- Juventus is one of the most successful clubs in the world, but the Old Lady’s dominance in Europe has declined
- Juventus’ approach has changed from being centred around the team to centring around Ronaldo
- The club has failed in training superstars from around the world to merge with young players from the academy
Juventus is one of the most successful clubs in the world, but its force has reduced. In a league where powerhouses from the Premier League and La Liga have had to take second place.
Juventus has distinguished itself as the only genuine contender for European honours.
After the contentious 2005–2006 Calciopoli scandal, the Old Lady lost the league championship to their bitter rivals Inter. The team continued to deteriorate until Antonio Conte took over as head coach for the 2011–12 season.
Conte highlighted the idea of perseverance and aimed to instil in the playing team a sense of pride in donning the renowned black and white stripes.
Federico Chiesa. Photo/Juventus
Juventus won three Serie A championships in a row while playing under extreme duress and with a strong defensive and tactical foundation before Conte left the team in 2014 due to conflicts with the transfer committee.
Champions Leagues exits
Elimination by Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola in the 2015–16 campaign and the 2018–19 season showed precisely how far behind the Old Lady was in strategy, thanks to Erik Ten Hag’s young Ajax team.
Additionally, Ajax and Bayern served as models for how superstars from around the world may merge with young players from the academy.
Something that Juventus had been unable to do ever since Claudio Marchisio’s deal with the team expired following the 2017–18 season.
Marotta’s resignation in 2018 delivered the club another setback in its efforts to become a venue where a manager or player may reach a significant turning point in their careers.
It became clear when they failed to persuade Mauricio Pochettino to assume leadership.
When he was unemployed in November 2019 following his dismissal from Tottenham Hotspur, given that Pochettino’s Spurs squad was ambitious, diligent, and included multiple players from the club’s academy, several fans viewed him as a manager in the Conte image.
The club returned to form and signed Allegri in an effort to deny a revitalised Inter the opportunity to claim the domestic top spot after the Andrea Pirlo plan failed.
Both their Champions League performance and return to the top of Serie A have not improved since Allegri’s arrival. But keeping up with the development of the European game is crucial if Juventus are to have any dreams of once again being a European dominant.
Ronaldo acquisition
Cristiano Ronaldo. PHOTO: Yahoo Finance
The club’s finances were helped by a makeover of the logo and a slew of new collaborations, which heralded the start of a new era for the organisation.
The globe and Europe were surprised by the mega acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo for almost £100 million. By acquiring one of the top scorers in the tournament, the club made no excuses about their quest for European glory.
The season he joined Juventus, according to reports. After yearly amortisation and gross wage expenditure, Ronaldo’s yearly cost to the club was €86 million, which made up 22% of the club’s overall earnings. Additionally, the club’s matchday earnings increased by 25% in his first season, which was a plus.
The article also discussed how the sponsorship revenue of the Juventus jersey increased from the previous €40 million to nearly €100 million.
If the investment and potential revenue were to transfer into on-pitch success, it would be justified. Instead, in Ronaldo’s three seasons in Turin, the Old Lady was denied European triumph.
The cost of keeping their top acquisition outweighed the necessity to restock the squad.
It is inaccurate to argue that Ronaldo was the only factor in the club’s decline in Europe; other systems were not operating at total capacity.
The rest of Europe has overtaken, outpaced, and outthought the Old Lady
At any point during a game or season, their pursuit of European success demonstrates their drive to win at all costs. Hard labour has been a pillar of the squad. Over time, a never-give-up mentality and unique talent helped them succeed.
These qualities were combined by Juventus under Conte with an explosive brand of game that destroyed opponents. Despite playing poorly, Allegri’s team was able to win games, and their progress in European form made the effort worthwhile.
However, clubs all over Europe were improving simultaneously by hiring younger managers with new perspectives, a hope of playing a vertical game based on pressing and possession, elevating talent from inside, and using data-driven recruiting to make better, longer-term acquisitions at a good value.
Juventus hold Inter Milan to earn spot in Coppa Italia final. PHOTO: Blackwhitereadallover
The Old Lady, on the other hand, stuck to what was familiar, depending on Giuseppe Marotta’s skill at locating talent around the world and getting them to Italy for nothing or at a very cheap cost.
The Marotta may be proud of the achievements of Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, Mario Mandzukic, Andrea Pirlo, and Paulo Dybala, among others.
Due to Allegri’s managerial prowess, he successfully incorporated them into a system. Due to this, they faced fierce competition from the domestic and European powerhouses.
Hunt for European success
While they have never lacked domestic success, since Marcelo Lippi’s squad won the Big Ears trophy in Rome back in 1996, Juventus had never experienced European success.
The following two seasons, that team participated in both Champions League championship games. However, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid ultimately came out on top.
Since then, under the direction of Massimiliano Allegri, the Old Lady has advanced to the finals in 2015 and 2018.
For a brief while, this propelled Juventus to be contenders locally and in Europe. After losing to Lyon, Ajax, and FC Porto, they haven’t advanced past the quarterfinals since.
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