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.”
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
RSS