Marcello Lippi believes Juventus’ “struggles” are due to not replacing their former holy trinity of midfielders Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba.
Pirlo, Vidal and Pogba helped Juve dominate Italy between 2012 and 2015 and reached the Champions League final last year, but the Bianconeri have since lost the trio and not been quite as forceful, with Miralem Pjanic yet to hit top gear and Lippi portraying Mario Lemina and Stefano Sturaro in a negative light.
Marcello Lippi believes Juventus’ “struggles” are due to not replacing their former holy trinity of midfielders Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba.
Pirlo, Vidal and Pogba helped Juve dominate Italy between 2012 and 2015 and reached the Champions League final last year, but the Bianconeri have since lost the trio and not been quite as forceful, with Miralem Pjanic yet to hit top gear and Lippi portraying Mario Lemina and Stefano Sturaro in a negative light.
“I can’t say why Juventus are, so to speak, struggling to handle their commitments in the Champions League and Serie A,” the former Bianconeri boss told Radio Anch’io Lo Sport.
“It isn’t set in stone when you buy great players that they adapt quickly to their new environment.
“They are changes to be managed with great difficulty for a Coach.
“Pjanic and Higuain? The arrival of great champions isn’t a given [for success]. They have to get to know their new teammates and settle first.
“After that, a very important player in Pogba left the club. Two years ago, the midfield was Pirlo-Vidal-Pogba.
“Last season, they played Lemina and Sturaro, with all due respect to them both.”