1982 World Cup winner Marco Tardelli did not hold back when analysing Juventus’ poor start to the season, highlighting the mistakes made at all levels.
The Bianconeri now risk dropping out of the Champions League at the group stages after their terrible 2-0 loss to Maccabi Haifa earlier this week, a defeat that prompted the team to go into a training retreat. The next month will be vital for coach Massimiliano Allegri and his squad as they try to shake off their tough start.
Writing in La Stampa, Tardelli explored Juventus’ miserable start to the season and analysed some of their key mistakes.
“Today’s column is dedicated to Juventus increasingly confused, disheartened, unable to find solutions both on and off the pitch. Indecisive about everything. Being ashamed or apologising to the fans is no use, one must have the courage to make decisions.
“Everyone is to blame, Allegri, the players, but above all the club. The president and managers, eager for quick and easy victories, have not understood that patience and foresight are needed to build a winning future.
“Glaring mistakes like the divorce from Beppe Marotta, recognised by the entire football world as one of the most enlightened managers. Envy, annoyance, fear of being overshadowed? We still haven’t understood why.”
He commented on the indecisiveness regarding which coach to stick by.
“Then there was the parenthesis of Sarri, certainly a great coach but totally unrelated to Bianconero thinking, up to Andrea Pirlo, a great player with little bench experience but who could have opened the door to a future certainly brighter than the one we are currently experiencing.
“Of course, you had to really believe in him, the inexperienced coach had to be accompanied, helped, reassured, but despite all this did not happen, he still won two trophies and achieved Champions League qualification, not bad for someone who had never sat on a bench.
“So the stroke of genius, let’s send him off, throwing away money and credibility.”
Finally, Tardelli highlighted how Juventus’ issues run deeper than simply their head coach.
“We know the present, the faces of the players at the end of the game in Israel we all saw, incredulous, scared with only one question in their bewildered eyes: ‘How do we get out of this?’ Whoever makes a mistake pays, but it doesn’t always have to be the coach.”
Juventus currently sit eighth in the Serie A table after nine games, picking up 13 points from three wins and four draws. Their next match is the derby against Torino tomorrow.
spot on
How dare he even include PhD Max in this. Agnelli took him back and did not do the due diligence required. PhD Zombienaccio was in the cave writing his memoirs and they couldn’t help themselves in their lust for the yoga back back. Flinstone Max has never been about champagne calcio and never will be. The players are to blame. They step on the field and must represent themselves, the fans and the shirt. They have thrown the legend of 1G coma calcio under the bus and have no self respect. 2 CL’s, 6 scudetto titles and wilderness calcio and they dare blame Haifa’s new honary citizen. Shame.
How dare he even include PhD Max in this. Agnelli took him back and did not do the due diligence required. PhD Zombienaccio was in the cave writing his memoirs and they couldn’t help themselves in their lust for the yoga back back. Flinstone Max has never been about champagne calcio and never will be. The players are to blame. They step on the field and must represent themselves, the fans and the shirt. They have thrown the legend of 1G coma calcio under the bus and have no self respect. 2 CL’s, 6 scudetto titles and wilderness calcio and they dare blame Haifa’s new honary citizen. Shame.
I have to agree with him.