The start of the 2015-16 season marks 80 years since Juventus celebrated a fifth consecutive Serie A championship win as part of an era that would later come to be known as the Quinquennio d’Oro.
Several cycles of success have been built and sustained ever since, although this was the only previous occasion that the Old Lady had won more than two Scudetti in succession.
However, the current generation can finally now equal that record of five consecutive league title wins having embarked on another trophy-laden spell over the last four years.
No more was this success apparent than last season, as Juventus became the first Italian club to achieve a domestic double for a third time after claiming their tenth Coppa Italia with a 2-1 extra-time victory against Lazio.
The Turin giants also re-established themselves as a force in Europe, keeping five clean sheets on a nine-game unbeaten run to reach their first Champions League final since 2003 before suffering a 3-1 loss to Barcelona in Berlin.
But with the media, players and club hierarchy alike all claiming that the Bianconeri have began a new era after a summer of significant departures and arrivals, there are some doubts about whether they can continue their dominance this season.
Transfers
Long term planning has been central to their success since Andrea Agnelli was appointed as president and this strategy was evident as director general Beppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici began their summer transfer activity early.
Paulo Dybala was signed from Palermo for an initial fee of €32 million two days prior the Champions League final, while Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic soon arrived in the following days and weeks of June.
Extremely high-profile exits have since dominated the transfer window with Carlos Tevez getting his wish to return home to Boca Juniors granted, while Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal sought new adventures at New York City FC and Bayern Munich.
With all the major departures and arrivals taking place in Turin, Tuttosport has defined the 2015-16 season being “Year Zero” for the Bianconeri as they build a side that can have a future together for the next four to five years.
This has seen the average age of the squad reduced with Neto, Daniele Rugani and Simone Zaza replacing Marco Storari, Angelo Ogbonna, Simone Pepe and Fernando Llorente.
The Coach – Massimiliano Allegri
Rewarded with a one-year contract extension that will keep him tied to the Old Lady until 2017, the Tuscan tactician is now tasked of continuing the club’s winning cycle in his second season in charge.
Adapting his approach to suit the new arrivals will be essential and Allegri can even to turn to his own coaching app that is ambitiously aiming to “become a virtual meeting room for trainers of all levels and from all countries.”
‘Mr Allegri Tactics’ also offers nutritional, psychological and training advice, although it may need further refinement after Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira and Alvaro Morata all suffered muscular injuries during pre-season.
Season Expectations
Allegri may have been quick to warn after the 2-1 friendly win at Lechia Gdansk that Juventus will face many more challenges this season after their rivals all strengthened their squads.
But several of his players have since publicly spoken of their confidence that the Bianconeri can still build on the successes of last season as long as they continue to show the same commitment and hunger.
The spine of the side still remains the same with Claudio Marchisio and Leonardo Bonucci both signing contract extensions, but there are increased expectations on younger players such as Stefano Sturaro and Paul Pogba to become more decisive.
Pogba has more pressure than most after asking for the No.10 shirt left by Tevez, while there is a collective need to replace the goals of the Argentine after he managed at least 23 more than any other teammate over the last two seasons.
Mandzukic and Dybala both made an immediate impact by scoring in the 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana win over Lazio and they will have to maintain this momentum if Juventus are to succeed in Serie A and the Champions League.
No other side has finished as runners-up as many times in the history of the European competition after losing six finals, but their hopes of playing at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 28 2016 have been boosted by pot one seeding for the group phase draw.
Prediction
“Juve always win!” was the headline in the Corriere dello Sport the morning after they won a record seventh Supercoppa Italiana to silence some of those concerned about the changes at the club over the summer.
Whether this statement is repeated again throughout this season will depend on how well the Bianconeri continue to evolve under Allegri, but what is certain is that they are still a step ahead of their competition off the pitch.
Construction has started on a new headquarters, hotel and international school near the Juventus Stadium that will be collectively known as the J-Village and completed by 2017.
Expected Finish: 1st (NB: this is not necessarily Scott Orkney’s opinion but the average of our editors’ predictions.)
