The Old Lady of Turin will be changing her voice this summer, as the departure of Massimiliano Allegri will herald a new era at Juventus and with the 51-year-old no longer at the helm, many are wondering if this particular empire will begin to crumble.
When you mention Serie A in the past decade, only one team has been synonymous with the competition, and that is Juventus. Since the 2011/12 season, they have won every single Italian championship and by some distance also. Their eighth successive title was landed back in May and it was the first which Cristiano Ronaldo had earned after his big money move from Real Madrid almost twelve months ago. However, domestic dominance was not the reason for the arrival of the Portuguese icon.
That’s because in 2015 and 2017, Juventus had fallen short in the Champions League final and with Ronaldo just as synonymous with the competition as his new employers are with Serie A, it made perfect sense to sign the now 34-year-old. However, the plan to conquer the continent was one that went awry and after getting dumped out of Europe’s premier club competition by this season’s surprise act Ajax, it meant the writing was on the wall for Massimiliano Allegri.
The decision not to offer him a new contract is one that was viewed as harsh by the wider footballing fraternity and especially when you consider how many trophies he won while in charge of Juventus. At the same time, clubs of their stature are not afraid of making bold decisions such as these and that is why they’ve managed to stay head and shoulders above their fellow Italian counterparts for so long.
While even after this most recent managerial upheaval, they are still many pundit’s choice to win Serie A next season and subsequently extend their run of Scudetto successes to an incredible nine in a row. Of course, it’s not just the opinion of former players and managers that offer a guide as to who will be crowned champions, there are also the bookmakers that are ready to offer their esteemed views. A look at the current Serie A betting has Juventus top of the pile, with bet365 pricing the holders at 4/6 and they are then followed by the likes of Inter Milan and Napoli at 4/1 and 5/1 respectively.
Even though Sarri will bring an innovative style to the club, it’s almost irrelevant who becomes Allegri’s successor, as they arguably have one of the easiest jobs of European football. That’s because whoever the new man in charge at the Allianz Stadium turns out to be, he will be inheriting an incredibly talented group of players, which will also include the addition of former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
Therefore, even though there has been a big decision at boardroom level, it should make no real difference to matters on the pitch and if that proves to be the case, then be prepared for Juventus to rule the Italian roost once more.
Read more:
