Disciplinarian Allegri gets credit he deserves as Juventus eye CL glory
rome — There was widespread anguish among Juventus fans in 2014 when coach Antonio Conte was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri, who had been fired by AC Milan just a few months previously.
But Allegri guided the team to its first Champions League final in 12 years in his first campaign and the Bianconeri have won league and cup doubles in all three of the seasons he has been in charge.
Now he is bidding to lead the famous Italian club to its first European title in more than two decades when Juventus takes on defending champion Real Madrid in Saturday’s final in Cardiff, Wales.
Conte famously bemoaned the difference between his team and the top European clubs when, in his last season, he said: “When you sit in a restaurant where a meal costs 100 euros, you can’t think about eating with just 10 euros.”
But it was with more or less the same squad that Juventus reached the final the following year and it has continued to grow under Allegri.
Like Conte, Allegri is a strict disciplinarian and has instilled in his players an unwavering focus and a duty to never drop their guard.
Just as in 2015, Juventus is now seeking a possible treble and it will be hoping for a different outcome than that night two years ago in Berlin, where Barcelona won 3-1.
The team has matured since then and after an impressive quarterfinal victory over Barcelona, it dug deep against Monaco to reach the final and has not been allowed to relax.
“Allegri is a very intelligent coach,” Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira said. “He has the ability to keep us always focused on the game to come, even after nights like Monaco. He always finds the right solutions and substitutions, knows how to read the game and understands what’s happening in various moments of the match.