Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri explains how the club’s project now primarily focuses on youth development.
The 56-year-old is now under fire due to the club’s most recent results while his future in Turin remains far from certain.
Yet, he still takes pride in his role in increasing the number of youngsters within the first team.
“This season, we have many young players in the first team,” said the Juventus coach in his interview with The Athletic via IlBianconero
“Many of our boys play for other teams in Serie A. The club has done an excellent job. To be sustainable, Italian football must follow this path.
“When I returned to the club, I was asked to rejuvenate the squad. The goal was to bring in three Next Gen players every season, reduce the wage and make the team sustainable while remaining competitive.”
“You try to make the most of the positive moments. Then you know that, after a while, comes the difficult part.
“All young players go through this. Miretti and Fagioli have experienced it. Yildiz will also overcome it. The young players ought to have ups and downs. They don’t reach maturity until they’re 25 or 26.
“Those with more mental strength get there sooner.”
Allegri also considers Manchester United an example to follow in terms of relying on a large contingent of academy products.
“Manchester United have eight or nine players from their academy in the first team.
“It is now impossible to bridge the financial gap between the Premier League and Serie A. So we must continue in this direction, working on youth development and on the Next Gen.”
On the other hand, Allegri considers the nine-year winning dynasty as an exceptional period for Juventus, urging the club to look beyond it and focus on the present.
“We have to adapt and understand that the nine consecutive Scudetto titles were an extraordinary thing. It won’t happen again in Serie A.
“There were only been two similar times in the history of Juventus – the five consecutive years under Carlo Carcano and Carlo Bigatto.
“Beyond that, Juventus have won at most two consecutive titles, then once after three years, as other clubs have also done.
“The nine Scudetti in a row have distorted perceptions because the reality is different.”
