On this day in 1923, Edoardo Agnelli became the president of Juventus. At the time, the young entrepreneur was 31 years of age. His father Giovanni was one of the founders of FIAT.
Little did Edoardo know at the time that this was only the beginning of a multi-generational dynasty that would last for 100 years and counting.
La Gazzetta dello Sport tells the story of the Agnelli family at Juventus from Edoardo all the way to John Elkann.
Prior to Edoardo’s arrival, the Bianconeri had only won a solitary Scudetto title throughout the club’s 26-year history.
But with him at the helm, the Old Lady lifted the title in 1926 before ushering in the first glorious cycle, winning five titles in a row between 1931 and 1935. Juve became a business module for all to follow.
At the age of 26, Edoardo’s son, Gianni Agnelli, became the new president. L’Avvocato served as chairman of the board until 1954, but he remained the most powerful man at the club and the majority owner until his death in 2003, sharing a never-ending bond with the Bianconeri.
Gianni oversaw some of the most successful periods at the club, while his younger brother Umberto also had his moment in the sun. The latter became Juventus president in 1955 at the tender age of 21. He eventually left the post in 1962.
The fourth and last Agnelli to assume presidency was Umberto’s son Andrea who took the post in 2010. The ambitious patron launched an unprecedented winning cycle in Serie A, winning the Scudetto nine years in a row.
Sadly, Andrea’s presidency ended unceremoniously in 2022 with the club engulfed in major financial and legal troubles and himself facing multiple trials and bans.
Nowadays, Gianni’s grandson John Elkann owns the majority of the club’s shares, but he never truly occupied a managerial role at Juventus. Instead, he opted to install some of his most trusted collaborators in the hierarchy while distancing himself from daily affairs.
