outings while also weighing in with one goal and one assist.

If he continues in that same vein, it would appear that the Bianconeri already have a ready-made replacement when their current right-backs move on.

The ideal scenario would be to bring Lirola back next summer, allowing him to shadow Alves just as Sandro did with Evra last term, eventually replacing the ageing star and making the role his own.

Yet even with both flanks covered, it is in central defence where the most questions remain. Without the BBC intact and in form, it is almost impossible for Allegri to continue with the 3-5-2 formation that has long been their hallmark, and both Barzagli and Chiellini are visibly beginning to wind down.

The former is the eldest of the trio, yet whenever he takes to the field he remains an impeccable defender, capable of timing his interventions perfectly and always taking up the correct position.

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Giorgio Chiellini has suffered SEVEN separate injuries in 2016, missing a total of TWENTY-SIX Juventus games! (via @Transfermarkt)

11:14 AM - 16 Nov 2016

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But while the 35-year-old battles on, a career of full-blooded challenges and a relentless physical approach has taken its toll on Chiellini. Three years and three months younger than his team-mate, the Pisa native is picking up niggling injuries at an alarming rate as the graphic in the tweet above highlights.

Once again, though, the club hierarchy has worked to lessen the blow of those absences, bringing in Medhi Benatia from Bayern Munich in August. Like Bonucci he is “only” 29 years old, relatively young in comparison to the other two members of the BBC, and at his peak as a player.

Benatia provides a short-term answer, but it is clear that Juventus see Daniele Rugani as the future of their back line, as Allegri himself explained at a press conference before September’s clash with Cagliari:

Daniele has improved a lot since arriving here even if his playing time was relatively low last term.

He has trained very well over the summer and, as I’ve said before, will be an important Juventus player for years to come. Given the number of matches we’ll be playing, you can expect to see lots of Rugani this campaign.

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Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Daniele Rugani will begin to feature more and more.

He has featured just once more since that outing, but with Barzagli and Chiellini both sidelined, Rugani is likely to be called upon more frequently in the coming weeks. Repeatedly showing he is up to the task—as he did in starting Italy’s friendly with Germany on Tuesday—the 22-year-old has long been recognised as a potential star.

“He’s one of the best players we’ve ever had,” Francesco, a supporter of Rugani’s former club, Empoli, told Bleacher Report recently. “After one year in the Juventus academy he came back on loan, and in Serie A at age of 20, he played like a veteran!”

Throughout this tumultuous period, Bonucci has become the best and most reliable defender at the club, his performances marking him out as one of the finest in the world at his position.

That has made him a potential transfer target for many clubs, using a recent appearance on TV show La Domenica Sportivo (h/t Football Italia) to deny he had discussed a move to Manchester City this past summer.

Bonucci had previously discussed the move, but he told reporters that he had instead chosen to ignore the advances of City boss Pep Guardiola and is working on signing a new contract with the Bianconeri.

"I did give it some thought. Guardiola's insistence destabilised me a little," Bonucci said, per FourFourTwo. "I did not speak to Pep directly, it was just an exchange of thoughts with my agent. It was tempting, but I decided to follow my heart in the end."

As questions over the long-term sustainability of Juve’s BBC continue, the club’s forward planning is evident to anyone who scratches the surface. Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini and Evra may be reaching the end, but a back four of Lirola, Bonucci, Rugani and Sandro would remain a formidable unit.

Juventus have one of the best defences in the world, but they have ensured a line of successors is waiting to replace them. The Old Lady can rely on that new-look quartet for years to come, they just won’t have a cute acronym or be lifted en masse for the Italian national team.

Socrates · November 26, 2016

Remembering Juventus' 1996 Intercontinental Cup Triumph

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2678126-remembering

-juventus-1996-intercontinental-cup-triumph?

Nov 25, 2016

Overcoming injuries and poor performances, the current Juventus side can reflect on a superb result against Sevilla a few days ago. The Bianconeri won their Champions League clash 3-0 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, snatching back first place in Group H and securing qualification to the round of 16.

Yet this week also marks the 20th anniversary of an event that many of the club’s supporters rightly still cherish—the last time Juventus were truly able to call themselves the best team in the world.

To tell that story, one must first explain the Serie A landscape of the early 1990s. The Old Lady had shaken off a few years of malaise but struggled to compete in a league dominated by the wealth and power Silvio Berlusconi delivered to AC Milan, as well as the magical genius of Diego Maradona’s Napoli.

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That Rossoneri team was perhaps the greatest club side of the modern era, drilled by coach Arrigo Sacchi and containing iconic names such as Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten.

Juve were always heavy underdogs against a team who had not only won back-to-back European Cups but claimed them in emphatic, all-conquering fashion. Slowly, however, the Turin side would emerge from their Milanese shadow, clinching the 1993 UEFA Cup and restoring the self-belief that had always been synonymous with the Old Lady.

Eventually, she would get back on top, overcoming the San Siro giants thanks to a remarkable forward line of Gianluca Vialli, FabrizioRavanelli and the 1993 World Player of the Year Roberto Baggio.

The latter was the catalyst for the Turin side supplanting Milan as the dominant force in Italian football, helping them win the 1994/95 Scudetto to finally end a nine-year wait, the longest post-war title drought in the club's history.

Yet no sooner had Juve stitched the shield on to their shirt, Baggio was sold to Milan and the iconic No. 10 shirt was passed on to his heir apparent, Alessandro Del Piero. Then just 22 years old, the striker had already begun to shine; a remarkable volley against Fiorentina in 1994 was followed by a string of fantastic strikes as the team conquered Europe.

That Champions League triumph was secured 12 months later, Rome’s Stadio Olimpico erupting with joy as Vialli held the trophy aloft. Yet this was another victory that was followed by departures, Juve’s then-director general Luciano Moggi shaking a dominant team its core.

Vialli—tired of arguing with the club over a new contract—left for Chelsea, and Ravanelli was sold to Middlesbrough. Pietro Vierchowod, Massimo Carrera, and Paulo Sousa followed them through the exit door, but arriving in Turin were some equally familiar names as Moggirevolutionised the squad.

Zinedine Zidane, Alen Boksic, and a young Christian Vieri were all signed, but the following season was perhaps the single best campaign of Del Piero’s career as Juventus celebrated their centenary year in spectacular fashion.

Having already been crowned champions of Italy and Europe, the Bianconeri headed to Tokyo for an edition of the Intercontinental Cup that would be a truly memorable event, as Italy's grandest club prepared to face Argentinian giants River Plate.

hi-res-f7f03216783c5dea2bf626b1e9f1ce85_

PACO SERINELLI/Getty Images

Moggi was not afraid to rebuild a winning team.

That Los Millonarios side contained some famous names who would go on to grace European football over the next decade; Juan Pablo Sorin, Marcelo Salas, Julio Cruz and Ariel Ortega lined up with the classy Enzo Francescoli.

But while Del Piero had already started on the path to stardom, this game would crown his arrival as a star of world football. On November 26, 1996, 48,305 fans packed the stands at the National Stadium in Tokyo hoping to witness history. They would not be disappointed.

Juve controlled the game from start to finish, their relentless pressing and power in midfield overwhelming their opponents as Marcello Lippi’s side created a seemingly endless number of chances for Boksic.

774d8f288e11e0813774c5973213413a_crop_ex

Adam Digby

The starting XIs from the 1996 Intercontinental Cup.

Yet while the striker repeatedly fluffed his lines and the game remained delicately balanced and scoreless, there was no frustration on show by the Bianconeri, who seemed to always believe that victory would be theirs.

It would be worth the wait. With nine minutes left on the clock, a corner from Angelo Di Livio was headed across the six-yard box by Zidane, falling to an inexplicably unmarked Del Piero.

The striker swivelled and fired an unstoppable shot high into the roof of the net, a goal that not only ended River Plate's hopes of winning but eventually proved to be the catalyst for the young striker to embark on his path to greatness.

The game ended a short while later, the Bianconeri collecting the trophy, and Del Piero—who was named man of the match—explained to World Soccer in 2013 that he considered it to be his best performance for the club:

If I had to choose one with Juventus, I would say the 1996 World Club Cup final played in Tokyo against River Plate. That was the icing on the cake for a team that had won, in two years, the Scudetto, the Italian Cup and Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Champions League.

It was a tough match, very difficult for both teams, and I scored the decisive goal minutes from the end. Absolutely unbelievable.

Given that the striker retired as Juve’s record appearance-maker and goalscorer, it says much that he picked out this fixture as his most memorable. The winning was far from over, though.

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They would go on to win numerous more trophies together, starting with the European Super Cup that saw the Old Lady record an emphatic 9-2 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain.

It would not end perfectly in Europe however, Borussia Dortmundinflicting an agonising 3-1 Champions League final defeat on Juventus, who were unable to lift the crown for a second successive year.

At home, however, their superiority was again evident. They would claim another Serie A title, with an incredible 6-1 win over Baggio and Milan at the San Siro underlining their dominance.

It was a period in history where Juventus, much like the current side, were head and shoulders above the rest of Italy, and on that wonderful evening in Tokyo the world saw just how good this team could be.

It was a remarkable victory, one that was a joy to witness and incredible to remember. It was 20 years ago, however, and fans of the club would love to see the current team go on to replicate that success.

Socrates · November 26, 2016

Vialli: 'At Juve winning is a relief'

http://www.football-italia.net/94860/vialli-juve-winning-relief?

Nov 26, 2016

Gianluca Vialli explained the Juventus mentality and why so many Italian Coaches thrive in England. “Victory comes as a relief.”

The former Bianconeri striker spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about why so many ex-Juve players went on to become tacticians.

“There is a very special work ethic in Turin and it is contagious. It’s the atmosphere you need in life and on the bench. The principle characteristic of Juve is keep your head down and work, show humility when winning.

“The club teaches you the importance of responsibility: it puts you in the right condition to prove what you can do, but you’ve got to give your best as well. At that point you win and can enjoy the honours.

“However, that enjoyment never lasts long, because you’ve got to win again in the next game. See, at Juventus success often feels like relief more than joy.

“You take that DNA with you. A great Coach must be a leader, but also create other leaders within a squad that reproduce your ideas, values and character.

“Conte, Massimo Carrera, Zinedine Zidane and I all had a great leader: Marcello Lippi.”

What does Vialli make of accusations that Juventus and their style of football is dull?

“In Barcelona they have a predilection for aesthetics, beauty and entertainment, whereas Juve are marvellously practical.

“I confess, in my many years with the Bianconeri nobody ever said: ‘Make sure you play well today.’ More often than not the phrase was: ‘Make sure we win today.’

Conte has gone on to Chelsea, while Carrera is currently flying high in Russia with Spartak Moscow.

“Even as players they put the ‘team’ above the ‘I’ and were true team representatives. It was evident Conte would end up as a Coach. He had great teachers from Giovanni Trapattoni and Lippi to Carlo Ancelotti.

“The great thing is he has found his own niche. He’s doing really well at Chelsea and realised English football is fun, but very different to our own. He mustn’t transform himself, but make a few minor adjustments.

“In England it’s by having a solid defence that you go far. That’s why the Italian tactical wisdom makes the difference in England.

“As for Carrera, he’s honest, generous and reliable. We’re still like brothers and communicate often.”

Socrates · November 26, 2016

Gasperini: 'Inter damaged me'

h http://www.football-italia.net/94861/gasp-inter-damaged-me?

Nov 26, 2016

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini admits he enjoyed revenge over Inter and was close to taking the Juventus job on two occasions.

The Coach was famously fired after just five games in September 2011.

“The three-man defence there was seen as repugnant,” Gasp told La Repubblica newspaper.

“I wasn’t at the club long enough to do damage. If anything, Inter did damage to me. It was very satisfying afterwards to finish above Inter in the table with Genoa.”

He’s on track to repeat the trick, as Atalanta are currently in joint fourth place, seven points above the Nerazzurri.

Gasp worked at the Juventus youth academy, but came close to the main Turin bench too.

“I twice had contact, when they were in Serie B and then during the era of Alessio Secco and Jean-Claude Blanc.

“I will always be grateful to Juve because that club transmitted values that today might seem anachronistic: discipline, sense of belonging, a respect for your roles and your opponents.

“What I learned there, I tried to pass on to players as a Coach.”

Socrates · November 29, 2016

Marcello Lippi: ‘Juventus are struggling’

http://www.juvefc.com/marcello-lippi-juventus-struggling/

Nov 29, 2016

Former Juventus Coach Marcello Lippi has offered his thoughts on the Bianconeri’s current woes, attributing part of the problem to Max Allegri’s ‘changes of direction.’

Lippi was speaking at a press conference to discuss his current role as Coach of the Chinese national team.

“I do not know why Juventus are struggling to play in all three competitions, but it makes for hard work, so to speak.” Lippi told the press conference.

“My impression is that not only Juve but also Roma and Napoli should be working to lubricate the mechanisms.

“Sarri was of course unfortunate to lose Higuain and then Milik through injury.”

Lippi then reflected on his time at Juve which included some notable victories in England.

“At Juve I had fantastic years, the current problems are due to changes of direction by Allegri because he has switched so much, also in midfield. The integration of great champions is not natural.”

“I can’t say why Juventus are, so to speak, struggling to handle their commitments in the Champions League and Serie A.

“It isn’t set in stone when you buy great players that they adapt quickly to their new environment.

“They are changes to be managed with great difficulty for a Coach.

“Pjanic and Higuain? The arrival of great champions isn’t a given [for success]. They have to get to know their new teammates and settle first.”

Lippi lamented the loss of Juve’s key midfield players over the years, notably the departures of players Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal – Three players who formed the cornerstone of much of Juve’s success under Antonio Conte and current Coach Max Allegri.

“After that, a very important player in Pogba left the club. Two years ago, the midfield was Pirlo-Vidal-Pogba.

“Last season, they played Lemina and Sturaro, with all due respect to them both.

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