Juventus: Sack Allegri, hire Tuchel!

Carlo Garganese

• 13 Sep 2022 04:30 CDT
• 6 min read

All the talk around Juventus over the past 36 hours has been dominated by the VAR scandal that overshadowed Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Salernitana.

Deep into injury time of that game, substitute Arek Milik thought he had won all three points as he nodded in from a corner.

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However, the goal was then overturned by VAR for offside against Leonardo Bonucci, who was deemed to be interfering with play from an illegal position.

All hell broke lose with a giant melee and three players – plus Juventus coach Max Allegri – sent off.

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But the worst was still to come as just minutes after full-time, images and video emerged on Sky Italia that showed that Salernitana winger Antonio Candreva – who was out of shot on the VAR image – was playing Bonucci miles onside. The goal should have stood. It was – as Sky broadcaster Fabio Caressa described it – “the worst ever error in the VAR era”.

A war has since broke out discussing just how such a huge mistake could have been made, which has cost Juventus two crucial points.

However, this whole embarrassing episode threatens to mask a much bigger problem at Juventus – the fact that the club and their manager Allegri are in complete crisis.

The Bianconeri had once again been dreadful throughout the draw with Salernitana.

They trailed 2-0 at half-time and were outplayed for long stretches by a team who had never scored a goal in Turin in their entire history and who ended last season with a -45 goal difference.

Allegri a disaster at Juventus

Juventus now only have one win in their last six games – and just two wins in their last 11 games dating back to the end of last season.

Allegri has been an unmitigated disaster during his second spell at Juventus, since returning in the summer 2021.

The Italian was supposed to be the returning hero – having won five straight Scudetti in his first spell between 2014 and 2019 – to rescue the club after they finished a dismal fourth under novice Andrea Pirlo last season.

But despite the fact that Allegri is on a four-year contract worth €9 million a year, compared to Pirlo’s €1.5m, the current boss has performed even worse than the much-maligned World Cup winner.

He struggled to fourth place last season, earning eight points less than Pirlo and winning no trophies – Juve’s first trophyless campaign in 11 years.

Like Pirlo, he was also knocked out in the Champions League last-16, humiliated 3-0 at home in the second leg by Villarreal.

Going into Wednesday’s Champions League home clash against Benfica, Juventus are already at risk of elimination.

They lost 2-1 in matchday one to PSG, another defeat to a Benfica team that have won eleven games out of 11 this season would see them fall six points outside the qualification places.

If Juve do lose, one would think that Allegri’s position surely becomes untenable.

Allegri has already long since lost the Juventus fanbase, who are fed up not only with the poor results (they are eighth in Serie A currently) but even more by his dire brand of football.

Pound for pound, Juventus play the most unwatchable football in all of Europe.

There have been no improvements at all since Allegri returned, either collectively or individually. Juventus play a dour brand of largely counter-attack football that has next to no cohesion, chemistry, creativity or identity. There are no patterns of play, no multi-passing moves, very little pressing, counter-pressing or progressive football.

It is all rather outdated with Allegri playing the same football that was already seen as too old-fashioned and rigid back in his final two seasons of his first spell, leading to his sacking in 2019.

He returned after two years out of the game, during which football has changed inexorably, to play exactly the same style of football.

It is no surprise that Allegri has earned the nickname of ‘Dinosaur’ with many Juventus fans, nor is it a surprise that the hashtag #AllegriOut has trended numerous times in recent weeks on social media.

Sacking Allegri seems like the smart thing to do for Juventus president Andrea Agnelli.

There is a world-class coach in Thomas Tuchel who has just become available after his own sacking from Chelsea last week.

Tuchel has been criticised for being too pragmatic himself by Chelsea fans but that is a bit unfair and Juventus simply can’t miss this opportunity to get a man who inspired the Blues to Champions League glory just over a year ago.

The German utilises a three-man backline, which would appear to suit Juventus’ current squad of players – and there is no reason why he couldn’t immediately have the same kind of impact on the Bianconeri that he did when replacing Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January 2021.

However, Juventus rarely sack managers mid-season, with the last time being 12 years ago.

Sacking Allegri would also reflect badly on Agnelli, who was the man behind his return. Agnelli’s own position is under intense pressure and this admittance of failure could have repercussions on him. This could convince him to give Allegri more time, in the blind hope that things will improve.

There is also the economic angle, as Juventus would have to pay off Allegri over two and a half years of his €36m contract plus taxes.

For a club that is set to register €240m in losses on its next financial statement, they can barely afford to pay this.

Yet it may prove to be even more expensive to keep Allegri. If they exit the Champions League group stage – and potentially even fail to qualify for next year’s Champions League – the cost will be even greater.

It’s time to sack Allegri and hire Tuchel.