Michele Tossani reflects on the end of Massimiliano Allegri’s second stint as Juventus coach following his dismissal in the aftermath of his fifth Coppa Italia victory and considers the controversial coach’s legacy.
As the German philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche wrote in his Twilights of the Idols, “That which is called idol on the title-page is quite simply that which was called truth hitherto“.
This quote is perfectly applicable to the end of Massimiliano Allegri’s second stint as Juventus coach. In fact, despite the recent Coppa Italia triumph (that saw Allegri become the most awarded coach in Italian football when it comes to Coppa Italia victories with five), Allegri’s latest three-year run was a mess. It was, in summary, an epic fail.
When, three seasons ago, President Andrea Agnelli turned to his old friend Massimiliano to end the experimental tenures of Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo, the main idea for the Turin club was that the man who won five consecutive Scudetto between 2015 and 2019 (with another in 2011 with AC Milan) and led Juventus to two Champions League finals would be able to repeat that level of success at the second time of asking.
The new union between Allegri and his old club appeared, on the surface, to be a perfect one. But the world of football, Serie A and Juventus had moved on since 2019. The two year hiatus Allegri spent out of football in the span of time between his first and second Juventus gigs wasn’t useful for the man from Livorno.
Allegri went back to Juventus in 2021 as an out of date kind of coach. Allegri’s tactics remained linked to his old mantra “il calcio è semplice” (football is simple) in a period in which football is instead becoming much more complex.
At the same time, Juventus went through a transformation during Allegri’s second spell at the club. In fact, despite the selling of Cristiano Ronaldo late in the summer of 2021, the club’s politics remained to bring in big names such as Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Paul Pogba. It didn’t work, for many reasons. If his physical condition and off-field troubles can be brought into play in Pogba’s case (with no fault on Allegri) the clashes and the imperfect use of both Di Maria and Paredes have to be charged on their coach.
The same is true for other prominent Juventus’ players, such as Matthijs de Ligt and Federico Chiesa. Both had trouble flourishing in Allegri’s defensive-oriented style of play. Dusan Vlahovic too took time to adjust to the requests of his coach, barely giving the impression to have improved under Allegri’s tutelage.
The problem is that, other than looking aged in the eyes of many fans and media pundits, Allegri’s tactical approach wasn’t able to enhance his players. More and more, Allegri looks like a coach suited to lead players on the hype of their career and not young stars needing support to make the next step.
That also raised a sort of civil war in social circles with some juventini suggesting that Allegri is an old coach no longer suited to modern football and others calling into question the value of the roster at Allegri’s disposal.
To make matters worse, Allegri looked like a man left on his own. The person who brought Allegri back, Andrea Agnelli, was forced to resign following the notorious Prima Scandal. With his cousin John Elkann taking the reins, Juventus suddenly changed its politics. Big names were gone and the roster was filled with young, promising players such as Timothy Weah, Andrea Cambiaso, Weston McKennie and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia. Just Weah was an acquisition as the other three were brought back at Turin following spells on loan.
Add to this the fact that a new football director was introduced in the form of Cristiano Giuntoli, former architect of Luciano Spalletti’s championship-winning Napoli side. When, in January 2024, Giuntoli went to lure Carlos Alcaraz and Tiago Djalo rather than more experienced names that Allegri wanted (it was rumoured that the coach wanted Giacomo Bonaventura of Fiorentina) it became clear that a rift was forming between Allegri and the new board of directors.
That was all too evident the night Allegri won the Coppa Italia. The furious coach screamed at referee Rocchi, calling Giuntoli to stay away from the celebrating players and insulted Tuttosport editor Guido Vaciago. Clearly signs of a broken relationship between the coach and the wider Juventus environment.
But Allegri’s reaction in the final stages of the game was also the consequence of a coach who, notwithstanding the Juventus motto “vincere è l’unica cosa che conta” (winning is the only thing that counts) was on the verge of leaving the club with nothing.
In Allegri’s eyes, the Coppa Italia triumph sealed his legacy, turning in his favour the debate about his second spell at the club. Ultimately, however, his continuous mantra about the main goal for Juventus being a Champions League spot, was too low a bar for the juventini.
So, Allegri’s second tenure at Juventus ends badly.
For the club, it signals the end of an Era.