Allegri’s Juve between present and future | the Journal comment

From the Old Lady to Juventus – to youth, the word is enough – the step was so short and so lightning-fast that it ended up catching everyone a bit unprepared. Yes, because once upon a time – other times and other football – when black and white was synonymous with great players, in the sense of champions and champions, and for this reason often also great players, with a lowercase g. In the sense of already established people, in the midst of maturity, with a CV to fill a business card and a consolidated future behind them. A border point, or perhaps a breaking point, which at Juve was ultimately represented by Cristiano Ronaldo, the prototype of the myth, to be chased with millions of euros, to try to build a dream. The dream of the Champions League. Yes, that Champions League, understood not however as a trophy to be lifted but only as an area to be occupied with one of the top four places, which Allegri has claimed – without managing to completely make inroads – from the beginning of the season as a primary, essential and fundamental goal . To give the club back a legitimate European dimension, to let the company’s coffers breathe and continue to sow in that direction that was traced years ago. At the moment, precisely, of giving up Ronaldo.

Yes, because the Old Lady, even the one with the nine fantastic championships, left room for Juventus-youth, with its green project, which paradoxically ended up paying the price for the amazing journey on which it accompanied Inter for more half a championship. The idea of ​​a championship that wasn’t and – can we say? – perhaps it couldn’t have actually been in the plans. Of course, the real Juve was probably not that one – capable of keeping up with more competitive opponents, even more so after losing Pogba and Fagioli at the start – and it’s not even the one of the last eight matchdays that has put together a paltry seven points. A swing to drive optimists and pessimists crazy, busy on a roller coaster.

Juve, as we were saying, is a middle ground – perhaps the one that the ranking certifies now, with a third place to defend – but with an objective, a perspective that should make them gain several positions in consideration. Because – and here we return to Juventus, with all its meaning – the clear sensation, indeed an almost objective reality, is that in any case the Bianconeri have laid the foundations for redemption, well in advance of much of the competition. Continuing to spend if necessary, and spend a lot – as could happen in the summer with a couple of cover shots and above all as happened with Vlahovic – but always looking at the registry office. A sort of trailblazer – a symbol – of a work that will have to mature within a few seasons. Because never before have the Juventus boys imposed themselves as much as this year – at home and around Italy. Allegri gave trust and space to Miretti, Iling Junior, Nicolussi Caviglia, Yildiz, to name just a few names. Who have had an enormous, already high-ranking experience.

Players such as Huijsen, Soulé, Kaio Jorge will return to the base next season – fresh from positive formative experiences; he will legitimately take back scene one like Fagioli; not to mention that there are many, from De Winter to the very young Nonge Boende, waiting to be definitively put on the launch pad. The latter, Nonge Boende, is described as a thoroughbred, destined to be talked about. Meanwhile Montero did it, even comparing him to Davids. A perhaps challenging parallel, but one that explains in one joke the expectations that the club places on him. And on a project – this is indeed a project – that Juve has designed in recent seasons. And which he entrusted to Massimiliano Allegri, considered by definition a manager of already established players, but who in his second Juventus experience had the merit of helping a couple of generations grow, in the wake of a historian who still belongs to him. Because from Nainggolan to El Shaarawy, and we could mention many others, there are quite a few who have to thank him for their baptism into great football. But this is the past and here we talk about the future. Of a future that, however, has already begun at Juve.