He won six championships, but led amazing teams. Now he is fighting against stronger rivals (starting with Inter): he has never had an impact like this. And the fans change their minds
The relationship between Allegri and Juventus fans has always been strange, to the point that we could define it as illogical. During his first five years in Turin – five championships out of five, two Champions League finals, six national cups – he was often criticized by the Juventus people, whose idea was more or less the following: such a strong team should win a lot, as it is doing , but to express better, spectacular, more entertaining football. An obvious contradiction with the Bonipertian motto in which Juve has always recognized itself: “Winning is not important, it is the only thing that matters”. No: people also wanted to enjoy the show, not just lift trophies. They were so angry with that coach who almost always won, and almost never entertained them, that on a more or less regular basis campaigns were started for his removal: Allegriout often went crazy on social media, in spite of the championships. And in the end even Andrea Agnelli adapted: out Max, a few hours after the fifth title, and in Sarri. Now let’s have fun.
restart
—
The strange aspect of the story, the one that seems really illogical, is that Allegri began to be missed when he was at home, without a team. Especially at a time when Pirlo has failed – after nine consecutive seasons – to attack the Scudetto: if we have to play badly, and not even win, then give us Max back. That’s where Allegri’s second Juventus adventure began and this year – at third season of the new cycle, the eighth overall – the relationship between the coach and the Juventus world has finally become balanced, we would say normal: the team does not dominate as in the past, but tries to win, and people appreciate Allegri’s work as he had never done in all his previous years in Turin. Why?
little big miracle
—
The fans’ feeling towards Allegri is probably less illogical than it might appear: if they now praise him, if they also appreciate short-term successes, if they accept winning even though the game is often not exciting, it is because they have understood that this time Max he is really working a small, big miracle. Juve is not a stellar team like those that the coach led during the golden cycle: it has no champions or great champions, only a couple of players who could become one (Vlahovic and Chiesa, now also Yildiz); does not have a large quality workforce; it has footballers rediscovered, reinvented, valorised, taken beyond their limits; he has a midfield that is too thin without Pogba and Fagioli. In an interview with Gazzetta, Fabio Capello declared that Milan have a better squad than Juve. Inter certainly have it better. And perhaps, with all the men available, Napoli are not inferior to the Bianconeri. If Allegri is still up there, still in full swing for the Scudetto, on the eve of the direct clash with the Nerazzurri, it means that he is getting everything he could give from his group of players. And maybe even more. We don’t know if Juve will win the Scudetto this year. Looking at the standings and the personnel, we think that Inter are quite clear favorites despite having the Champions League commitment which will add stress and fatigue (the Bianconeri have the Italian Cup instead). Even if Allegri fails to win the title, we can still say that he is probably having the best season of his career. He won six championships, it’s true, but always at the helm of very strong teams: it was Milan who in 2011 ousted Inter from the throne with Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, Nesta and Seedorf; they were all the Juventus that Max led to success founded on Pirlo, Pogba, Tevez, Higuain, even Ronaldo.
extraordinary winner
—
Let’s be clear, finishing first is never easy, even when you are the best, and the fact that Allegri in the history of our football is second only to Trapattoni in terms of number of championships (seven to six) still makes him an extraordinary winner. But what he is doing this season with Gatti and McKennie, with Yildiz and Cambiaso, with Vlahovic’s initial ailments and Chiesa’s constant injuries, bringing out the best in each of his players, goes even beyond victories. It is, as we were saying, a small, great miracle. Which on Sunday evening at San Siro could fade a little, or find new strength to believe in it.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED