The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Juventus selected to battle MLS All-Stars
Prestigious, iconic Italian club has won its league 33 times.
MLS players will take on Italian giants Juventus in this summer’s All-Star game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of Atlanta United.
The game will be played Aug. 1
and will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be televised on ESPN and UniMas.
Juventus, based in Turin, is one of the world’s most prestigious clubs. Juve, known for its distinctive black-and-white striped jerseys, has won its league 33 times and the European Cup/Champions League twice.
“We welcome Juventus — one of the world’s iconic clubs — as our opponent for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “Our midseason showcase annually attracts the most prominent clubs in global soccer, and this year our All-Stars will face one of the
sport’s most historically successful teams. And we can’t think of a better city to host the game than in Atlanta, which due to the incredible success and popularity of Atlanta United, has rapidly captured the attention of the entire soccer world.”
Some of the world’s greatest players have suited up for the club, including current starters goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Giorgio Chiellini.
Michel Platini, Paolo Rossi, Dino Zoff, Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids, Filippo Inzaghi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero are just a few of the team’s former greats.
“We are happy to represent European football in this year’s MLS All-Star Game,” Juventus President Andrea Agnelli said in a statement from the league.
“It’s an opportunity to get closer to the passionate American soccer fans. For many years, Juventus has considered the United States and Canada as a crucial market for growing our presence as shown by the opening of our new academies and our digital strategy that has greatly expanded the possibility to connect with fans on this continent. The first team and the game, however, will be the main show that Juventus offers and we are proud to be in Atlanta.”
This will be Juventus’ first time participating in the All-Star game. Past opponents include Real Madrid, which won last year’s game in Chicago, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Roma, Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton, West Ham, Celtic, Fulham and Chivas.
Atlanta United’s Gerardo Martino will manage the MLS All-Star team.
The All-Star week will include a Futures game for up-and-coming MLS players. That group last year included Atlanta United’s Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin. The week will include fan activities.
Atlanta United season-ticket holders and fourpack owners will receive priority access to purchase tickets for the game. Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday on Ticketmaster.
Five facts about Juventus:
■ The club was founded in 1897 by a group of students;
■ It has several nicknames. The most popular in the U.S. may be “Bianconeri,” or The Black and Whites.
■ Its main rivals are Torino, which is also based in Turin, and Inter Milan.
■ Toronto star Sebastian Giovinco is a product of Juventus’ academy.
■ It has won 33 league titles, more than any club in Italy.