When asked about Gennaro Gattuso’s good friend and former teammate Andrea Pirlo taking over at Juventus last summer, he said, “Andrea Pirlo is now screwed!” Of course, Gattuso was teasing, but his words have come true: Pirlo’s first season as a coach at some stage has been a nightmare. Read more Juventus news here.
Juve, who started the season hoping to win their 10th Scudetto in a row, is now in danger of missing out on next season’s Champions League. This will worsen the club’s already serious financial problems.
The Bianconeri are fifth in Serie A after a 3-0 defeat at home to top-four rivals AC Milan on Sunday. They travel to Sassuolo on Wednesday.
Juventus News | Pirlo Goals Remain Same
“Our goal is to show to the world that we deserve to be in the Champions League. We were saddened by the loss to Milan, but our goal remains the same. We owe it to ourselves to trust in qualifications,” Pirlo told reporters on Tuesday.
However, the club has lost faith in him. According to the Gazzetta Dello Sport, technical director Fabio Paratici and vice-president Pavel Nedved fought in front of the team buses in the Allianz Stadium car park on Sunday night about sacking Pirlo.
Pirlo’s deputy, Igor Tudor, was suggested as a replacement for the final three rounds of the Serie A season, as well as the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta.
The Bianconeri, however, opted against further destabilizing the team too close to the end of the season, as Goal’s Romeo Agresti announced on Monday.
Even a fourth-place finish would not save Pirlo at this stage. From former manager Massimiliano Allegri to new Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Juventus are now considering possible successors.
When the Pirlo project began in August of last year, Paratici identified him as the natural successor to Maurizio Sarri. He was the polar opposite. His promotion shocked Italian football for two reasons.
1. The haste with which it was made.
2. The fact that he had not yet completed his coaching course.
Juve fired Sarri, who had just led them to the Scudetto. He has replaced him with the man who was initially lined up to direct the Under-23s. Less than 24 hours after they were upset by Lyon in the Champions League last 16.
However, they weren’t very good, or at least not good enough to bring a rookie coach.
For more football updates subscribe to madoverfootballnews.com
