Alessandro Del Piero did not understate the importance of the Europa League to Juventus this season, highlighting how it could be important for their future.
The Bianconeri were knocked down to the second tier of club competition in Europe after their disastrous campaign in the Champions League, that saw them pick up only three points in a group containing Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and Maccabi Haifa.
Things went from bad to worse for Juventus when they were handed a 15-point deduction by the FIGC court for allegedly falsifying their capital gains, putting them far away from the top four spots.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Del Piero analysed Juventus’ situation and explained why the Europa League is so important to the club.
“Juventus are facing challenges off the pitch that can, alas, make their position even worse as far as the final results are concerned. So, I think Allegri has also taken this as a cue to give a strong meaning to this competition.
“I won’t say justify, but to say ‘okay, we had a bad run in the Champions League, we were disastrous. But now that we have put things right, we are very strong’.
“So, it’s also a way for the team to say that this is a competition that can be worth a lot more. It is already important, but it can be worth much more.
“I think it’s a message in that sense too. So to all the players and the environment, because it could really represent, in such a difficult season, an important light for the future.”
Juventus will face Ligue 1 outfit FC Nantes in their Europa League play-offs, giving them a tough but accessible path to the Round of 16.
The last time Juventus were in the Europa League came in the 2013-14 season, when they were relegated from the Champions League after finishing third in a group containing FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray and Real Madrid. That campaign saw them reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Benfica.