The Old Lady of Italy rises from her ashes
The darkness that surrounded the Stadio Delle Alpi, now known as the Juventus Stadium, finally seems to be have lifted. Juventus FC , the third oldest club in Italy and lovingly called the Old Lady of Turin, has finally won its first Serie A title since coming back into top flight football following its relegation in 2006 due to the “Calciopoli scandal” which had engulfed Italian football.
Sorry Fabio, you just got relegated!
The club, which was handed the harshest punishment among all the accused teams, was stripped of two titles which it had won under Fabio Capello and was also relegated to Serie B for the first time in its history. The club was also initially given a 30-point deduction to start its season in Serie B – it’s hard to believe, but the original punishment (against which the club successfully appealed) would have seen them start the season in Serie C1 with a 30-point deduction.
Barred from the Champions League following their scandal, a lot of their top players left. Ibrahimovic, Thuram and Fabio Cannovaro were some of the players who went to sunnier shores. But there were some players, like Del Piero, Nedved and Buffon, who understood and loved the club so much that even though their careers could have taken a hit by playing in Serie B, they stayed on and won the club promotion back into Serie A by winning Serie B.
Del Piero was Juve's top scorer during their time in Serie B
Juventus started the new season in Serie A by sacking then manager Didier Deschamps, who had just won Serie B and had brought Juve back into the top echelon. The club appointed Claudio Ranieri as his replacement, who ensured a third place finish in their first season back, which was quite a sizeable achievement. And now, after the sacking of Ranieri, Ciro Ferrara, Alberto Zacherroni and Luigi Delniri, Juventus seem to have found a winning formula with former player and current manager Antonio Conte.
Conte has now led Juventus to their first Scudetto since the dark days. Having gone the entire season unbeaten with just one more game to go before the season ends, they will be trying to go the entire season undefeated.
The team is an excellent mix of old and young players. Andrea Pirlo, the playmaker – while people thought that an old Pirlo moving from AC Milan to Juve wasn’t the best of moves, Pirlo clearly has been the ticker and clicker for Juve, especially with the midfield reinforcement Arturo Vidal has provided. With a solid backline being led by Giorgio Chiellini and efficient goalkeeping by Buffon, they have only conceded 19 goals in 37 games, which is an astonishing feat. The firepower is provided by Vucinic, Matri , Quagliarella and the now benched Alex Del Piero, who seems to have played his last season for Juventus.
The club has gone back to their original home strip of playing in pink and it has payed dividends – not only have they gone unbeaten so far, they have also conceded the fewest goals in the season. And by winning the league, they get direct entry into the UEFA Champions League, a trophy which they all seem to want. The glow has come back into the faces of most Juventus supporters.
A new (better) stadium, a new manager with new ideas and new self belief, a bunch of tough-as-nails players who just wont give up and a happy set of fans – the Old Lady is certainly back. No more darkness hovers above this great club. Although the previous scandals that have blighted and marked the history of this club can never be forgotten, they have certainly provided a sense of character to the club.
The stunning Juventus Stadium
Bouncing back from all the miseries of the past, it is the right time for Juventus to rise up and win not only the league but try and push for European glory, which it has craved since its last win way back in 1996.
Conte is the man who deserves most of the credit for taking Juve back to the top, as even legendary manager Marcello Lippi certifies.
“Antonio did well, perhaps better than everyone else,” stated the former Juve boss who won five Scudetti in Turin himself.
“A few of their players had already tasted certain experiences and also bad ones like Serie B,” added the out-of-work tactician. “Juventus have returned to being great.”
Conte was able to mirror the achievements of Giovanni Trapattoni and Lippi in winning the Scudetto at his first attempt.
“Let’s leave the similarities to one side,” the former Italian national coach continued. “This is a new Juve, a side who now have a certain kind of mentality again, and that came from their Coach.
“After all, Conte was the Juventus captain during my time with the club.”
The man with the plan, Conte
With a young manager, a man who knows the club and is loved by the fans, at the helm, this phoenix certainly has risen from the ashes, and seems to have just started a long and hopefully fruitful journey.