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Juve needs more to conquer Europe: Allegri

April 21, 2019
Juventus’ coach Massimiliano Allegri (R) embraces Cristiano Ronaldo, both with their head covered in foam, after Juventus secured its 8th consecutive Italian 2018/19 “Scudetto” Serie A championship, after winning the Italian Serie A match against Fiorentina at the Juventus Stadium in Turin Saturday. — AFP
Juventus’ coach Massimiliano Allegri (R) embraces Cristiano Ronaldo, both with their head covered in foam, after Juventus secured its 8th consecutive Italian 2018/19 “Scudetto” Serie A championship, after winning the Italian Serie A match against Fiorentina at the Juventus Stadium in Turin Saturday. — AFP

Ronaldo committed to staying

MILAN — Massimiliano Allegri insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo was the future of Juventus and the Portuguese superstar said he was “1,000 percent committed to staying” but despite sealing an eighth consecutive Serie A title the Turin giants need to find more if they want to conquer Europe next season.

Allegri’s side claimed an eighth consecutive Scudetto — the 35th in its history — Saturday to help ease some of the pain of its shock Champions League quarterfinal exit at the Juventus Stadium to Ajax Tuesday.

A come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fiorentina was enough to give Juventus a 20-point lead on nearest rival Napoli with five games to play.

“The exit from the Champions League hurts, but this title says it all about what we managed to do — eighth in a row with five games to spare,” said Allegri.

“Now let’s enjoy the party, then I’ll meet club management and we’ll talk and analyze what didn’t work this season.”

The Italian club has overtaken French club Lyon for the record of consecutive victories in the top five European leagues.

But again it has been unable to turn its domestic domination to Europe, winning its last Champions League title in 1996 and losing five finals since.

The club spent 100 million euros ($117 million) on five-time Champions League winner Ronaldo last summer, hailing the 34-year-old record goal scorer as the missing piece in their jigsaw.

But this season it won less than the previous campaign, lifting Serie A and the Italian SuperCup but ending its four-year Coppa Italia reign.

Juventus has lost only two matches, against Genoa on March 17 and SPAL last weekend, when it could have won the title with a record six games to spare.

The Juventus coach estimated that the title had been in the bag since Feb. 2 when Paulo Dybala scored the only goal in a win over Bologna.

“That success was crucial because it came at a delicate moment, caught between the challenge with Atletico Madrid and the direct clash of Naples,” said Allegri.

The 51-year-old blamed “too many injuries and unforeseen events” and the players being unable to react to setbacks.

In recent weeks the club has been hit by injuries to Dybala, defender Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic, and Douglas Costa.

The challenge next season for Allegri will be to find the right cast for Ronaldo.

He scored six goals in the Champions League to bring his record tally to 126, including an incredible hat trick against Atletico Madrid that lifted it into the quarterfinals, and is its leading scorer in Serie A with 19.

Dybala, its top Serie A scorer last season with 22 goals, was overshadowed by Ronaldo scoring just five this campaign, with teenager Moise Kean bursting through during the Portuguese star’s injury absence.

But while the forward line looks healthy the problems lie elsewhere.

Can, Blaise Matuidi and Miralem Pjanic came up short often midfield, with the defense was at times leaky with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saving them from a heavier defeat against Ajax.

Defender Chiellini, 34, is at the end of his playing career with Andrea Barzagli, 37, retiring at the end of the season.

Allegri, who took over in the 2014-2015 season, and has won 11 trophies, insists there won’t be a revolution.

“There’s no point enacting a revolution,” said the Tuscan.

“We have to improve the quality of our football and learn how to deal with unexpected events better, because those moments can change a tournament.

“I might try a few players in different roles. Paulo Dybala had a good season, especially up until January, because it was not easy to play along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic. Clearly, with Ronaldo by your side, you will play differently.”

Arsenal’s Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey will arrive next summer while the club has also been targeting Ajax defender Matthijs De Ligt.

Juventus’s final five matches will give Allegri plenty of room to experiment against Inter Milan, Torino, Roma, Atalanta and Sampdoria.

The battle for European football next season remains tight with just four points separating AC Milan in fourth and Lazio in eighth.

AC Milan was held 1-1 at Parma, with Roma, in fifth, missing a chance to move up after a 1-1 draw at Inter Milan.

Inter is third six points behind Napoli.

Lazio’s European hopes took a knock with a 2-1 defeat to relegated Chievo. — AFP


April 21, 2019
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