Juve, with the Allegri bis an era is over: thus Elkann’s Juventus re-foundation is born

Juventus, Allegri and the two black and white eras: Max and the calls of Andrea Agnelli

The era of Massimiliano Allegri is over for the second time. Max was the man on whom Andrea Agnelli had built so many of his Juventus triumphs (“Thank you Max, thanks to you who represented being Juventus with every cell of yours”, he wrote to him in a tweet in the last few hours). Arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2014 suddenly, in mid-July, called hastily after Antonio Conte’s sensational farewell: five years and five championships (but also two Champions League finals), then the first goodbye. The return in 2021 invoked by a large part of Providence’s male fans, to bring Juve back to dominating in Italy after the problems of the two-year period without him on the bench (in any case a scudetto with Sarri, Italian Super Cup and Italian Cup with Pirlo) with a four-year contract worth around 7-7.5 million net per season.

Juventus-Allegri, Max in the Elkann era

Then, with the farewell of Andrea Agnelli and the new course by John Elkann (with president Gianluca Ferrero and Maurizio Scanavino CEO), Max Allegri remained firmly on the bench last winter. Surprise? None. It is impossible or almost impossible to divorce with an existing contract of more than two years. From an economic point of view it would have been a heavy sacrifice of 25-30 million that the club could not afford. Furthermore, Max was the protagonist of a great job on the field last year: in the months of penalties and sporting trials he managed to keep the team’s concentration high leading them to Champions League qualification (on the pitch).

And this year, at least until mid-season he had been even more unassailable, with Juventus being the only opponent of the battleship Inter in the Scudetto race for a long time. Then a second round in decline and the glass can be seen as half full or half empty depending on your point of view: just 21 points in 17 games and a lot of suffering, but qualification for the Champions League and victory of the Italian Cup in the final against Gasperini’s Atalanta (double mission accomplished).

Juve, with the Allegri bis an era is over: this is how John Elkann’s Juventus re-foundation was born with Cristiano Giuntoli planning the team

With only one year left on his contract, a farewell at the end of the season still seemed more than likely. The tumultuous night at the Olimpico brought forward by a couple of weeks what the transfer rumors had been telling for months: Cristiano Giuntoli, the man chosen by Elkann for the Juventus rebirth (“He will help shape the future of Juventus,” he wrote in the letter to Exor shareholders just over a month ago), was working to build a new cycle starting from another coach. Hence the insistent rumors about Bologna’s Thiago Motta (even if in the last few hours from Spain someone fears a danger to Barcelona after Xavi’s farewell and from England there are those who color Roberto De Zerbi – fresh from parting with Brighton – in a surprise black and white).

Cristiano Giuntoli’s new Juventus? As Affaritaliani.it reported in recent hours. he starts again from a treasure of around 80-100 million (half of which will go on the market, plus money from possible sales) and lots of ideas. The former sporting director had arrived from Naples (where he had been a protagonist in the construction of the Scudetto team) last summer, but had practically been unable to have a hand on the team. This is the first real signing campaign planned by him (apart from the arrival of the Portuguese defender Thiago Djalò in January, in addition to the loan with right of redemption of Carlos Alcaraz). The first big dream is called Teun Koopmeiners, true engine of the midfield in Gasperini’s Atalanta (the Dutchman, however, is worth around fifty million and the eyes of the Premier League are on him). In defense, the 22-year-old talent from Thiago Motta’s Bologna, Riccardo Calafiori, is close by (Bremer’s departure or not remains to be understood: only if an important offer arrives from the Priemier League). In goal Di Gregorio of Monza should replace Perin and in prospect Szczesny.

Dusan Vlahovic? The Serbian striker, fresh from a championship played full of goals, remains short of offers worth 80 million (although it should not be underestimated that in the next two years his contract will rise to 12 million net per season), while in attack they seem destined to start Kean and maybe Milik. The position of Federico Chiesa (one year after the contract expires…).