AC Milan humiliation leaves Ronaldo and Juventus on the brink of missing Champions League football
After nine consecutive Serie A titles, Juventus have finally been dethroned as champions of Italy by Inter Milan.
Antonio Conte’s side won the league last week, preventing the Bianconeri from securing their 10th successive league title.
As humiliating as it is for Juventus fans to watch Inter Milan win the league with four games to spare, the Old Lady’s position on the table has compounded their woes.
Andrea Pirlo arrived with so much promise at the start of the season, but, as it stands, Juventus are on the brink of missing out on next season’s Champions League.
From bad to worse for Juventus
The Juventus hierarchy have made massive investments in recent years to take the team to the next level.
After continuous domination of the Italian top flight, Cristiano Ronaldo's signing was supposed to propel the team to European success.
However, the project has failed to yield fruition thus far. In their most recent game, Juventus were beaten 3-0 by AC Milan on Sunday.
The heavy defeat was the final straw in a season that has been disastrous, especially considering the team's early exit from the Champions League at the hands of Porto.
Juventus risk missing out of Champions League
With just three matches to the end of the season, Juventus currently find themselves in fifth, outside of the Champions League places.
For a club that started the season as defending champions, it’s disappointing that they now face the genuine possibility of dropping into the Europa League next season.
Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo has faced criticism from fans and pundits alike. There have been calls for the Italian coach to resign from his role. Responding to these sentiments, Pirlo asserted:
“Resign? No, I won’t step aside. I took this role with a great deal of enthusiasm amid certain difficulties. I am at the disposal of the club, there are still three games to go, so I will continue doing my work as long as I am allowed to.”
Speaking about his shortcomings with the team, he said:
“It’s not that this team is resistant to change, but if you have some things in your mind and they become more difficult with certain players. If I cannot get the best out of these players, that is my fault and I certainly need to do better.
“If something didn’t go right, I take responsibility. This squad is made up of great players, clearly something did not work.”
It has been a poor season for the Bianconeri and pressure is mounting on Pirlo. If anything, recent results suggest the former midfield maestro is unqualified for the job and Juventus would fare better if they cut their losses on him.