The club wants to please the coach by giving him a “tailor-made” team: first Rabiot and now he’s working for Big Rom. They expect immediate results, otherwise…
Massimiliano Allegri’s favorite phrase to answer the inevitable question about the Scudetto is: “In March we’ll see where we’ll be and if we’ve been good…”. March is the month of truth, because the placement that a team has in the spring allows us to understand whether or not it can aspire to the Italian flag. Juventus in 2022-23, net of the penalty inflicted by the sports justice that pushed it down to seventh place, has never really been in the running for the title.
The 2023-24 season, net of the firefighter’s public declarations of the Juventus coach, who has set the goal of returning to the Champions League – therefore finishing in the top four – aims instead to sign up for the race, favored by the lack of midweek commitment in the cups and by the ‘instant team that the management decided to build to satisfy the coach with the highest salary in Serie A (9 million euros a year, including bonuses, until 2025). First the renewal of Adrien Rabiot, Max’s protégé, for another year at the same figures (7 million) — a sacrifice that the club took on in June by persuading the player and his mother-agent Veronique — now with the Vlahovic-Lukaku exchange, which in addition to being advantageous from an economic point of view for the Lady, is from a tactical point of view for her coach. In March we will also have an idea of Allegri’s future, who does have a long agreement, but since his return he hasn’t won anything yet and for this reason he often finds himself on the grill. Juventus has given him broad powers on the transfer market, but now they also expect answers on the pitch, otherwise something could change.
experience and competition
—
In the last season, Allegri launched several young players and embraced the company’s green line, which aims to enhance the players who grew up in Next Gen, but still remains firm on his convictions: ready and expert players are needed to win immediately. That’s why from the beginning he sponsored the landing in Turin of Romelu Lukaku, Inter center forward in the last season but owned by Chelsea, also spending himself personally with highly persuasive phone calls to the Belgian. In theory Lukaku would be in contrast with the market guidelines dictated by the new management and also with the modus operandi of Cristiano Giuntoli, called to Continassa to make a Naples-style transfer market, scouting out young and cheap talents that can be exploited and possibly resold with a big profit. Allegri’s theory (also partially shared by the new technical director) is that the number 9 of a Juventus aiming for the Scudetto immediately cannot be a boy, because the shirt weighs too much and Vlahovic in a certain sense would be the confirmation. Dusan needs time, Lukaku on the other hand has already won a Scudetto in Italy, he is a striker from the penalty area and is more functional than Dusan at Max’s game, which is based a lot on counterattacks. In addition, Allegri believes that by throwing himself on the Belgian he has obtained a not secondary side effect: weakening a direct competitor for the tricolor, Inter. All these reasons have been accepted by the management, which has started negotiating with Chelsea: the deal will be done, provided that the English are financially satisfied with the black and whites. Giuntoli asks for 40 million in adjustment, the British have so far reached 20.
with scuudetto romelu
—
All this adds pressure on Allegri’s shoulders, who after failing to win the Scudetto last season, are playing for another bonus in this one, which could be the decisive one. In 2022-23 they arrived at Continassa with the endorsement of Max Di Maria, Paredes and Pogba as well as Bremer, Gatti, Milik and Kostic, three experienced and successful players (and with decidedly high wages) who should have made the leap quality to the lady. None of them, for various reasons, lived up to expectations, so much so that the first two said goodbye at the end of the season. Now the coach is trying again with Lukaku, because he is convinced that with the Belgian in the squad, Juventus have all the credentials to be able to win the Scudetto.
bonuses and shadows
—
Max has one more chance to prove his hunches right, but this could be the last. The club confirmed this despite some doubts about how he managed the season (especially the final part, when Juventus gave up a bit, perhaps also conditioned by off-field events) because his salary is too high and also because he started with him a path that he doesn’t want to interrupt now, but the trust he still enjoys may not be unlimited. If Lukaku arrives, as it seems, Allegri will have the obligation to fight until the end for the Scudetto. And if it will be another year with zero titles, like the last two (in addition to the championship, only the Coppa Italia remains, as the Bianconeri have been excluded from the Conference League by UEFA), Madama will make her assessments: in June there would be only one year left before Max’s contract expires and an early separation would be more financially bearable. The usual shadows always remain in the background: from Conte to Tudor up to Spalletti, all attractive candidates and currently without a bench. Coach satisfied but also warned: no more excuses, only facts.
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED
#Allegri #Lukaku #mission #Scudetto