Massimiliano Allegri first arrived at Juventus after Antonio Conte left the club back in 2014, following disagreements about transfer policy, with the ex-Bianconeri midfielder famously stating just after winning the Scudetto ‘you can’t sit at the €100 restaurant thinking to spend €10.’
Allegri obviously proved that statement wrong as he took those exact same players to the Champions League final against Barcelona one year later, managing to take Juventus to another level of international recognition, especially given the last time they lifted Europe’s top prize was way back in 1996.
However, when Allegri first arrived at the Allianz Stadium, Juve supporters weren’t completely thrilled about it. Granted, he had won the Scudetto with AC Milan in his first season at the club but after that, Milan’s performance began to decline year after year, though it can be argued this was not the fault of their coach. Nevertheless, poor results and a 4-3 defeat to Sassuolo led to his termination on January 13, 2014.
Needless to say, people were unsure if Allegri was the right man for the club when he signed with Juventus in July of the same year. Or if he would even be able to take Juve on the next level of success, let alone follow Conte’s footsteps on a domestic level.
But hindsight is a wonderful thing, and after five successful seasons with the Bianconeri winning five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia trophies and three Supercoppa Italiana titles as well as making it to two Champions League finals, Andrea Agnelli and the club felt that it was time for change.
Though he may be one of the club’s most successful ever coaches, both parties decided to part ways amicably after defeat in Europe’s premier club competition against Ajax somewhat spoiled another successful campaign. Completely dominant in Serie A, having the Scudetto wrapped up by mid-April, though in reality it was done and dusted by December, winning matches at a canter, it was that failure in the Champions League which left a sour taste and became the catalyst for change.
Only two other coaches have taken Juve to two Champions League finals – Marcelo Lippi and Giovanni Trapattoni – with the latter the only one to have lifted the trophy, in 1985 against Liverpool. Allegri also won the same number of Serie A titles as the former, and one less than Trap. So if honours is the benchmark, then Allegri is up their with the best of them.
Some criticised his playing style, his team selection and his willingness to play Mattia De Sciglio at every turn, but as president Andrea Agnelli said upon announcing the 51-year-old was to leave at the end of the season: “It was the most difficult [decision] I had to make during my time at Juventus.”
So what is Allegri’s legacy? Definitely that of a coach who presided over a unprecedented level of domestic dominance and took Juventus back to Europe’s top table, and almost to the pinnacle of it.
Simone Inzaghi, Maurizio Sarri, Mauricio Pochettino and even Pep Guardiola have been touted as successors, but one thing is for sure, whoever takes on the mantle will have a tough time replicating the consistent success Allgeri has had at the Allianz Stadium over the last five years.
