Massimiliano Allegri was irritable and argued with a fan in Juventus‘ 1-0 over Fiorentina and Lorenzo Bettoni believes the Italian tactician is hearing the ‘noise of enemies’ to keep the Old Lady united.
Less than four months ago, Allegri was under severe pressure with Juventus out of the Champions League group phase for the first time in almost ten years and fans urging the club to sack him to turn things around.
Events have changed dramatically in the last few months in Turin with the entire board of directors resigning as a result of an ongoing criminal investigation looking into their finances, with evidence used by the FIGC Court of Appeal to hand the Bianconeri a 15-point deduction for the current campaign.
Juventus’ results had improved before the resignation of Andrea Agnelli and the previous board of directors at the end of November and the Italian tactician is now one of the few references for players facing an uncertain future.
New directors appointed by John Elkann, in fact, are figures with little technical knowledge of football. Their main task is to navigate the chaos the club have found themselves in and the decision not to replace a figure such as former vice president Pavel Nedved has been vastly highlighted by fans and media in Italy.
The former winger was the link between the board and the team. This is not to say that new Juventus directors are not following players closely, but Allegri and director Federico Cherubini are the only two people with football knowledge and who can motivate players day in and day out, regardless of the club’s future.
One may like or not like Allegri’s tactics, but it’s evident that Allegri’s work in motivating the team and keeping it united has been nothing short of impressive so far.
Juventus players and fans don’t know what the future has in store for them. The club has appealed against a 15-point penalty, but a new point deduction could hit the club in the coming months after a second sporting investigation carried out by FIGC Prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè.
In this scenario, many players have been tipped to leave at the end of the season, not only because they will receive offers from other clubs but also because some see their contracts expire in June.
Among them are Adrien Rabiot and Angel Di Maria, who had a pivotal role in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Fiorentina in Turin. El Fideo delivered the assist for Rabiot’s winner, proving once again that they do not lack motivation, despite off-the-field issues.
Allegri has been defending his players since the 15-point deduction was announced last month and after the game with Fiorentina, he stressed that the Bianconeri would sit second if it weren’t for the penalty.
He also openly argued with a fan in the stands, telling him to shut up and insisting that his players need support rather than jeer from fans, especially at this challenging moment. A bit like José Mourinho used to do back in the day, Allegri seems to have identified enemies outside the team to keep his players united, focused and committed until the end of the season.
After the game with Atalanta in January, the first since the 15-point deduction was announced, Allegri said that his players would “never lack commitment” and although they lost the following home game with Monza in Serie A, they managed to beat Lazio at home, earning a spot in the Coppa Italia semis.
Allegri’s attitude in dealing with difficulties has been outstanding so far and has helped Juventus not to be dragged further down in the table, even suggesting the Bianconeri would need to fight for relegation this season.
Before the World Cup break, his position seemed precarious, but if Juventus are still fighting for something meaningful this season, it is primarily thanks to Allegri and his attitude.
@lorebetto