Massimiliano Allegri has been reappointed as Juventus' new manager. Andrea Pirlo was sacked on Friday morning after a difficult first season in command of the Italian club, which finished fourth in Serie A and was eliminated in the Champions League round of 16 by Porto

 

Allegri, 53, is back in charge of a team after departing Juventus in 2019. He won five consecutive Serie A titles and led the squad to two Champions League finals during his stay at the club.

Pirlo's stay at Juventus hasn't been without its highlights. Juventus won the Italian Super Cup earlier this season and the Coppa Italia last month with a 2-1 win over Atalanta.

In Serie A, however, Juventus struggled, losing the league title to Inter Milan and finishing fourth, clinching Champions League football on the final day of the season.

In European competition, Juventus was equally unimpressive. They beat Barcelona 3-0 in Spain to win Group G of the Champions League, only to fall to Porto in the round of 16 on away goals.

During his first season at the club, Allegri received a slew of awards In his first term in Turin, from 2014 to 2019, he won five Serie A titles in a row, as well as the Coppa Italia four times and the Supercoppa Italiana twice.

He also led Juventus to two Champions League finals, losing 3-1 to Barcelona in Berlin in 2014-2015, while in 2016-17 they lost 4-1 to Real Madrid, despite a stunning overhead kick from Mario Mandzukic.

Allegri must re-motivate his players and maintain a higher level of consistency in results than his predecessor, Pirlo.

 

The 53-year-old knows everything there is to know about Juventus and will work tirelessly to return the Scudetto that the club handed over to Inter as well as to restore Juventus' status as a serious contender in the Champions League — with or without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Allegri, a multiple winner, adjusts to the material at hand and finds a winning formula. However, the club requires a backup striker, more midfield inventiveness, and a left-back.

The departure of Juventus' chief football officer Fabio Paratici has been viewed as an opportunity for Allegri to have more impact over transfer strategy, but it remains to be seen whether this is the case as well as how much money Juventus will have to spend in a market that has been severely impacted by the pandemic.