When Massimiliano Allegri made his return to Juventus last summer, he immediately named Paulo Dybala as vice-captain, giving Leonardo Bonucci the cold shoulder.

According to the tactician, the defender lost his status as a senior squad player when he made the controversial switch to Milan in 2017.

But with Giorgio Chiellini and Dybala both packing their bags at the end of the previous campaign, Max has little option but to hand the captain’s armband to Leo.

Perhaps the choice is prompted by necessity, but Bonucci remains the best candidate for the job, and here are some of the reasons why.

Atoned and Forgiven

Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the room. We football fans can be a bit emotional at times, So when a fan favorite joins a rival club, we’re unlikely to forget such ‘slight’ quickly.

But this incident took place a long time ago, and Bonucci has already won back the favor of the supporters and resumed his role as one of the locker room leaders.

Continuity

This might be a bit hard to swallow, but Bonucci is the last of the “Old Guard” that restored the Old Lady’s pride and status during the last decade.

Thus, the man possesses the most befitting profile for the job.

Character

Some like him while others don’t, but it’s hard to deny that Leo always had the right traits one would want in a captain.

The center back is solid, experienced, outspoken and has an eye for tactics.

The Lack of Alternatives

If you want to overlook Bonucci’s first stint at Juventus (between 2010 and 2017), then Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro would be the two most senior members of the squad.

However, the Brazilian will likely leave the club once his contract expires in 2023, while the Colombian could also follow suit following his controversial automatic contract renewal.

Moreover, neither man possesses the right characteristics for the job, leaving Bonucci as the undisputed best man for the role.