As they say, misfortunes don’t come singly. So between deep financial crisis, sever legal issues, point deductions and miserable performances on the pitch, Juventus are arguably enduring an all-time low.

However, we do have somewhat similar precedents, especially in 2006 when the club suffered relegation to Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal.

But back then, the Old Lady was still able to rely on a band of loyal heroes led by iconic captain Alessandro Del Piero. The list also includes world champions Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, David Trezeguet and 2003 Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedved.

So according to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Andrea Masala, the current crop should follow the example set by the 2006 legends, starting with Angel Di Maria.

Reminiscently to Del Piero and Buffon, the Argentine has just won the World Cup, only to return to a club suffering from deep crisis.

However, the journalist criticizes the 34-year-old for his recent statements which contained alibis. Instead, Masala urges the winger to step up to the plate and act like a bona fide leader in the face of the storm.

Juve FC say

While it’s easy to understand the logic behind Masala’s reasoning, expecting Di Maria to assume a role similar to the one portrayed by Del Piero and Buffon at Juventus is simply a far-fetched notion.

For instance, the Italian legends were already established leaders at the club prior to Calciopoli, while the Argentine has only landed in Turin last summer, and wasn’t planning on lingering for too long anyway, as proven by his insistence on signing a one-year contract.