Massimiliano Allegri knows he will have to bring European success to Juventus if he is to win over fans after replacing the much-loved Antonio Conte as the Italian champions’ coach.
Conte resigned on Tuesday after three years at the helm during which he won a hat-trick of Serie A titles and re-established the Vecchia Signora as the pre-eminent force in Italian soccer.
However, he failed to translate that local dominance into European triumphs, with Juve’s best under Conte being a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, where they were brushed aside 4-0 on aggregate by eventual winners Bayern Munich.
Photo: AFP
Last year, they crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage, before being beaten by SL Benfica in the semi-finals of the Europa League.
“There is definitely a need to do better in the Champions League. The club is looking to strengthen the team in Italy, but above all in Europe,” Allegri told a press conference on Wednesday. “In Europe there are great clubs that earn more money than us, but we have the duty to have a good Champions League campaign, because I believe that Juve should be in the top eight of European football.”
Juve fans are unhappy about Conte’s departure or the hiring of Allegri, creating the #NoAllegri hashtag on Twitter to show the club their displeasure at their new coach. It quickly started trending worldwide.
Allegri was sacked by AC Milan midway through last season after a dreadful start that left them languishing in mid-table and was replaced by Clarence Seedorf in January after more than a year of speculation surrounding his position.
However, he won the Serie A title in 2010-2011 with Milan and they finished four points behind Conte’s undefeated Juventus the following year.
The next season, Allegri had to deal with the sale of Brazil defender Thiago Silva and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the club tightened the purse strings, but Milan managed third place and a spot in the Champions League.
“It’s normal that there’s a reaction from the fans. Conte represented more than just the last three years, he represents a lot for Juve as a player as well,” Allegri said. “How can I win them over? With results, hard work, and respect and professionalism. I know how important it is to coach Juve, I was Milan’s trainer for four years and that makes me ready to continue their winning run.”
Reports had also circulated that Carlos Tevez and other players had demanded a meeting with the club hierarchy after hearing of Conte’s departure, something categorically denied by Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta.
“That any players have asked for a meeting with me is utterly false. It’s normal that you call your players to tell them that we’ve got a new trainer and that’s what we did,” Marotta said.
He said Conte leaving had nothing to do with clashes over transfer policy, after reports that Juventus were willing to sell top midfielders Paul Pogba of France and Arturo Vidal, insisting that the Chilean is not for sale.
“Vidal is a Juventus player, we have never put him up for sale. We’ve been asked for meetings with important clubs, but we have never sat down with anyone for negotiations,” Marotta said.
Allegri played down suggestions of a rift with playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who as Milan coach he sold to Juventus in 2011.
Pirlo said after the transfer that Allegri’s desire to play other players in his position forced him out of Milan.
“I have a good relationship with Pirlo. He is a champion and with me he always played. He had some unforgettable years at Milan and he’s doing that again at Juve,” Allegri said. “I’d never question his qualities — that would be madness.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two