With a brand new Serie A season set to get underway in Italy, the question being asked by soccer fans all over the world is one that concerns the mighty Juventus and whether they can extend their domestic dominance to a tenth successive year.
For almost a whole decade, Juventus have been a constant force within the landscape of Italian soccer and with their iconic black and white soccer uniforms looking elegant throughout, they are a team that capture the imagination wherever they go.
Unfortunately, their ruthless streak has not necessarily been converted to the European stage and although they reached the Champions League final in 2017, they have failed to rule the roost on the continent.
While their latest Champions League failure has once again cost a manager his employment status and even though Maurizio Sarri led the “Old Lady of Turin” to a ninth straight Scudetto, failure to make the finals phase in Lisbon would prove to be his undoing.
Going into the Round of 16 clash with Lyon, it was considered a small hurdle to clear and one that would see the French outfit dumped out of the tournament. However, it was the exact opposite that unfolded.
Due to the defeat to Lyon, Sarri’s exit was not all that far away and with the former Chelsea manager being told his services are no longer required, it was time to look towards a former legend of the club.
When it comes to Andrea Pirlo, his status as the one of best deep-lying playmakers in the game’s lengthy history is unquestioned and although he has a small amount of coaching experience, he is yet to be tested at the very highest level.
That though, was not enough to deter the Juventus board from announcing the 41-year-old as their new managerial incumbent and when you look at Pirlo’s career trajectory, you would have to say it is rather rapid.
Just nine days prior to this appointment, the former midfielder was named as manager of Juventus’ Under 23 side – who themselves operate within Italy’s Serie C and after being handed this role, he would have been planning to work with the club’s next generation of talents.
However, a rather swift promotion was handed his way and instead of working with starlets, he will be working with genuine stars, while aiming for a title tilt with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala at his disposal.
Of course, the weight of managerial expectation could be too much for him to bear and if he fails to oversee the magical tenth league success in a row, he may suffer the same departing fate as his predecessor.
With that said, the Juventus hierarchy have obviously seen something in Pirlo and although his appointment does seem a little hasty at first glance, it is only really accelerating what would certainly happen in the near future.
Like Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid before them, it seems as Juventus have opted for a former hero to take the reins and now all Andrea Pirlo has to do, is keep the title winning ship sailing on smooth waters. If he does, his legend will only further increase within Turin.
