It was another season of Serie A dominance for Juventus, as they extended their Scudetto streak to eight without breaking a sweat.
Rarely troubled in Serie A, the Bianconeri had the title sewn up by Spring and it allowed them to focus on the holy grail of the Champions League. Summer addition Cristiano Ronaldo was expected to lead Juventus to the elusive continental triumph, but a shock quarter-final defeat to Ajax, followed by defeat in the Coppa Italia Semi-Final, meant even the Scudetto couldn’t mask an underwhelming campaign.
With a season that promised so much, a failure to make any headway on the continental stage could see a complete overhaul at the Allianz Stadium, as coach Massimiliano Allegri heads for the exit. The record books will show another league title, but this was hardly a vintage.
Player of the Season: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar added a new level of glitz and glamour to Serie A upon his arrival from Real Madrid last summer and ended the campaign as Juventus’ top scorer.
After a slow start by his own incredible standards, going three matches before breaking his duck, the 34-year-old helped Juventus lift the Scudetto at a canter by firing in 21 goals and laying on 11 assists.
Indeed, his consistency up front ensured the void left by an out-of-sorts Paulo Dybala was not felt, although the Argentine may cite his new teammate as the reason why he failed to perform. Regardless, Ronaldo added another league title to his bulging trophy cabinet.
Best Signing: Joao Cancelo
Aside from Ronaldo, Juventus’ best piece of business was to bring in compatriot Joao Cancelo from Valencia to provide an attacking threat from right-back.
Having impressed for Inter last season, the Bianconeri stole a march on their rivals to land him and were duly rewarded with consistency and five assists from the back.
The Coach: Massimiliano Allegri
Another season, another Scudetto for Massimiliano Allegri, who takes his tally to six. However, cracks were starting to show in his relationship with the club and another European failure proved to be the beginning of the end.
Allegri leaves Juventus with 11 trophies to his name and proved once more that he is a mastermind of domestic dominance, but his failure to challenge for the Champions League leaves a blot against his record.
Memorable Moment
An opening day trip to Chievo was supposed to herald a new era at the club, with Cristiano Ronaldo making his debut in a Bianconeri shirt.
Such was the buzz surrounding his arrival saw a rush for tickets, sold at a hiked up price, and almost completely sold-out Stadio Bentegodi, whilst the world’s press descended on Verona for a look at the Portuguese in his new colours. The Ronaldo circus had truly hit Serie A.
The Bad
With seven consecutive Scudetti in the bag and an eighth looking like a formality, Juventus’ season hinged on a push for the Champions League, with Ronaldo brought in to deliver just that.
Having completed a stunning comeback against Atletico Madrid in the previous round, the Bianconeri were sent tumbling out at the Quarter-Finals by Ajax and instantly souring an otherwise successful season. Lacking the fight of their Dutch opponents, a home defeat spelled the end for Allegri and extended their drought to 24 years.
