After a rabid change, Juventus Turin is currently on track. Unexpected hopes are an ex-Schalker and an ex-Frankfurt.
Juventus Turin has the self-image to become an Italian football champion every year and to get to the final in the Champions League if possible. The “old lady” has been far from both in recent years and is currently too. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at the exciting squad of the Italians before the second leg in the Champions League playoffs at PSV Eindhoven (Wednesday, 9 p.m., live ticker on Sportschau.de).
There is no striking: only three players have already exceeded the age mark of 30 years: The two substitute goalkeeper Mattia Perin (32) and Carlo PinSoglio (34) and attacker Arkadiusz Milik (30), who has not played a game this season due to injury and anyway Rather joker than a regular player.
The second youngest team in the league
According to relegation candidate Parma Calcio, Juve has the slightest average age per game of all series teams: 24.3 years. For comparison: The second place in the table Inter Milan is the oldest team (29 years), leader SSC Naples the second oldest (28.1 years).
The lack of experience is a possible reason that Juventus is not at the forefront in the league this year. There was only a defeat in 25 season games – the 1-2 against league leader Naples at the end of January, but more than more draws (13) as victories (11). It is inevitable that Thiago Motta (42 years) in his first season as a Juve trainer is criticized.
Juventus Turin’s trainer Thiago Motta
Small winning streak
But the mood is currently increasing. Turin won four competitive games in a row, including the youngest league duel with Inter Milan (1-0) and the playoff first leg in the Champions League against Eindhoven (2: 1). In the league, Juve climbed in fourth place and in the premier class there are the chances of moving into the round of 16.
This is not a matter of course if you look at the extent of the upheaval of the past few months. The club had 22 departures in the summer of 2024. This included ten players who had previously been loaned, but also experienced professionals such as Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Filip Kostic, Adrien Rabiot, Daniele Rugani and Alex Sandro.
Danilo – the captain is also gone
In winter, the club then gave Danilo (33) towards Brazil – it was not only captain, but also record players in the squad with 213 missions. Paul Pogba will not return to the team after his doping lock on March 13th.
Juventus has invested a lot in the new squad, but the team has to grow together. New hope is the expensive purchases Teun Koopmeiners (26, from Atalanta Bergamo), Douglas Luiz (26, from Aston Villa) and Khéphren Thuram (23, from OGC Nizza). Nico Gonzalez (26, AC Florence) and Francisco Conceicao (22, FC Porto) have been loan since the summer.
Kolo Muani comes from Paris
After the unbeaten, but because of the many draws that have been growing, Renato Veiga (21, FC Chelsea), Lloyd Kelly (26, Newcastle United) and above all Randal Kolo Muani (26, Paris Saint-Germain) followed in winter.
Randal Kolo Muani by Juventus Turin in a duel with Ryan Flamingo
Trainer Motta now has the task of forming a load -bearing building from the many building blocks. He tried a lot, the young German-Turken Kenan Yildiz (19), which was trained at Bayern, sometimes left, sometimes on the right, sometimes centrally, playmaker Koopmeiner’s sometimes more offensive, sometimes more defensive. To what extent this has promoted the form of the two is much discussed.
Comeback from Weston McKennie
The Weston McKennie personnel is also interesting: the American and former Schalke should go in summer, but has recaptured a regular place in December. He convinced as a temporary foreign defender and was recently allowed to start in the offensive midfield at the four games won. He was even captain against Inter.
An important piece of the puzzle is also Kolo Muani. The former attacker of Eintracht Frankfurt scored five goals in his first four games for Juve. The most successful goal scorer of the season, Dusan Vlahovic (13 competitive goals) is victim – he has lost his regular place for the time being.
The beginning of a new era?
If Motta actually mastered the upheaval, this would be his masterpiece in his young coaching career. And Juventus could dream of a new era in view of the young squad, (not so) old times. In the 2010s, Juventus celebrated the Italian championship nine times in a row – that is the yardstick.