Juventus has announced that they have sacked manager Massimiliano Allegri. The move comes just two days after the popular coach led the club to the Coppa Italia title. The Old Lady beat Atalanta 1-0 in Rome on Wednesday thanks to an early goal by star striker Dusan Vlahovic. It was Allegri’s lone trophy during his second stint with the northern Italian team.
While Juventus collected the cup, referees sent the manager off late in the match after an epic rant aimed at the officials. After the triumph, Allegri clashed with the club’s sporting director and Tuttosport‘s Guido Vaciago. The latter incident was allegedly much more contentious, as the coach reportedly threatened the newspaper executive.
Italian soccer authorities have launched an investigation into the matter. Even before the display, Allegri was on the chopping block at Juventus. Nevertheless, the Serie A side admitted on Friday that the coach’s recent actions expedited his dismissal.
“The exoneration follows certain behaviors during and after the Coppa Italia final that the club deemed incompatible with the values of Juventus and the behavior that those who represent it should have,” the club said in an official statement.
Allegri has spent his entire coaching career in his native country. Although his most recent stint with Juve was somewhat underwhelming, he has collected a series of trophies over the years. The manager previously guided AC Milan to the Scudetto during his first season in charge. It was their first Serie A title in seven years.
The contentious coach moved on to Juventus ahead of the 2014/15 campaign. It was with the Old Lady where Allegri shined. The manager picked up five consecutive Serie A championships and four Coppa Italias during his initial stint with Juve. While he departed the club in 2019, he re-signed back with the club just two years later.
Allegri is undeniably a quality coach, and other clubs in Italy will target him in the coming days. Interestingly enough, Milan is set to be without a manager, as Stefano Pioli will soon depart the club. It remains to be seen, however, if Milan’s upper management would be willing to reconnect with their former coach. At the moment, Lille manager Paulo Fonseca and Porto boss Sergio Conceicao are thought to be frontrunners for the position.
Napoli is also currently on the search for a new manager as well. Allegri is yet to be linked with a move down south. Yet, the club’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, recently revealed that he is hiring former Juventus executive Giovanni Manna as Napoli’s next sporting director.
Allegri’s future may still need sorting, but Juventus has a clear plan. Assistant coach Paolo Montero will finish out the club’s Serie A campaign as their interim manager. The Old Lady is then likely to turn to Thiago Motta as their next official head coach.
Motta has done an incredible job as boss of Bologna. The former midfielder has his team sitting just ahead of Juventus in third place in the Italian top-flight table. Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that the Bianconeri sent an official proposal to Motta on Thursday. The contract offer is a potential four-year deal.
Interestingly enough, Juventus next travels to Bologna on Monday, May 20. While an agreement has not yet finished, Motta will likely make his decision in the next few days.
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