Decade of Domination 8 : Juventus
Taking a Look at that Nine-Year Spell of Invincibility — 2018/19
Nine years of success that had all other Serie A clubs as livid as Germano Mosconi after the third take.
How did Juventus orchestrate their historic winning streak?
This is Part 8 (of 10) on 2018/19. Click here to read from the beginning (2011/12)
Warning : This content may harm Inter, Milan, Roma and Napoli fans.
2018/19 : Arrivederci Gigi, Bem Vindo Cristiano
Juventus declared war on Europe. Max Allegri’s first battle was an assault on his club’s fiercest continental rival of recent times, Real Madrid. La Vecchia Signora and her elite units were convinced that signing Cristiano Ronaldo would be the catalyst to finally conquer the UEFA Champions League.
Arguably the world’s best footballer, Ronaldo had won the European Championship in 2016 with Portugal, as well as four UEFA Champions League titles with Los Merengues during his nine-year stint in the Spanish capital.
This would be the first season, since the beginning of the millennium, where Gigi Buffon wouldn’t wear the black and white shirt. After seventeen seasons, the former FIFA World Cup winner had transferred to French giants, Paris Saint Germain, and therefore would miss out on breaking Paolo Maldini’s record for most games played in Serie A.
In a bid to boost Juve’s chances of winning their first European trophy since 1996, Beppe Marotta had struck a €112 million transfer deal to bring Ronaldo to Turin. After scoring 30 goals or more in 9 consecutive seasons for Real Madrid — winning four Gold Balls and three Gold Boots in the process — El Bicho declared that he was ready for a new challenge.
“The time has come to open a new stage in my life, that’s why I asked the club to accept transferring me”
This would be the highest ever transfer to an Italian club, breaking Juve’s previous big-spending record of €90 million in 2016/17 for Gonzalo Higuain.
Meanwhile, after a mediocre maiden season at Milan, Leonardo Bonucci wanted back in. The prodigal son had requested a return to winning ways.
However, Juventini tifosi had not forgotten the defender’s audacious goal celebration just months earlier when Milan visited Allianz Stadium. Bonucci headed home the equaliser for il Diavolo and slid to his knees to celebrate emphatically alongside his Rossoneri teammates in front of the Juve Ultras.
The Transfers Out : Gianluigi Buffon (PSG), Gonzalo Higuain (Milan), Stephane Lichtsteiner (Arsenal), Claudio Marchisio (Zenit), Kwadwo Asamoah (Inter), Mattia Caldara (Milan), Stefano Sturaro (Sporting Lisbon), Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke 04), Mehdi Benatia (Al-Duhail)
The Transfers In : Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Leonardo Bonucci (Milan), João Cancelo (Valencia), Emre Can (Liverpool), Leonardo Spinazzola (Atalanta), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Moise Kean (Verona), Martin Caceres (Lazio)
Besides Buffon, Juventus’ successful seven seasons from 2011–2018 were heavily reliant upon the tireless efforts of Claudio Marchisio and Stephane Lichtsteiner, who were both transferred out to make way for the arrival of Emre Can and João Cancelo.
Marchisio, who’d debuted for Juventus in Serie B, left for the Russian Premier League after 389 games and 37 goals over 11 seasons. Lichtsteiner, lured to Turin by Antonio Conte in 2011, played 257 times and scored 15 goals for Juventus. Both exited with seven Scudetti each while Buffon departed with nineteen pieces of silverware in total.
Juventus had evidently lost three crucial parts of its identity, but they say that change happens every seven years. Cristiano Ronaldo was now the focal point in attack as Gonzalo Higuain was sent to Milan on loan after signing for the Bianconeri just two years earlier.
With critics gagging for failure, Ronaldo took 320 minutes to break his Serie A goal scoring duck — a welcome gift tap in from a Sassuolo defensive error — however the ex-Manchester United legend evolved to become the club’s capocannoniere, ending the domestic campaign with 21 strikes.
Max Allegri’s tactical flexibility was displayed yet again, interchanging between 4–2–3–1 and 4–3–3 formations, with the occasional 3–5–2, as Federico Bernadeschi, Rodrigo Bentancur, João Cancelo and Wojciech Szczesny matured into regular starting roles.
The remodelling of the side was a huge success, the new-look Juve remaining undefeated until Match Day 28 when l’ex Stefano Sturaro — making his debut with Genoa — sunk his former club with a 72nd-minute strike, the first of only four losses for La Vecchia Signora.
Napoli was the title contender once again. However, Juve won its 35th title in a canter with six rounds to spare. Now able to focus on the cup competitions, Allegri granted valuable playing time to Moise Kean, who responded by scoring the winner against Milan.
Key Contributor : Ronaldo 21 goals and 8 assists, playing the most minutes out of every squad player.
Best Winning Streak : 8 games. 27 game undefeated streak.
Biggest Win : Juventus 4 (Kean 2, Can, Matuidi) v Udinese 1 (Lasagna)
Leading Serie A Goal Scorers 2018/19 : 21 Ronaldo, 9 Mandžukić, 6 Kean, 5 Dybala, 4 Can, 3 Bonucci and Matuidi, 2 Pjanić and Bernadeschi
Coppa Italia 2018/19
Juve’s record-breaking Italian Cup run came to an end after winning the domestic title for three consecutive years.
The defending champion toiled to defeat Bologna in the Round of 16. Federico Bernadeschi took advantage of a collision between Rossoblu goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa and defender Arturo Calabresi to slot into an empty net. Moise Kean finished off the job, poking home a fortuitous rebound to seal a 0–2 away win.
Juventus came unstuck against a rampant, enthusiastic Atalanta side in the Quarter Final. Timothy Castagne dispossessed the overconfident João Cancelo to caress his effort in at the far post for 1–0.
Duvan Zapata doubled the lead with a stunning turn and drive into the corner just two minutes later. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men were in the ascendancy and held a two-nil lead at the interval.
Atalanta withstood a second half wave of attacks as Allegri went gung-ho, only for Zapata to deliver the killer blow, intercepting a Mattia De Sciglio back pass and slotting into the open goal for his 86th-minute brace and a famous 3–0 win for La Dea.
The unexpectedly sizeable loss was the Old Lady’s heaviest defeat of the season across all competitions, and it was the first time they’d suffered a three-goal beating since the previous campaign’s quarter final loss to Real Madrid.
UEFA Champions League 2018/19
The stage was set for a mouth-watering tussle between Cristiano Ronaldo and former club, Manchester United, in the group stage. However, on Match Day 1, Juve’s hundred million euro man had copped a first-half red card against Valencia, prompting Miralem Pjanić and Paolo Dybala to grab the reins.
The Bosnian midfielder scored twice to overpower Los Murciélagos, followed by a Dybala hat trick against Young Boys, propelling the Bianconeri to the top of the group.
Ronaldo returned from suspension in time for both of the matches against the Red Devils. Paolo Dybala was the saviour away at Old Trafford as Juventus laboured to a 0–1 away win courtesy of the Argentine’s left-foot finish.
In the return game, Jose Mourinho stole the show away from his countryman. CR7 volleyed home with precision from Bonucci’s lobbed pass but the Manchester United coach had the (controversial) last laugh, taunting the fans at Allianz Stadium when his side came back to win 1–2.
Juventus topped the group and was drawn to face Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16. Finally, Ronaldo would deliver on the European stage — his heroics overturning a two-goal defeat suffered in Spain — with his second leg hat trick, scored in front of 41,000 raging Juventini, to scrape through 3–2.
As heavy favourites to overcome an inexperienced Ajax side, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner hit the back of the net in Amsterdam during the first leg of the quarter-final, heading past André Onana to advance his side to a 2–1 aggregate lead in the 28th minute of the second leg.
Ajax coach, Erik ten Hag, then fearlessly instructed his young lineup to go for the jugular. Szczesny was forced into making some miraculous saves but couldn’t keep out Donny Van de Beek’s slick equaliser for 1–1.
Matthijs de Ligt fired the missile that effectively sunk the HMS Allegri, heading in from a corner at the far post, celebrating wildly in front of the Juve faithful — just as Leonardo Bonucci had done during the previous season.
For the second consecutive term, Juventus was eliminated at the quarter-final phase, losing 2–3 on aggregate. Despite acquiring the best available attacker on the planet, Ronaldo’s presence simply wasn’t enough to clasp the trophy that had eluded them for so long.
Conclusion
There was nobody else left to blame. The steady flow of Champions League failure infuriated Her Majesty Vecchia Signora, her most loyal supporters had turned on their five-time winning coach.
Max Allegri, after five successful seasons which saw multiple domestic records eclipsed, was notified that he would no longer be the coach.
Fabio Paratici, who’d replaced the Beppe Marotta as Sporting Director in December, continued the club strategy of targeting players which had caused them pain on the European stage. Therefore, promising Ajax defender, Matthijs de Ligt, was short-listed for the upcoming transfer window, along with a coach that possessed the Wow Factor.
Allegri departed with his reputation intact, winning 70.48% of 271 matches and overseeing 511 goals scored. Not so bad when compared to Luigi Del Neri (40%) and Alberto Zaccheroni (38.1%) — the latter going down as the club’s second-worst performing mister — ahead of Sandro Puppo (24.19% from 1955–1957).
Paolo Dybala suffered in silence throughout Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut season, the Argentine scoring 16 goals less than he did in 2017/18. Douglas Costa, who had provided 12 assists last term, was only given 619 minutes for the Serie A season and comprehensively failed to create a single goal.
After a slow and steady start, Ronaldo adapted well and progressed on an individual level. However, Juventus‘ team dynamic had somewhat diminished.
Max Allegri, greeted by angry fans with eggs upon his arrival to Turin, delivered 5 Scudetti, 4 Italian Cups, 2 Super Cups while guiding Juventus to a Champions League final. Alas, this would not suffice.
Responsible for over half of Juve’s recent decade of domination, Allegri goes down as the third most successful Juventus coach in history (11 trophies) behind Marcello Lippi (13) and Giovanni Trapattoni (14).
It was time to roll the dice, tactically, and push for the ultimate prize. Ronaldo’s talents need to be exploited at the highest level, and Juve required a coach that could inspire the team to play attractive football around their record signing.
Part 9 out soon.
David Ferrini on Twitter https://twitter.com/davidferrini_
David Ferrini on the web : www.davidferrini.com
