Failure to win Europa League could spell DISASTER for Juventus
ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Failure to beat Sporting in the Europa League could spell DISASTER for Juventus. Missing out on the Champions League would see top talents leave, Massimiliano Allegri in the firing line and a revolution required
- Juventus face Sporting in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Thursday
- Europa League success is their best chance of Champions League qualification
- REVEALED: Leandro Paredes’ ‘heated argument’ with boss Massimiliano Allegri
Fail to win this season’s Europa League, and it could become very difficult for Juventus to hold onto many of their players heading into 2023- 24.
The prospects of the club’s top talent and coaching staff hang by a thin thread that could snap at any moment due to the weight of what is on the line in their match in Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final clash with Sporting.
Salernitana boss Paulo Sousa ravaged Juventus’ hope on Gazzetta dello Sport by heaping the praise onto the Portuguese side: ‘The Portuguese beat Arsenal, they can’t be afraid of the bianconeri’.
The impact of elimination would be truly devastating for Juventus and would force their hand with regards to many of their players, for example Adrien Rabiot, whose contract is up this summer.
Defeat to Sporting could prove a defining moment in the future of a club in turmoil, and dictate how they move forward.
Juventus are seventh in Serie A and winning the Europa League is their best chance to qualify for the Champions League
They will face a Sporting side that recently knocked Arsenal out after a penalty shoot-out in north London
Massimiliano Allegri is currently at risk of ending his second season in charge without picking up a single trophy. The only way for The Old Lady to end what has been a desperate year on an even remotely positive note is to negotiate the treacherous paths presented by the two remaining cup competitions they are competing in.
While victory in the Coppa Italia would represent domestic success, lifting the Europa League would end the club’s 27-year wait for a continental honour, having beaten Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final.
ALLEGRI FIRST IN THE FIRING LINE
Allegri’s future is the most at risk, despite the wages he is on at the Allianz Arena. The probability of his contract being mutually terminated is looking ever more likely, especially in the event the club are trumped by Sporting.
The Tuscan coach would have no problems finding a new team and would be in high demand on the international market.
In that case Juventus, as previously reported by Sportsmail, would likely look to recruit a former player, and Igor Tudor would be one of the main candidates, with the Croatian on the books in Turin from 1998-2007.
In Italy, according to Tuttosport, he is considered to be John Elkann’s preferred choise for the role, given how similar his approach is to that of Antonio Conte, while coming at a fraction of the price.
The likelihood of Massimiliano Allegri’s contract being mutually terminated is increasing
Marseille’s Igor Tudor is believed to be John Elkann’s preferred choice of successor
VLAHOVIC AND RABIOT
Dusan Vlahovic and Rabiot are perhaps the most valuable assets within the team, but there are doubts over their futures next season. Both are top players and as such have much higher ambitions for their careers moving forward.
Vlahovic is going through a rough patch and is seriously considering calling a close to his Juventus career after being constantly targeted by the fans on Instagram, which he recently decided to suspend.
The pressures of representing Juventus are much higher than those at Fiorentina, but this season his stats highlight how poor his form has been.
Eight goals in 20 appearances in Serie A are the numbers of a mediocre striker, and the Serbian is understandably keen to return to his status as one of the division’s leading stars, despite the tactical and technical problems of Allegri’s team.
In Rabiot, Juve have found a much-needed source of goals from midfield, with the Frenchman netting eight in 24 Serie A games, emphasising just how far he has come in recent months.
But his future is surely set to feature offers from Europe’s elite clubs, and the temptation to return to PSG is very strong after four up-and-down years in Italy.
As things stand there is only about a 10 per cent chance of the player renewing his contract at The Old Lady, and his departure would likely prove a huge loss to Juventus’ tactical and technical plans.
The idea of replacing him with Sassuolo’s Davide Frattesi exists but tactically it would not exactly be a like-for-like change – they are two different players, with their only shared trait lying in their physical attributes.
Adrien Rabiot has been one of the most improved players at the Allianz Arena and has scored eight goals in Serie A
Dusan Vlahovic has endured a mediocre season in Turin and has been frequently targeted by fans
WITHOUT EUROPE THERE WILL BE A REVOLUTION
How will Juventus be able to afford Wojciech Szczesny’s huge wages without the money Champions League brings? How can they continue to pay Allegri around £7million (€8m) over the next 2 years?
These are just two of the immediate financial issues at the heart of a club that is ultimately on the verge of economic implosion.
Winning the Europa League is the only available path to the Champions League next term, and Juve’s sole realistic chance of retaining the best players in the team.
European qualification would provide a much-needed breath of fresh air in the club’s pursuit to hold on to the likes of Vlahovic, Bremer, Rabiot, Filip Kostic and Arkadiusz Milik, on loan from Marseille with a £7m (€8m) option to buy.
The approximately £35m (€40m) the club would receive should they secure Champions League football next term, added to the £17.6m (€30m) expected for lifting the Europa League trophy, would provide a much-needed financial shot in the arm that would help the club improve its economic condition.
The club will likely struggle to pay Wojciech Szczesny’s wages without Champions League qualification money
Source: Read Full Article