Massimiliano Allegri's first Juventus XI: Where are they now?
Having left Juventus after a successful tenure, Massimiliano Allegri is back in the dugout as head-coach of the Old Lady. The Italian was announced as the club's manager for the second time, ahead of the 2021-22 season after a two-year hiatus.
In his 5 seasons in Turin, Allegri managed to record a mind-boggling win percentage of 70.48%, the highest in the history of Juventus. He also won an incredible amount of silverware to back up his numbers. During his reign, Juventus accumulated a total of 11 trophies. They reached two Champions League finals as well, but lost to Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.
Juventus have been on a downward trajectory ever since the 53-year-old Italian parted ways with the Bianconeri back in 2019. Both Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo were sacked after a solitary season, owing to their subpar performances.
Juventus under Allegri
Juventus conquered the Italian top-flight every single year under Allegri, stretching their consecutive Serie A title wins to eight seasons. The Italian helped build a dynasty at the Allianz Stadium that had never been witnessed before in modern-day Italian football.
The catastrophic fall of the two Milan giants initially stimulated Juventus' rise to prominence. But the domestic dominance shown by the Old Lady in the past decade remains unparalleled and was built almost entirely by Allegri and Antonio Conte.
The acclaimed Italian coach inherited a decent squad from his predecessor Conte in the 2014-15 season. Allegri majorly used two formations in the 57 games he managed in his first year at Juve. These were either a flat 3-5-2 with offensive wing-backs, or a traditional 4-3-1-2.
Allegri's first competitive game as Juventus manager was a 0-1 victory against Chievo Verona, away from home. Current Fiorentina defender Cristiano Biraghi scored the only goal of the game, heading into his own net in the sixth minute.
Let's take a look at the set of players that Allegri named in his first Juventus XI.
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (Present club: Parma)
The man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Juventus himself. Gigi Buffon is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, with his career spanning over 4 decades. The Italian legend has made over 1,100 professional appearances for club and country.
The longetivity of the shot-stopper at the top is truly remarkable. Having spent close to 20 years at Juventus, Buffon returned to Parma ahead of the 2021-22 season in a bid to help his boyhood club gain promotion to Serie A.
Center-Back: Martín Cáceres (Present club: Without Club)
Martín Cáceres' career has taken him all over the world, from Uruguay to Spain and even England. However, his most memorable moments came during his time in Italy. Even though the 34-year-old defender made his professional debut in 2006, he has less than 340 appearances to show for his 15-year long career.
Nevertheless, Caceres has proven to be a solid squad member, wherever he has played. The Uruguayan is currently without a club after his contract with Fiorentina ended on July 1st, 2021.
Center-Back: Leonardo Bonucci (Present club: Juventus)
Leonardo Bonucci is fresh off winning Euro 2020, lifting the coveted trophy after a stupendous performance in the final. He has been a stalwart for both Juventus and his national side for over a decade now and shows no signs of slowing down.
The ball-playing central defender has formed a formidable partnership with Giorgio Chiellini at both club and international level. Bonucci has spent some of his best years at Juventus. Apart from a shock move to AC Milan in between, the 34-year-old has been a Bianconeri man, in and out.
Center-Back: Angelo Ogbonna (Present club: West Ham United)
The Italian utility man is currently plying his trade at West Ham United, where he has been a key figure ever since signing from Juventus in 2015.
Ogbonna is known for his strong and powerful stature. He started his career at Torino, rising up the ranks to become a starter. The robust defender joined Torino's cross-town rivals Juventus in 2013, for an initial fee of €13m. Ogbonna spent two seasons with the Old Lady before securing a move to England.