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According to a popular saying - "If it isn't broken, do not fix it". But what if it is broken? Then, it has to be fixed.
The Old Lady, as Juventus is fondly called, are the champions of Italy once again. This is their eighth successive domestic league trophy. They have been far above other clubs in the Serie A since their resuscitation from that infamous match-fixing scandal.
Despite their recent successes domestically, Juventus have fallen short of expectations in Europe where teams are usually tested to the limit. Given their recent investment in players like Dybala, Pjanic, Higuain, and Douglas Costa, they were expected to taste European success.
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However, while their failure to claim Europe's elite tournament during the past few years didn't meet much scrutiny, the same cannot be said of this year after the club signed Cristiano Ronaldo, a proven winner in the Champions League for £100 million and still fell short, as they were sent packing from the tournament by a young Ajax team.
With that humiliating setback against Ajax, a team not rated among the favourites for the Champions League at the beginning of the term, it is clear that there must be some fixing to do by the Bianconeri at the end of the season. Hence, we take a look at 4 important things the Serie A giants need to do in order to finally taste European glory.
#4 Managerial change
Massimiliano Allegri has had a nice career in Turin. He has really impressed at Juventus since succeeding Antonio Conte, with impressive victories and scintillating performances. At the club, he won four consecutive domestic doubles between 2014 and 2018 and he has also won his fifth League Cup - the only coach in Europe to do that. So, why change him?
Juventus may have been the most outstanding team in Italy for almost a decade. However, the biggest trophy in Europe still eludes them. Under Max Allegri, the Old Lady has maintained a steady growth and continuous overhaul for conquering Europe.
This season, despite signing CR7 - a proven winner, the Bianconeri failed to prove their mettle again to go all the way. So, the main culprit for their failures in Europe is actually the coach. His cautious and negative approach sometimes prevents the team from dominating their opponents in Europe, especially in the knockout stages.
The manager is accused of not having the right tactical masterplan to succeed in the Champions League and his team was heavily exposed by Erik Ten Hag's Ajax, who dominated them both home and away, and punished them severely in the quarterfinals.
Hence, Juve's first step to European glory could start from replacing their manager.
#3 Restructuring the midfield
After changing his tactical approach from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 to compete in Europe, Massimiliano Allegri failed to adapt his midfield to suit the system. With this style, Juventus need intelligent midfielders who can press high, dominate possession, and break up incoming offensive moves because they are more susceptible to counter-attacks.
The Turin giants once had these midfielders, but considering the current crop on their list, only Pjanic can be regarded as a world-class midfielder capable of playing the style. However, the coach has played him to accommodate the shortcomings of others, thereby limiting his creativity.
In order to improve in Europe, the Old Lady needs midfielders who are technically brilliant and possess the characteristics to play the style implemented by the coach. As good as Sami Khedira, Blaise Matuidi, Emre Can, and Rodrigo Bentacur are, they simply do not fit into the demands.
Therefore, Juventus need players who can offer more tactically in order to unleash the creativity of Pjanic, which the team really needs in the Champions League.
#2 Strengthening the squad
The Turin giants have been linked with many players before the summer, and rightly so. Aaron Ramsey will be joining in the summer but Juventus need to sign more, given their ambitions especially now that there is Cristiano Ronaldo in the team.
Marcelo would be a great addition considering his skills, experience, and telepathic understanding with Ronaldo. In the same vein, the best-attacking fullback will be an upgrade on Alex Sandro who has provided two assists all season.
The breakout Benfica star of the season, Joao Felix, would improve the forward line and compliment Cristiano with his youthfulness and skills. With his versatility, he could replace Manzukic or Dybala in the team long term. Though he will be expensive, he will certainly offer the attacking spark lacking in Europe.
In defence, De Ligt would be a great addition, considering his age, performances, and leadership skills. Being 19 years old and the leader of this Ajax team destroying big teams for fun in the Champions League, he would be a great addition at any cost. However, they will face stiff competition, as many big European teams are vying for his signature.
#1 Patience
Big players do not win the Champions League, neither does money - ask PSG and Manchester City. Champions League glory requires a strong team bond and a good understanding of each member's strength and technical ability.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich developed into European superpowers after years of patience and hard work, blending their teams for a purpose. So, winning the Champions League requires a playing style that must be developed mentally and transmitted on the field.
According to the Juventus Director of Football after signing Ronaldo, he claimed the Champions League is their priority for 2019. But looking at the team, one would discover that the team lacked chemistry in some big games.
Ronaldo did show his class, winning games singlehandedly as seen against Atletico Madrid, but the players around him need to improve their understanding with their talisman. The only way to get this would be through patience and hard work.
