ALLEGRI STAYS
Italian’s agent says top Chelsea target won’t quit Juventus
THE prospect of Massimiliano Allegri becoming the next Chelsea manager is fading after his agent ruled out a move away from Juventus and the Italian champions prepared a new contract offer.
Allegri is one of the names on a shortlist to replace interim boss Guus Hiddink at the end of the season.
And the 48-year-old Italian made no secret of his admiration for English football and a desire to broaden his horizons after criticism during a poor start to his second season, months after losing in the Champions League final.
Allegri (below) resisted initial attempts by Juventus to extend his contract, which expires next year, although chief executive Beppe Marotta said on television on Sunday that talks will open in the next few weeks.
This was followed by comments from Giovanni Branchini, Allegri’s unofficial agent, since managers in Italy are not permitted to have official representatives.
‘Allegri is fine where he is,’ said Branchini, who went on to insist Juventus had grown to the level of Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona. ‘The difficulties at the start of the season were inevitable.’
Turin’s sports pages screamed ‘Allegri stays’, yesterday, which will strengthen the positions of Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone, also targeted by Chelsea in a recruitment process led by Marina Granovskaia, director and aide of owner Roman Abramovich.
The headlines had the desired effect of easing the clamour in Turin, where Juventus are preparing to take on Bayern Munich tonight in the first knockout round of the Champions League.
The same could not be said for Bayern, who arrived with outgoing boss Pep Guardiola dancing around questions about his move to Manchester City and pressure to lift the European Cup before his threeyear stay in Germany ends.
‘ This is not the time nor the place to talk about Man- chester City,’ said Guardiola. ‘I am not dependent on winning the Champions League. My time at Bayern Munich will have been amazing anyway.
‘I came to Germany with my family to learn a new language and culture and we are moving for another challenge. It has been a great experience.’
Others are less sure. Bayern were European champions when he arrived and many onlookers will not allow his tenure to be hailed a success if he cannot emulate popular predecessor Jupp Heynckes.
His first two European campaigns with Bayern promised much only to end at the semi-final stage, beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid and Barcelona.
They have delivered some fabulous football, including the 5-1 destruction of Arsenal in the group stage in November, but one slip will tarnish what was billed as a coup to land the world’s most in-demand coach.
Guardiola is more immediately concerned with injury problems in defence which leave him without a recognised centre half against a team he admits ‘may be the best in Europe from set-pieces’.
He might have also hoped for easier opposition in the last 16. After an indifferent start when they blew the chance of winning a Champions League group topped by Manchester City, the Italian champions have gathered momentum. They won 13 games in a row before a 0-0 draw at Bologna on Friday and are inspired by an urge to prove they have progressed since 2013, when they lost in the quarter-finals to Bayern, who went on to win the title at Wembley. ‘I’m convinced this Juventus has the potential to build a great future,’ said Gianluigi Buffon. ‘We have energy and young players and Mr Allegri has given us the certainty we needed.’