Massimiliano Allegri insists that Juventus must rely more and more on products of the club’s academy and reveals he was asked to introduce three NextGen players into the first team each year when he returned to the Allianz Stadium.
Allegri spoke to The Athletic about Juventus‘ long-term plans and their use of young players.
The Bianconeri were the first Serie A club to launch a second team, now called NextGen, playing in Italy’s third division. Several players have come up through the NextGen ranks over the last few years, including Kenan Yildiz, Matias Soulé and Dean Huijsen.
“When I came back [for his second spell as head coach, in summer 2021] I was asked to rejuvenate the team,” Allegri said.
“The objective was to bring through three Next Gen players every year, lower the wage bill and make the team sustainable while remaining competitive.”
The Bianconeri boss cited Manchester United’s record of having at least an academy player in their squad for at least 85 years.
“United have eight or nine players from their academy in the first team,” he said.
“Let’s say you have five players from the Next Gen in the first team for eight years. It means, for eight years, you have a cost that’s significantly lower than if you sign five players.”
Yildiz made his Serie A debut under Allegri this season and scored the first Serie A goal in an away game at Frosinone this past December. How does the Bianconeri coach manage Yildiz and all other young Juventus players?
“You try to make the most of the good moment,” he replied.
“Then you know that, after a little while, the hard part comes. All young players go through it. Miretti and Fagioli have experienced it. Yildiz will get through it too. Youngsters have ups and downs. They don’t reach maturity until 25, 26. Whoever has the most mental strength gets there first.
“A player’s peak hasn’t changed. They say that between 26 and 30 is the best age because, by then, you’ve got some experience, you’ve matured and you improve. It was like that 40 years ago, too.”
Juventus haven’t won any trophy since Allegri’s return to the club nearly three years ago. They are now 17 points below Inter but have reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals. What does this say about Juventus after a decade of domestic domination?
“We need to adapt and understand that the nine scudetti in a row was an extraordinary thing,” Allegri replied.
“It won’t happen again in Serie A. There have been only two times like it in Juventus’ history — the five years in a row under Carlo Carcano and Carlo Bigatto in the 1930s and the nine in a row from 2012 to 2020. Other than that, Juventus have at most won two in a row, then one after three years, like other clubs have done. The nine in a row sent perceptions out of whack because the reality is different.”
Juventus hope to qualify for the Champions League this season after serving a one-season ban for financial irregularities. However, the Livorno-born coach warned Juventus fans about the leading European club competition, especially due to its new format.
“It’s normal that with the reform of the Champions League — which will be tough to win… almost impossible because the new format is like tennis — it’ll be between the top eight and it’ll be hard for one of them not to get to the final,” he said.
“They’re doing it (the ‘Swiss model’) to ensure the top eight get to the final, I think, because they want it to be a show.
“This gives you the chance to work even more on youth development, on being sustainable and competitive in your own league, and making sure you qualify for the Champions League every year, to then have a good year in the competition and try to go as far as possible.”
Sounds like he has already given up on the Champions League. His constant excuses and loser mentality have severely damaged the players and the club. Time for a change.