‘Allegri and this Juventus incompatible, and he knew it’

Ivan Zazzaroni, the editor-in-chief of Corriere dello Sport, explained why the harsh dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus was inevitable, analysing their ‘incompatibility’.

The Italian tactician was officially shown the door from the Old Lady on Friday afternoon following his explosive outburst during the club’s Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta on Wednesday evening, where he took aim at Tuttosport editor-in-chief Guido Vaciago and damaged a press area.

Juventus will now be led by Primavera coach Paolo Montero for their final two matches of the season against Bologna and Monza. The club are widely expected to appoint Bologna’s Thiago Motta as a long-term replacement in the summer.

For Allegri, it’s still unclear whether he’ll take a sabbatical year or immediately return to management in the summer, with a move abroad looking a realistic possibility.

‘Allegri and Juventus incompatible’

Writing on page three of today’s Corriere dello Sport, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Zazzaroni analysed Allegri’s explosive exit at Juventus, explaining why it was a long time coming.

“The stark truth is contained in a single word in the statement with which Juventus sent Massimiliano Allegri out the door (it’s a disciplinary complaint preceding his dismissal). The word is ‘incompatibility’.

“From the very first moment, 18 months ago, Max had realised he had little in common with this Juve; Juve to which he had returned in 2021 out of passion and ambition. The world had suddenly changed on him, and in a traumatic way.

“But he, stubborn, lazy and naive – yes, naive – as he is, tried to adapt to something and someone who was likely to reject him because he had other ideas, other goals (first and foremost economic sustainability, accounts in order), another story and other methods, they were two entities as incompatible as a bolt and a screwdriver.

“The Elkann management had inherited him, Allegri, there was a very heavy contract to honour and at least in the first few months the new management tried to find the balance point to arrive without too much damage at the end of the road.

“Things, however, gradually deteriorated, relations, already complicated, became strained (also due to Allegri’s fault, for goodness’ sake), some spitefulness was not tolerated, and the affair dragged on until the final of the Coppa Italia, where Max presented the best Juve of the season and won, but then gave the club the opportunity to end it all.

“The letter delivered to the coach lists the five reasons that led the ownership to speed up the dismissal by about ten days, irrelevant, in my opinion, is the attitude held towards the fourth official, a situation that unfortunately occurs in all fields of the world with a frequency and tone that is not very edifying.

“The destruction of the photographic material of LaPresse could have been resolved with a compensation that the agency did not demand, the misunderstandings (euphemism) with the director Giuntoli had been evident for months and on Wednesday night a few too many words escaped.

“The frost towards the president and the CEO, Max should have avoided it, Both Ferrero and Scanavino, however, hadn’t let it be known that in the minutes following the final whistle, Allegri is the least approachable person in the world.

“He discharges the tension with terms that aren’t exactly urban, in the Livorno style all instinct (which I do not justify but understand). Something of this – recent cases – Baccin and Marotta of Inter, Ibra and the communication manager of Milan, with whom the coach has moreover apologised.

“Where Allegri actually made a big mistake was in verbally attacking the editor of Tuttosport, an episode he later regretted and felt ashamed of. And which he ended yesterday with a hug and ‘forgiveness’.

“By dismissing Allegri, the club wanted to protect their image and interests. And knowing one of the top executives, I don’t think money had anything to do with it, football is a lie and an ugly world, it has a language and manners that are hardly tolerated by those who don’t habitually frequent it.

“Of course, the non-compatibility with the values of Juve and the behaviour of those who represent them is paradoxical when referring to those who in eight years have brought five league titles, as many Coppa Italia, two Champions League finals and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.

“But this is another Juve and the line of cutting with the past must be considered and respected.”