Juventus have sacked manager Max Allegri just days after winning the Coppa Italia. This trophy marked the club’s first in two seasons, with Inter Milan dominating Serie A and adding pressure on Allegri. Although reports indicated he might be replaced in the summer, a recent incident likely accelerated his departure.
In the final minutes of Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Atalanta, Allegri was sent off for ranting at match officials and dismissively waving away sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli during the post-match celebrations.
Allegri, who secured 12 trophies with Juventus over two spells, is also accused of manhandling and threatening the chief editor of Tuttosport before the post-match press conference.
His anger boiled over on the sidelines, where he ripped off his tie and jacket in the presence of John Elkann, the CEO of Exor, the holding company that controls Juventus and Ferrari, and a member of the influential Agnelli family.
Juventus relieves Massimiliano Allegri from the role of coach of the men’s first team
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“Juventus announces that it has relieved Massimiliano Allegri of his position as head coach of the men’s first team,” the club stated on their website.
“The exoneration follows certain behaviours during and after the Coppa Italia final that the club deemed incompatible with the values of Juventus and the behaviour that those who represent it should have.”
“It ends a period of collaboration, which began in 2014, restarted in 2021 and ended, after the previous three seasons together, with the Italian Cup final.”
“The club wishes Massimiliano Allegri good luck in his future endeavours.”
Despite widespread reports suggesting Allegri would be replaced by Bologna coach Thiago Motta in the summer after an underwhelming season, Juventus was compelled to make the announcement with two matches still remaining in the current campaign.
Juventus currently sits fourth in Serie A, 25 points behind champions Inter Milan, having accumulated only 15 points in their last 15 league matches.
They face Bologna on Monday night, with both teams already qualified for next season’s revamped Champions League.
The Italian Football Federation’s disciplinary tribunal has launched an investigation into Allegri, who received an automatic two-match ban in the cup for his straight red card but could face additional punishment.
Although Allegri faced increasing pressure, the 56-year-old remains one of the club’s most successful managers. He first took charge in 2014, leading Juventus to five consecutive Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League finals before leaving in 2019.
His return in 2021, after the sacking of Andrea Pirlo, was less triumphant as he struggled to compete with the Milan teams and Napoli for the Serie A title. This season, Juventus secured Champions League qualification after finishing seventh in the 2022/23 season.
During his first spell, Allegri won five consecutive league titles, with four of those seasons also yielding Italian Cup victories, elevating Juventus above their domestic rivals.
Under his leadership, Juventus became a European force, reaching two Champions League finals with a team featuring stars like Paul Pogba, Gianluigi Buffon, and Andrea Pirlo, though they lost to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
However, Allegri’s second tenure has been less successful, with Wednesday’s cup victory over Atalanta marking Juventus’ first trophy since Pirlo’s Italian Cup win three years ago.
Since returning to Juventus, Allegri has faced numerous problems and controversies. The most significant was the transfer scandal that led to Juventus being deducted 10 points last season and receiving a one-year ban from European competitions by UEFA for financial irregularities.
The scandal resulted in the sweeping away of Juventus’ entire hierarchy, and Allegri reportedly never established good relations with the new management.
Allegri also had to manage the tumultuous departure of Cristiano Ronaldo early in his first season back and the ongoing issues with Paul Pogba, including injuries and a doping violation.
Thiago Motta has been widely linked with the Juventus vacancy for the upcoming season.
