Juventus: Allegri’s sacking seems inevitable, but may be unfair

Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus exit seems inevitable but many, including the Italian coach, would consider it unfair, especially if the Bianconeri reach their targets this season.

“When we started the season, the target was to qualify for the Champions League and the club have confirmed it,” Allegri said on Friday on the eve of a dry 0-0 draw against Torino in the Derby Della Mole.

“The other objective was the Coppa Italia. It’s important to be in the race still. Many things are usually determined in the last month, but being here is important. Now, we must reach the targets.”

These few lines perfectly explain Allegri’s mentality and pragmatism. The Livorno-born coach never saw the Bianconeri as credible title contenders this season despite being the highest-paid coach in the league, leading the team with the highest wage bill.

The only summer signing was Timothy Weah and even if the Bianconeri kept all their stars, they didn’t make the same investments as Milan and Inter in the 2023 summer transfer window. Even when Juventus were just two points below the Nerazzurri and most players fuelled the Old Lady’s title dreams, Allegri insisted that the main target was to qualify for the Champions League. Ultimately, he was not wrong.

The 56-year-old also had off-the-field objectives, such as introducing at least three NextGen players in the first team to make the squad more sustainable in the long run. The Bianconeri currently sit third in the Serie A table despite winning just two league games from the last 11. They also beat Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg last week. In Allegri’s eyes, this means being in the race to fulfil all the club’s targets for 2023-24. However, this may not be enough to keep his job.

Despite a contract expiring in June 2025, multiple sources in Italy claim Allegri’s future is increasingly uncertain and even Cristiano Giuntoli hasn’t guaranteed the Livorno-born coach would remain in charge beyond the summer.

Juventus’ defensive playing style, combined with their poor results in 2024, led to uncertainties around Allegri’s long-term future at the club.

The Bianconeri have only scored 45 goals in 32 matches this season, the lowest amount in 25 years at this stage of the season. More and more Juventus players, including star striker Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic, seem frustrated, and most Bianconeri supporters expect a fresh start in 2024-25 with a new coach in charge, possibly Bologna’s Thiago Motta.

However, even if the noisy majority on social media wants to see Allegri sacked at the end of the season, not all Juventus supporters share the same view on the coach’s work so far. During the last few home games, ultras in Curva Sud shouted Allegri’s name, while a portion of ordinary fans booed the Italian tactician.

Ultimately, as ex-striker Alessandro Matri recently stated, seeing Allegri leave Allianz Stadium at the end of the season seems inevitable. Juventus have shown no development over the last few months and the feeling is that some key players and even the coach are fed up and need new motivation in the summer. At the same time, however, Allegri has a year left in his contract, and if Juventus ended up with a Champions League placement and the Coppa Italia victory, the coach would have achieved all the targets this season, so many, including himself, would find his sacking unfair.