Massimiliano Allegri Appointed Juventus Boss

Massimiliano Allegri’s tenure at AC Milan was abruptly ended in January with the Rossoneri languishing midtable.  Allegri had announced just two weeks prior to his sacking that he planned to step down at the end of the season. The 47 year-old had led Milan to the 2010-11 Serie A title but had watched Antonio Conte’s Juventus overtake the Rossoneri in 2011-12 and stay atop Serie A for the subsequent two seasons following that initial title.

Yesterday, Conte left Juventus despite winning the Serie A title in three successive seasons. The decision sent shockwaves around European football and fueled speculation as to Conte’s next move and whether Juventus was taken by surprise. A manager of Conte’s stature rarely leaves a post this close to the start of preseason.

It took little time for the Turin-based giants to pivot and appoint Allegri as Conte’s successor. Allegri’s approach at Milan had long been praised even though his final half season at the club was disastrous on the pitch.

The Sporting Director at Juventus, Giuseppe Marotta said: “Juve’s aim has always been to keep winning, a real must given the club’s prestige and past success.”

Allegri said “It is an honor for me, I’m very happy and I know what a big job coaching Juventus is.”

The coaching career of Allegri began in the lower divisions of the Italian league system with Aglianese in 2003. The club was at the time Serie C2, which is the fourth division in the Italian soccer pyramid. In the 2007-2008 season Allegri led Sassuolo to promotion from Serie C1 to Serie B. That accomplishment put him on the radar of Serie A clubs, and Cagliari appointed him in the summer of 2008.

He had success at the Sardinia based club leading Cagliari to a 9th placed finish in 2008-09 and were comfortably sitting midtable in the 2009-10 season when he was shockingly relieved of his duties in early April. Massimo Cellino, the Cagliari chairman at the time who has since purchased Leeds United, gave little explanation for the move, and the club has cycled through managers ever since.

Allegri’s appointment by AC Milan in 2010 was a surprise, but he quickly repaid the faith of the club. Allegri’s 2010-11 Milan side won the club’s first Serie A title in seven seasons.