Fabio Capello admits Juventus haven’t developed under Massimiliano Allegri but believes the Bianconeri should not sack their coach.
The Tuscan tactician is under fire after a poor start to the season with just two victories in eight games across all competitions, including two defeats in the opening Champions League fixtures against PSG and Benfica.
The Portuguese side beat Juventus 2-1 at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night. Allegri’s men took the lead through Arek Milik but deflated in the first half and were lucky to concede only twice through the game.
“It can’t be a physical problem, you can drop after one hour, not 30 minutes. I think it has to do with psychology,” Capello told Il Corriere dello Sport.
“Lack of attention and self-esteem. To deflate like that, even if against a quality and tough team like Benfica, it’s not normal.
“A year ago, when Maurizio Sarri, Luciano Spalletti, Allegri and José Mourinho returned, I said we should not have judged them in the first season,” he continued.
“Now we can see Sarri’s hand at Lazio, Napoli are leading in Serie A and their Champions League group, Mourinho has won a trophy and is second in the table. Only Allegri is missing.”
Juventus have been dealing with several injuries and won’t see two of their best players, Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa, return to action before January 2023.
The France international underwent meniscus surgery last week and is highly likely to miss the World Cup with France in November.
“Pogba was one of Allegri’s cornerstones. He can’t be questioned and the same goes for Di Maria,” said Capello.
“He is not fit yet, but delivered two great assists when he was introduced against Benfica. Quality is quality. Di Maria can make the difference and he’ll fix many problems when he returns.”
The hashtag #Allegriout has been trending worldwide on Twitter, with Juventus fans pushing for his sacking. However, Capello believes the Bianconeri should stick to their coach.
“If the club has built the team the coach wanted, they must give him time to have them available. In January, with Chiesa, Di Maria and Pogba, we’ll see a different Juventus.”