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.

Rémy Cabella, who just completed World Cup duty with France, has completed his transfer to Newcastle United from Ligue Un side Montpellier.

Last season, Cabella scored 14 goals from an attacking midfield role. His impressive performances caught the eye of France manager Didier Deschamps. The 24 year-old played an important role towards the end of the 2011-12 Ligue Un season when Montpellier improbably held off Paris Saint Germain to win the league. During the last two seasons, Cabella has been a regular starter for Montpellier. Cabella made the French World Cup squad after Clement Grenier was forced to withdraw with an injury.

Daryl Janmaat, who recently completed a strong World Cup for the Netherlands, is reportedly close to joining Newcastle United. Janmaat, a right-back, was especially effective in the second-half of the semifinal and extra-time against Argentina and the opening round 5-1 victory against reigning World Champion Spain. Janmaat is an excellent man-marker and can also provide width going forward for the Magpies. After moving to Feyenoord in the summer of 2012, Janmaat became a regular for the Dutch National Team, featuring regularly during World Cup qualifying in 2012 and 2013.

With Mathieu Debuchy strongly linked with a move away from St James Park, most likely to Arsenal for £10m, Newcastle are very much in need of a new right back. Emmanuel Rivière, the Monaco striker who combined well with current Magpies midfielder Moussa Sissoko when they both played for Toulouse, is also being chased by Newcastle, who hope to convince the player to join the Tyneside club.

Siem de Jong and Jack Colback were high-profile signings made in recent weeks as well by Newcastle United. After two consecutive transfer windows under Joe Kinnear where the club did not make a single permanent signing, the additions of de Jong, Colback and Cabella should lift the sagging spirits of Newcastle United supporters. Kinnear’s ouster in February did little to change the attitude of fans towards the ownership of Mike Ashley.

Newcastle United’s summer overhaul is likely to at least temporarily take some of the pressure off Alan Pardew. The Magpies manager will be given some more time presumably to blend in the new players to the squad.