On 23 July 2020, Juventus celebrated their 3000 days as Serie A champions, their first name of the existing race won through Antonio Conte and his team on 6 May 2012. Tonight, with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria, Bianconeri controlled nine consecutive unprecedented names, the last record of five held together through the Il Grande Torino team of the 1940s and the Quinquennio de Oro Juve team from 1930-35.
Three of the nine Scudettis were welcomed through Conte, five through former coach Max Allegri and 9th place through current boss Maurizio Sarri in his first season at the helm. It is difficult for Sarri to take the pace of a Serie A team for the first time in 2014 with Empoli, and six years later he earned his first name in the elite after winning the Europa League with Chelsea last season.
The oldest tactician to win a championship in the Italian elite at 61 years and six months of age, beating the previous record set by Nils Liedholm (60 years and seven months) in Rome in 1983.
Of course it was a tricky season for all clubs after the forced three-month break due to COVID-19, but Sarri collected the effects for a champion crusade despite a transitional year in Turin. His progress in training his exact formula for the team was hampered by the lack of a suitable midfielder to play the central record role through which his groups still possess possession, but even so he won.
Juve’s form was perfect, with their record of 18 losses in wins this season being their worst record in nine years. They had also conceded 38 goals in the first 35 games, 8 more than they had let into the 38 rounds of last season.
“We lost our form and our organization at Udine, but the positive is that we did it because we were looking so hard to win,” admitted the coach ahead of Sunday’s game against Sampdoria, referring to a midweek loss against Udinese. “I prefer this as an explanation for losing than being passive, which we have experienced many times. I like this preference for winning, but we were not very good at running.
“It’s about finding the right balance, reading the other moments of the game. I like to move on, but you also need to read the situation. However, I will not deny that I prefer the global attack mentality.
“This is the most complicated season in the history of Italian football. If we look at the tables, they have also been reversed since the blockade. In the face of apparent cheating, I think the team did well.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s form has greatly helped his boss and team-mates, with the Portuguese superstar fitting the third Juventus player to score at least 30 goals in an unmarried Serie A crusade after Felice Borel (31 in 1933/34) and John Hansen (30 in 1951/52). Sarri was also the first coach in history to have under his direction two players who have shot 30 or more times, Gonzalo Higuaín breaking the goal scoring record in a Serie A season at Napoli in 2015/16 and Ronaldo breaking the 30-goal barrier.
Winning the Champions League for the first time since 1996 remains Juventus’ ultimate goal, however Sarri has been handed a wonderful start for his team despite this year’s difficulties. Juve’s sporting director Fabio Paratici has shown that the existing boss will be on the team’s comeback pace next season and – with a summer movement window designed to make signatures that will help his formula – it is moderate to assume that this team can only improve.
I am a competent and passionate writer of Serie A, and I travel to watch live games on the peninsula as much as possible. I have a lot of experience
I am a competent and passionate writer of Serie A, and I travel to watch live games on the peninsula as much as possible. I have great satisfaction in writing for British primary newspapers, primary magazines and a variety of other Internet sites around the world. I’ve been a big football fan since I was 11 years old, drinking the game in every possible way. My father took me to watch my local Stockport County team when I was young, and from there I was addicted! His grandfather played for Manchester City in the 1930s and scored a goal in a remarkable friendly against Fiorentina in 1934, under the eyes of the Italian World Cup team. This is the occasion that introduced the holidays in Florence and a love affair with Italian football live began.