Massimiliano Allegri

[Socrates 8386]

Conte keen on Chelsea as
Juventus fight to keep Allegri

The Italy head coach has been learning English in preparation for a Premier League
move while the current Juve boss is set for talks over extending his contract beyond 2017.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2016/02/11/20238322/-?

Feb 11, 2016

Antonio Conte is the favourite to become the next permanent Chelsea manager with Juventus determined to keep Massimiliano Allegri, Goal understands.

Guus Hiddink, who signed a short-term deal at Chelsea following Jose Mourinho’s sacking in December, is not expected to remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer, despite having steadied the ship and overseen a 10-game unbeaten run.

Goal understands Conte held talks with Chelsea chiefs a month ago and is certain to step down from his position as Italy’s head coach following this summer’s European Championships in France.

The 46-year-old, who masterminded three successive Serie A titles during his time as Juve manager, is desperate to return to club management and has been taking English lessons in preparation for a move to the Premier League for some time.

His successor at Juve, Allegri, has also been heavily linked with the Chelsea manager’s job in recent weeks but has strenuously denied any interest in moving to west London.

“Today what I will say is, as I have said before, that I’m happy here,” he said last week "We have many commitments and three important goals to achieve. For the future, we do not talk about anything."

Allegri replaced Conte as Juve manager in the summer of 2014 and has built on the platform established by his compatriot, overseeing the Old Lady’s continued dominance of Serie A and guiding them to last season’s Champions League final.

The former Milan coach’s contract is due to expire in 2017 which has sparked uncertainty over his future, but Goal can confirm Juve’s general manager Giuseppe Marotta intends to sit down with Allegri imminently with a view to tying him down to a new long-term deal.

[Socrates 8386]

Marotta: ‘Allegri not joining Chelsea’

http://www.football-italia.net/79913/marotta-%E2%80%98allegri-not-joining-chelsea%E2%80%99?

Feb 15, 2016

Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta denies Coach Massimiliano Allegri could join Chelsea - “Juve is a point of arrival”.

The tactician has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, after Jose Mourinho left the club and Guus Hiddink took over on a caretaker basis.

The former Milan boss has strongly denied the talk, and the Bianconeri's general manager has also ruled out a move to London.

“When things go well a Coach’s value goes up,” Marotta admitted, speaking to Gr Parlamento.

“Juve is a point of arrival for a Coach, one of the world’s biggest clubs. It’s not easy to find a bigger team than Juventus, unless you consider it the end of a cycle.

“And the winning cycle can continue.”

Allegri’s predecessor, Antonio Conte, is expected to leave his role as Italy CT after Euro 2016, could he return to Turin one day?

“Conte had many successes and achievements at Juventus. He was here for several years, three seasons. He won a lot.

“It’s normal that the cycle comes to an end. Now he’s coaching the national team, but the relationship remains good.

“The fact that there are rumours that great teams are thinking about him proves that our choice was correct.

“A return? A recurring phrase in football is ‘never say never’, but the assumption is that our Coach will remain with us.

“I’m convinced that we’ll go forward with Allegri for many years.”

[Socrates 8386]

Juve to renew Allegri deal?

http://www.football-italia.net/79974/juve-renew-allegri-deal?

Feb 17, 2016

Juventus will reportedly offer Massimiliano Allegri a contract renewal until 2018 amid Chelsea rumours.

The Bianconeri boss has been heavily linked in England with taking over at Stamford Bridge in the summer, but the Old Lady could try and tie him down.

Leggo reports today that the Coach could prolong his deal in Turin until 2018, with the club offering some adjustments to his current deal.

These are believed to be that the club will provide reinforcements in the summer transfer window as well as keeping hold of their top players.

Allegri is currently in his second season with Juventus, having won the league and cup double in his debut campaign as well as reaching the Champions League final.

[Socrates 8386]

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri Made
a Huge Mistake vs. Bayern Munich

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2619667-juventus-coach-massimiliano-allegri-made-a-huge-mistake-vs-bayern-munich?

Feb 26, 2016

On March 16, Juventus will go to the Allianz Arena in Munich for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie with Bayern Munich with a puncher's chance to pull an upset and advance to the quarterfinals.

After getting dominated for an hour in Tuesday's first leg and falling behind 2-0, the Bianconeri rallied to secure a 2-2 draw and keep themselves in the contest.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri has been lauded for substitutions he made in the second half that put his side back into the match. Coming on for an ailing Claudio Marchisio at the half, Hernanes had his best game in a Juventus jersey. The subsequent subs—Stefano Sturaro and Alvaro Morata—combined to create the equalizing goal.

Consider the take of ESPN FC's Mina Rzouki, who in a post-match piece said: "Few tacticians are so capable of changing the face of the game from the bench." It's clear people have given Allegri most of the credit for the turnaround.

But while Allegri's adjustments were certainly commendable and indeed had a major impact, something is being overlooked: why Juventus were in such dire straits to begin with. Rzouki, in her piece, placed the blame squarely on the players, using words such as "cowardly" and "terrified" to describe their performances for the first 60 minutes of the game.

Juve's players certainly looked nervous in the game's opening phases, but that isn't the only reason. Allegri's second-half machinations fixed a problem that was largely of his own making.

The coach deployed his team in the same flat 4-4-2 formation he used against Napoli 10 days earlier. He needs to answer questions as to why.

Why, for instance, would he use a system he had only ever used once. Even with Giorgio Chiellini out, Allegri could have used the 3-5-2 that fueled his team's 15-match unbeaten run—and most of their four-year title reign—with a back three of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Daniele Rugani, who is only 21 but might be the best defensive prospect in the world.

If he didn't want to use Rugani, he could have used the 4-3-1-2 he used to great effect from the middle of last year on. Instead, he used a formation that is both unfamiliar and a poor fit for the players he had available, particularly on the left side of midfield, where Paul Pogba was forced into a strange role.

Why would he make this decision in this, the biggest game of the year? Apparently to shoehorn Juan Cuadrado in the side. In doing so, he not only deployed his team in a formation that was easy for Bayern to attack, but he missed the opportunity to take advantage of Bayern's key weakness.

The German giants were missing a phalanx of defenders. Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez were all out injured. Mehdi Benatia had only just returned from a long spell on the shelf. That forced Pep Guardiola to send out a center-back pairing of David Alaba—an excellent player but primarily a left-back in the past few years—and Joshua Kimmich, who is more naturally a midfielder and had never experienced the pressure of a Champions League knockout game before.

The opening seemed clear: Attack the center. Allegri's 4-3-1-2 appeared to be the perfect fit. Put a player with creativity and pace, such as Roberto Pereyra, in the hole behind a strike pair, ram the ball down Bayern's throat and see whether their pairing—Kimmich in particular—would crumble.

Instead, Allegri opted for a wide player in Cuadrado.

Regular readers know this author has been critical of him this season, and those criticisms will be reiterated here. Juan Cuadrado is not as good as people think he is.

He's flashy, he's fast and he makes people go "ooooh!" But he rarely produces anything of substance. After his umpteenth stepover, he's often waited too long for his next move to be dangerous or gets straight-up dispossessed. Of the three goals he's scored this season, two of them seemed somewhat fortunate.

When he does get opportunities, like he did when he found himself one-on-one with Manuel Neuer in the 67th minute, he simply makes the wrong choices. Instead of firing hard and low to beat the Germany international, he fired high, allowing the 'keeper to parry.

But aside from what people may think about the way he plays, starting him on Tuesday simply wasn't the right move. The Bavarians were weak in the center—that was where to attack them. A wide player wasn't the player to use, and his inclusion forced the team into two flat banks of four that lacked any real dynamism and were easy to pin back deep for a Bayern team in rhythm.

What's even more surprising is this is unlike Allegri. Over the course of his career, he has come up with fantastic setups for big games. AC Milan's 4-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the round of 16 in 2011-12, their 2-0 win over Barcelona at the same stage the next year and the second leg of this round last year against Borussia Dortmund were all tactical masterstrokes. For him to put up such a stinker in such a situation is out of character.

When Allegri finally changed things and the ball started moving through the middle more, things changed. Kimmich—the man Allegri should have been targeting from the beginning—crumbled twice, fluffing a clearance ahead of Juve's first goal and losing Sturaro's run on the equalizer.

Those changes Allegri did make were commendable. But the question remains whether he should have been in the situation he was 55 minutes in. Bayern certainly took the game to Juve for the first two-thirds of the match, but Allegri's decisions let them.

Had he attacked Bayern's major vulnerability—one that won't be as such in the next leg as players recover—from the get-go, this game could have been different and Juve could have had a much easier task before them in Munich.

As much credit as he gets for engineering a comeback, he bears a good amount of responsibility for what happened before.

[Socrates 8386]

Giovanni Trapattoni urges Juventus boss
Massimilliano Allegri to stay on

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/story/2818155/trappatoni-urges-allegri-to-stay-at-juventus

Feb 29, 2016

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has been warned by Giovanni Trapattoni, one of Italy's most successful club coaches, it would be better for him to remain at the Turin club.

Allegri had been linked with the manager's position at Chelsea before his compatriot Antonio Conte emerged as the front-runner, but Trapattoni does not think leaving Turin would be a wise decision in any case.

"I'm not Max's manager, but if he were to ask me my advice, I would tell him what a friend of mine told me many times," Trapattoni told Tuttosport.

"Remember that if you are comfortable in the woods you are used to being in, be careful when you walk around other woods because the more woods you visit, the more wolves you will find."

This isn't the first time Trapattoni's words have caused intrigue -- his famous rant at Thomas Strunz during his time in charge of Bayern Munich even became a neologism in the German language.

He also puzzled reporters as the Republic of Ireland boss, translating an Italian saying directly into English as "cat is in the sack, but the sack is not closed," after his side beat Estonia 4-0 in a Euro 2012 qualifying playoff.

On this occasion, Trapattoni meant then was that the tie was not yet over -- and he now believes the same can be said of Juventus' Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, which is more finely poised after a 2-2 draw in Turin last week than many might think.

"The Germans have always been a bit presumptuous and Juve have the right players to try to reach the quarterfinals," added the 76-year-old.

[Socrates 8386]

Madrid consider Allegri?

http://www.football-italia.net/80668/madrid-consider-allegri?

Mar 2, 2016

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly a target for Real Madrid if they sack Zinedine Zidane this summer.

Los Merengues appointed the Frenchman as Rafa Benitez’s replacement in January, but a defeat at home to city rivals Atletico Madrid has all-but eliminated them from the title race.

Any hope of silverware now lies with the Champions League, where Zidane’s side hold a 2-0 lead over Roma going into the second leg of their Last 16 tie.

giornalaccio rosa dello Sport reports that if Zidane fails to impress on the European stage, Madrid President Florentino Perez will look for a replacement this summer.

The newspaper believes that Juventus boss Max Allegri is one of the names in the frame, having impressed Perez when the Bianconeri eliminated Madrid in last-year’s semi-final.

The Blancos patron has reportedly sought the advice of Milan’s joint-CEO Adriano Galliani, who spoke of the Tuscan tactician in glowing terms.

Allegri has also been linked with the Chelsea job, but it’s believed the Old Lady are lining-up a new contract to keep the Coach in Turin.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri close to Juve renewal?

http://www.football-italia.net/80695/allegri-close-juve-renewal?

Mar 2, 2016

Max Allegri is reportedly close to signing a contract renewal with Juventus until 2019.

The Coach is already tied to the club until June 2017.

He has been repeatedly linked with jobs at Chelsea, Real Madrid and the Italy national team, despite insisting he is happy in Turin.

According to Sky Sport Italia this evening, Juventus are confident Allegri will accept an extension to June 2019.

The details will be discussed after the Champions League trip to Bayern Munich.

The first leg ended 2-2 when Juve fought back from 2-0 down.

[Socrates 8386]

Juventus, Max Allegri have agreement in principle
on contract extension through 2019

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/3/3/11151116/report-juventus-max-allegri-have-agreement-in-principal-on-contract-extension

Mar 3, 2016

When you hear things described as "a formality," then it's only a matter of time before they actually take place. And when it comes to a formality around Juventus' world of operations, it involves the current contract extension negotiations with their second-year manager Max Allegri.

We don't know when Allegri will officially sign his extension.

But, as Juve director general Beppe Marotta pointed out before Juventus' advancement to the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday night, Allegri signing a contract extension is "a formality." And based on reports out of Italy Wednesday, the reason it's a formality is because the framework of said deal is pretty much good to go at this point in time.

Massimiliano Allegri has achieved great success at Juventus since replacing Antonio Conte, and it looks like the Tuscan coach will be staying in Turin awhile longer. The bianconeri are in fact working on extending Allegri's contract through 2019, there is optimism filtering on reaching an agreement. Juventus is confident they will be able to keep their manager, there are all the conditions for a deal and it appears there is an agreement in principle to continue the relationship. Juventus would like to get the deal done before the return match against Bayern Munich.

(Source: Gianluca Di Marzio)

Seeing how much success Allegri has had since taking over for Antonio Conte as Juventus' manager two summers ago, none of this should be a surprise to anybody. Even when there were rumors of Chelsea or, as recently as earlier this week, Real Madrid, Allegri hasn't shied away from saying how he wants to not only focus on the present, but stay right where he is. Unlike those other clubs where the pressure to win could cost you your job within a season or two, Allegri has full backing of Marotta, Andrea Agnelli and the rest of Juventus' management team.

Sure, it helps that he's producing both domestically and in Europe, but Allegri has done little to say he doesn't deserve to stick around for the next couple of seasons. He's transitioned from one Juventus team to another, one that is much younger and had to deal with a whole lot of early-season issues in September and October.

Basically, all those evil thoughts I had about Allegri being Juventus' manager when he was first hired have been kicked out the door and up into the earth's atmosphere. He's proven a lot of us wrong, and a contract extension is what he rightfully deserves.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri: 'Serie A still open'

http://www.football-italia.net/80765/allegri-serie-still-open?

Mar 4, 2016

Juventus Coach Max Allegri says Serie A is still open, and discusses Bayern Munich and Paulo Dybala.

The 48-year-old just saw his positive streak broken as he lost 3-0 to Inter in the Coppa Italia, but the aggregate 3-3 result eventually let the Bianconeri through on penalties.

“It was a positive night,” he told Il Corriere dello Sport. “We lost after very many games, but we made it into the final of the Coppa Italia. It was the sweetest defeat that could have happened to us, and it was useful for our development, as I fielded many lads of 22 or 23 years.

“Against Milan it'll be a good challenge. Against them, as against Inter, it's always a fascinating match.

“Napoli can still win many games, we must be careful and take things one match at a time.

“Sarri was very good in developing a playing system capable of bringing out the quality in Napoli.

“His intuition to field Hamsik as a half-winger was excellent. He's a very good player and he'd have taken up the same position in my Juventus.

“As for Higuain, he scored 25 goals. Along with Lewandowski and Suarez, he's one of the best poachers in the world. There's also Benzema, when he is fit.”

In spite of the eight-point lead over Roma and Fiorentina, Allegri refuses to rule them out of the race.

“Roma can realize a sequence. They can win them all from here until the end. The quality of their players is excellent and [Coach Luciano] Spalletti instilled them with a new playing style.

“They could potentially reach 86 points and they can exploit games against their direct opponents.

“[Fiorentina Coach] Paulo Sousa already surprised me when he was at Basilea. He's smart and he immediately understood our football.

“The Coaching awards? I'll vote for Pioli, he had a superb season with Lazio.

“Inter? Their decline just shows how difficult football is. You must be skilled to live in a balance, without ever becoming euphoric when things go well or depressed when they go bad.”

Finally, the tactician was questioned about the upcoming game against Bayern Munich, which follows from the 2-2 in the first leg.

“It's extremely hard, but I believe in it. When you play one of the favourites in a two-leg match, it's important to boil it down to one game.

“Dybala as the 'killer baby'? You just have to look him in the eyes. He has the face of a child, but the gaze of an assassin. In a couple of years he can reach the top, just behind Ronaldo and Messi.

“I'm glad he scored against Bayern, otherwise many people would have said that he's poor in Europe.”

[Socrates 8386]

Massimiliano Allegri: I'm happy to
remain at Juventus for now

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2821655/massimiliano-allegri-happy-to-stay-put-at-juventus-for-now

Mar 4, 2016

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says he would relish the opportunity to explore his options abroad in the future but is content in Turin for now.

Allegri, who is on course for back-to-back Serie A titles with the Bianconeri, has spent the whole of his managerial career, which has stretched over more than a decade, in his homeland of Italy.

The 48-year-old, who has been linked with the Chelsea and Real Madrid jobs, says he has no immediate intention to broaden his horizons -- although he would be keen to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Carlo Ancelotti, who also managed Juventus and AC Milan before moving on to the Blues, Paris Saint-Germain and Real.

He told Corriere dello Sport: "When the time comes, I would love to learn about different cultures, as did Ancelotti. But for now I'm happy at Juve."

Having won league titles with both Milan and Juve, he would be a leading contender to take the Italy national team post if, as has been heavily rumoured, Antonio Conte switches to Chelsea.

Allegri, who replaced Conte at Juventus in 2014, added: "At the end of my career I'd like to coach the national team but I think I'm still young."

Despite a disastrous start to the season which saw Juventus win just two of their first eight league games, they now sit three points clear at the top of Serie A, while they are through to the Coppa Italia final.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri denies lack of appreciation
amid Real Madrid rumours

Despite another report linking him with a Juve exit,
the 48-year-old has denied feeling under-appreciated in Italy.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/03/05/21020472/allegri-i-dont-feel-undervalued?ICID=TP_HN_1

Mar 5, 2016

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri insists he does not feel undervalued in Serie A as speculation linking him with a move away continues.

The former AC Milan boss had been linked with a potential move to Chelsea at the end of the season, though Italy boss Antonio Conte is now favourite to be appointed.

Reports in Italy this week have seen Allegri touted as a candidate for the Real Madrid head coach role due to uncertainty over Zinedine Zidane's position.

Yet the 48-year-old has denied the rumours make him feel a lack of support in Turin.

"I never felt underappreciated," he told reporters. "I do my work, I am at a big club and have a contract with Juventus for another year.

"First you wanted me to learn English, then Spanish… I wasn't very good at school, so I can't learn two new languages in the space of two months."

Juve director Giuseppe Marotta said this week that he has few concerns over Allegri's future, insisting there is no secret offer of a contract from Madrid.

Allegri led Juve to the Serie A title last season and they sit top this term.

[Socrates 8386]

Juventus set to extend Allegri contract

The coach's current deal expires in June 2017 and the club are set to offer him an extra
€1 million per year in order to ensure he remains at the helm of the Serie A side.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2016/03/07/21075462/-?

Mar 7, 2016

Juventus are working to extend the contract of head coach Massimiliano Allegri, Goal understands.

The 48-year-old guided the Bianconeri to a fourth consecutive Serie A title and a Champions League final in his first season in charge, having replaced Antonio Conte at the helm of the club.

After a rough start to the current campaign, Juve are on course to pick up another league crown at the end of the season, sitting three points clear of Napoli at the top of the table.

Allegri had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, as it had been reported that he had agreed a contract with the Premier League side, though he has always dismissed speculation linking him with a move away from Juventus Stadium, insisting that he is happy where he is.

And as Allegri has little over a year left on his current deal, the Turin giants are ready to extend it to 2019 and are willing to increase his salary from around €3.5 million per year to €4.5m, which will be worth even more with bonuses.

Juve director Giuseppe Marotta has remained confident of keeping hold of him and believes tying up the contract is "a formality".

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri: ‘Not impossible with Bayern’

http://www.football-italia.net/80930/allegri-%E2%80%98not-impossible-bayern%E2%80%99?

Mar 7, 2016

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri insists “it’s not impossible” to beat Bayern Munich and progress in the Champions League.

The Bianconeri were 2-0 down in the first leg in Turin, but fought back for a 2-2 draw, meaning they will progress with any sort of win in Bavaria.

“Against Bayern it’s not impossible, but they’ve always been one of the favourites to win the whole thing,” Allegri told assembled media after winning the Golden Bench award.

“For us the Champions League has to remain a dream, we have to try and do the business in Munich.

“It’ll be a beautiful game, we’ll do everything possible to qualify, but it won’t be easy. Now we have to think about Friday’s game against Sassuolo, then we’ll think about Munich.”

The Old Lady are three points clear at the top of Serie A, as they seek to win a fifth Scudetto in a row.

“We’re in front, and we have to maintain our consistency to win a fifth Scudetto which would allow us to write ourselves into the history of Juventus.

“Now we face Sassuolo who have beaten all the top teams, and we hope to stop them.

“Roma can win every game between now and the end of the season, as can Napoli. The points total for the Scudetto will be very high.”

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri: ‘Not leaving Juventus’

http://www.football-italia.net/80931/allegri-%E2%80%98not-leaving-juventus%E2%80%99?

Mar 7, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri confirms “next year I will still be Coach of Juventus” despite links with other clubs.

The tactician has been linked with Chelsea, though it now appears Antonio Conte will take over at Stamford Bridge, as well as Real Madrid.

“Next year I’ll still be Coach of Juventus, because I still have another year on my contract,” Allegri told Sky as he received the Golden Bench award for the best Coach of last season.

“It’s 100 per cent certain, there’s never been anything with other clubs. Now we approach the end of the season trying to win the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia, and we’ll see what happens in the Champions League.

“I’m fine here and there are no problems.”

Allegri also took the opportunity to thank his team after he was named Coach of the year.

“This award has important meaning, because it means the whole team did well. I thank the players, the staff and the whole club.

“Who did I vote for? Lazio’s Stefano Pioli.

“Next year? I don’t know, it depends on how the season ends. Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri will definitely be a candidate.

“Frosinone’s Roberto Stellone and Carpi’s Fabrzio Castori have done extraordinary things and they’re showing that again this year.”

[Socrates 8386]

Max Allegri vows to say at Juventus after
landing Italy coach of the year

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2824247/juventus-massimiliano-allegri-named-italy-coach-of-year

Mar 7, 2016

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri says he will remain with the club for another season after being named Italy's coach of the year for the second time.

Allegri, who first won the Panchina d'Oro award while coaching Cagliari in 2009, steered Juve to the Serie A title and to a Champions League final against Barcelona last season.

The former AC Milan manager also won the Coppa Italia during his first year in charge at Juventus Stadium and has recently been linked with reigning Premier League champions Chelsea. But he said he will not be looking to move this summer.

He told Sky Sport Italia: "Next year, I will still be the coach of Juventus because I have another year on my contract. There's never been anything with other clubs.

"I'm fine here and there are no problems. Now we're thinking of a fifth Scudetto in a row and the Coppa Italia. We work to improve every year."

In accepting his award, he told legaserie.it: "I must thank my players, because if I deserve this award then it's down to them.

"I work hard every year to improve myself and my squad and to realise the potential I know we have."

Lazio chief Stefano Pioli came second in the voting for the "Golden Bench" while current Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri finished third after managing to keep Empoli in Serie A last term.

The award for Serie B coach of the year went to Roberto Stellone of Frosinone, who guided the southern club to an historic promotion to the top flight in May.

Teramo coach Vincenzo Vivarini was recognised for his work with the Lega Pro outfit from Abruzzo.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri wins Panchina d'Oro after
guiding Juventus to famous double

The Bianconeri boss won the prestigious prize after guiding his side to the Scudetto
and Coppa Italia last season, and paid tribute to his players for the achievement.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/03/07/21091842/allegri-scoops-top-coaching-prize?ICID=TP_HN_1

Mar 7, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri has been crowned Serie A's best head coach for 2014-15.

The Juventus boss was recognised at a ceremony on Monday after guiding his side to a league and Coppa Italia double during a season in which they also reached the Champions League final, losing to Barcelona.

Allegri was awarded his second Panchina d'Oro prize after receiving 27 out of 51 votes from coaches in Italy's top flight, ahead of Lazio boss Stefano Pioli and Maurizio Sarri, who ensured Empoli's survival before moving to Napoli in June.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my players, whose performances on the pitch have clearly played a big part in me winning this award," Allegri said after receiving the trophy.

"I'm also very grateful to my team of assistants, the club as a whole and everyone who has voted for me.

"I work every year with my players towards improving ourselves and growing in terms of the way we play. The psychological aspect and the management of human resources are also very important.

"It's no simple task getting the very best from each and every member of the squad."

Allegri last won the prize in 2008-09, when he was in charge at Cagliari.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri: ‘Obsession with Bayern!’

http://www.football-italia.net/80950/allegri-%E2%80%98obsession-bayern%E2%80%99?

Mar 7, 2016

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri hits out at the “media obsession” over the Bayern Munich game.

The Old Lady drew 2-2 with the Bavarian giants in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, and the tactician was asked about the return leg having received the Golden Bench award.

“Winning doesn’t make you tired,” Allegri joked outside the FIGC centre at Coverciano.

“It’s not a question of final victory in the Champions League, but just being able to play more than once a week!

“The team is handling the League the best of anyone, even if at points we haven’t played very well.

“It’s an important point of the season where we have to win, because the others are doing very well. This is the point of the season where points really matter, and you have to have clarity and calm.

“Beating Bayern? It’s a media obsession, we’ll go there to win or draw 3-3. If we can win, good. If not we’ll be eliminated by one of the favourites to win the whole thing.

“If we’re good we’ll advance, if not we’ll have to think about the Coppa Italia final and a Scudetto which would be extraordinary to win.

“I’m used to thinking one step at a time. We’re thinking about the League because there are three important points to win [against Sassuolo] and it would be one game down on the way to the final victory.

“Then we’ll think of Wednesday and playing a fascinating game. When you get to the Last 16 there are difficult games and less difficult ones, but the important thing is to always be there, always among the best 16.”

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri 99% sure of Juve stay

http://www.football-italia.net/80961/allegri-99-sure-juve-stay?

Mar 8, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly 99 per cent sure to stay at Juventus and could only leave if he wins the Champions League.

The Bianconeri boss has hugely impressed since taking over in Turin at the beginning of last season and was linked heavily with the Chelsea job in recent months.

Tuttosport reports today that the Coach is 99 per cent sure of remaining at the Old Lady, with the only doubt surrounding the Champions League.

The newspaper believes that if Allegri manages to win the tournament with Juve he could decide to have a change of scene.

The report suggests that the Coach would take a sabbatical year like Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, before taking on a job at one of Europe’s top clubs.

Should this series of events occur, Tuttosport believes that Fiorentina’s Paulo Sousa would be the frontrunner to take the job.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri: 'Conte right for Chelsea'

http://www.football-italia.net/81155/allegri-conte-right-chelsea?

Mar 12, 2016

Juventus boss Max Allegri is confident “Antonio Conte will certainly do well on the Chelsea bench” next season.

Allegri had originally been tipped for the role, but is under contract with Juve until June 2017 and showed no intention of leaving Turin.

Now all reports suggest Italy manager Conte has already agreed terms to take over at Stamford Bridge after Euro 2016.

“Italian Coaches are the best in the world,” Allegri told Rai Sport last night.

“This is why Conte will certainly do well on the Chelsea bench.”

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri renewal on Monday

http://www.football-italia.net/81485/allegri-renewal-monday?

Mar 18, 2016

Juventus Coach Max Allegri is expected to renew his contract next Monday or Tuesday, while Gianluigi Buffon should also extend his deal.

The Champions League exit against Bayern League this week was not sufficient to dent the faith that the Bianconeri directors have in their Coach.

Allegri has been at the centre of substantial speculation, and at one point many believed he was the most likely candidate to take Chelsea's bench next year, a position that eventually went to Antonio Conte.

According to La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport, Allegri is expected to renew his deal with Juventus next week on Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

He will bind himself to the club until 2018, with an option to renew until 2019. His salary will also be amended upwards and he will be earning about €5m per year.

giornalaccio rosa also believe that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who is two minutes away from setting a new Serie A record for the longest consecutive time without taking a goal, will extend his contract by another two years.

The publication is less precise on the subject though, as they seem to infer this simply from the Azzurro's statement that Juventus will win the Champions League within two years.

[Socrates 8386]

Report: Juventus manager Max Allegri will extend
his contract next week; Gianluigi Buffon to extend as well?

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/3/18/11259952/juventus-max-allegri-gianluigi-buffon-2016-serie-a-contract-extension-rumors

Mar 18, 2016

When Beppe Marotta speaks about Max Allegri, it's one guy essentially confirming that the other guy isn't going anywhere. That's not new to a lot of us who read what Beppe says on a regular basis. The support is strong, and that means that Allegri won't suddenly up and leave with his bags packed for green pastures.

According to the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport on Friday morning, the day where Allegri re-ups his current contract — and gets a nice raise in the process — may very well be just a few short sleeps away.

Khaled Al Nouss ‎@KhaledAlNouss
Allegri will extend his contract with Juventus until 2018 with an option for another year on Monday or Tuesday. He'll earn €5m/yr. [GdS]

We've been hearing for weeks and weeks and weeks now that Allegri will extend his contract. Maybe this is the truth and come Monday after Juve potentially still bask in the glow of another Turin derby win we we will see Allegri and Marotta shaking hands on the club's official website after signing the new contract. Or maybe it's just complete hooey and an official announcement of what everybody expects to happen will be something that needs more time to finalize.

The interesting part in all of this is that the giornalaccio rosa also states that Juve goalkeeper will extend his contract another two seasons. Not that it should surprise anybody, either, but the amount of contract talk respectively surrounding Allegri and Buffon aren't even close to one another. Buffon, who has said he will retire after the 2018 in recent months, is clearly deserving of a contract of however long he so desires. That's just what happens when you're the best in the business.

So maybe contract extension season is upon us once again. With no more Champions League football this season, we probably need something to take up our time anyway. Beside that whole winning a fifth straight Scudetto thing, that is.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri unsure about renewal

http://www.football-italia.net/81494/allegri-unsure-about-renewal?

Mar 18, 2016

Max Allegri still hasn't agreed to a renewal with Juventus in spite of an offer informally on the table.

Reports are emerging today that the Juventus Coach is set to renew his contract early next week.

Today's edition of Tuttosport corroborated La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport's report, confirming that Allegri will be offered a new deal for an extra two years. There is, however, a slight discrepancy as La giornalaccio rosa's reported new salary of €5m yearly doesn't correspond to Tuttosport's €4m.

However, Tuttosport adds that the deal is still not quite certain, with Allegri pondering it carefully.

Apparently, sporting director Beppe Marotta has already been in some pre-emptive talks with the Coach in these days, sketching out the terms of the new deal.

Allegri, while not refusing it outright, hasn't said yes either. Apparently he is evaluating his options as well as the team's odds in the Champions League next year.

Allegri had previously been linked with Chelsea, but that position is no longer available as it's been announced that Antonio Conte will take up that job after Euro 2016.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri wants termination clause?

http://www.football-italia.net/81686/allegri-wants-termination-clause?

Mar 22, 2016

Juventus will reportedly hold contract talks with Massimiliano Allegri this week, but the Coach wants a termination clause.

A new deal for tactician has been on the horizon for some time and La Stampa believes that the club will use the international break to hold meetings about Allegri’s future.

The newspaper reports that both parties want to continue working together, but Allegri would like a termination clause to be inserted into his new deal.

The outlet underlines that this is in line with the trend for top European Coaches, but would be an unusual step for the Bianconeri to take as they prefer to build their relationships around mutual trust.

Allegri is currently in his second season with the Old Lady and his current contract runs until 30 June 2017.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri extension close?

http://www.football-italia.net/82001/allegri-extension-close?

Mar 29, 2016

Juventus will reportedly announce Massimiliano Allegri’s contract extension until 2018 this week.

The Bianconeri Coach currently has a deal running until 2017 but will be rewarded with a renewal after taking the club to the Serie A summit again this season.

Tuttosport reports today that Juve should make an official announcement about Allegri’s new contract during this week.

The new deal is expected to see the tactician earn almost €4m per season plus bonuses as well as extending his current deal by one season until June 2018.

Allegri won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in his first season in Turin as well as guiding the club to the Champions League final.

[Socrates 8386]

Allegri confirms desire to stay at Juventus

The 48-year-old reiterated his desire to remain coach of the Italian
champions but insisted there is no rush to put pen to paper yet.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2016/04/02/21960582/-?

Apr 2, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri confirmed he intends to stay in charge of Juventus next season and is hopeful Giorgio Chiellini's latest injury during Saturday's 1-0 win over Empoli is not serious.

The Bianconeri stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to six points thanks to the victory, with nearest contenders Napoli travelling to Udinese on Sunday.

Mario Mandzukic scored the only goal of the game for Juve shortly before half-time, securing a 20th win in 21 league matches and extending the gap over their rivals.

With Allegri on course to deliver a second straight Scudetto in charge of the Turin giants, the coach claimed he will sign a new contract to commit his future to Juventus soon, but insisted there is no rush.

"When we have a free afternoon I'll meet with the club and talk," the 48-year-old told Mediaset Premium.

"I have another year left on my contract anyway, they are happy and so am I. When we meet up, we'll sign the paperwork."

"Chiellini was fine beforehand and we'll evaluate this latest development, but hope it's nothing serious," Allegri added.

"Rugani did well, like the others, but young players must be given the time to gain experience without pressure.

"Winning games is absolutely not easy and it becomes even tougher towards the end of the season, especially as Empoli are a side that play good football.

"At this stage of the season the results count for even more and I have to compliment the lads, because winning 20 out of the last 21 rounds is no mean feat.

"The first half was a little more disorganised, but we did better after the break. We need that mental strength that the lads showed this evening.

"Napoli are right there and if they don't slip up then we have to maintain this average to stay on top.

"We must try to win the fifth consecutive Scudetto and then we've also got the Coppa Italia final with Milan."