Maurizio Sarri

The Bianconeri extended their record run, which stretches back to 2011-12, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi.

Maurizio Sarri's side have wobbled over recent weeks, failing to wrap things up on Thursday when they went down to a 2-1 defeat at Udinese. 

It meant they had only one win from five as they prepared to entertain Sampdoria, with Inter's 3-0 victory over Genoa on Saturday having closed the gap at the summit to four points. 

The Scudetto represents Sarri's first major honour in Italian football, while at 61 he has also become the oldest coach to win Serie A. 

Juve were just one point clear of Lazio prior to the shutdown in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, but four straight victories upon the resumption helped them build a commanding lead – breathing space that came in handy more recently. 

Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role in the triumph. He reached 50 career Serie A goals in just 61 games, while also becoming the first man to score 30 in a league campaign for Juventus since John Hansen in 1951-52. 

Will tournaments be completed when conditions are suitable? Will things finish as they are? Will the campaign be declared null and void?

With the help of Opta, we look back over the previous 10 seasons to see who would have been crowned champions if the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga had stopped where there are now.

Aguer-no!

It was an iconic moment in Premier League history. Sergio Aguero scored Manchester City's second stoppage-time goal as they came from behind to defeat QPR 3-2 and clinch their first top-flight title in 44 years, beating crestfallen arch-rivals Manchester United to the trophy on the final day of the season.

However, if the campaign had been stopped where it is now it would have been United who were celebrating due to a one-point advantage.

It is the only occasion since 2009-10 that the team on top after 29 matchdays has not won the Premier League.

Atleti's title wiped out

Atletico Madrid incredibly broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly in LaLiga in 2013-14, with Diego Godin salvaging a draw at Camp Nou on the final day to ensure they finished top of the pile.

However, it was local rivals Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, who sat three points clear after 27 games of the season, meaning Diego Simeone's crowning achievement would not have occurred.

The only other instance of a team being displaced in the final 11 matches came in 2009-10, when Madrid sat ahead of Barca on goal difference but ended up seeing Pep Guardiola's men go on to win LaLiga for a second straight season.

Juventus dominance broken up

Eight straight Serie A titles have seen Juventus create history in Italy, but they would have only managed five if the previous seasons stopped after 26 games – the total the majority of clubs have completed in 2019-20.

The Bianconeri went undefeated under Antonio Conte in 2011-12, although it was Milan who topped the table at this point in the campaign, meaning Massimiliano Allegri would have won successive Scudetti at San Siro.

Maurizio Sarri would also not have had to have waited until winning the Europa League with Chelsea last year for his first major title.

Sarri's Napoli only surrendered top spot to Juve on matchday 27 in 2017-18 and they failed to recover it, missing out on their best chance to finish top since the Diego Maradona era.

QSI off to the perfect start

The landscape of Ligue 1 changed dramatically when Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought Paris Saint-Germain in June 2011, although no silverware was added to the Parc des Princes trophy cabinet in the first season following the takeover.

However, they would have been crowned champions had the 2011-12 season finished after 28 games, denying a Montpellier side powered by the goals of Olivier Giroud an unlikely first Ligue 1 title.

There would have been bad news for PSG in 2014-15, though, as the trophy would have gone to Hubert Fournier's Lyon due to a one-point margin.

Bordeaux would have made it back-to-back titles in 2009-10, too, with Marseille having made the most of a collapse that saw Laurent Blanc's side slip from first to sixth over the final 10 matches.

Bundesliga business as usual

What changes with the Bundesliga title winners if you stop the previous 10 seasons after 25 games? Nothing.

Bayern Munich would have won eight championships to Borussia Dortmund's two.

Juve have not played since beating Serie A title rivals Inter behind closed doors on March 8.

Italy's top flight will not return until at least May 3, a date that could be pushed further back, with the nation recording the highest number of deaths at over 10,000 as a result of COVID-19.

Defending champions the Bianconeri have therefore moved to reduce players' wages.

Fellow Champions League giants Barcelona filed to make cuts after their squad reportedly refused an initial proposal, but Ronaldo and the rest of Juve's stars - plus head coach Sarri - were able to reach an agreement.

"[The club have] reached an understanding with the players and the coach of the first team regarding their compensation for the residual portion of the current sport season," a statement read.

"The understanding provides for the reduction of the compensation for an amount equal to the monthly payments of March, April, May and June 2020.

"In the coming weeks, personal agreements with the players and the coach will be finalised, as required by the current regulations.

"The economic and financial effects of the understanding reached are positive for about €90m for the 2019-20 financial year.

"Should the current season's matches be rescheduled, the club will negotiate in good faith with the players and the coach conditional increases of compensations according to the actual resumption and finalisation of official competitions.

"Juventus would like to thank the players and the coach for their commitment at a difficult time for everyone."

Football in Italy is due to return this month after being suspended since March following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Juventus were a point ahead of Lazio when the campaign was stopped as they pursued a ninth Scudetto in a row, with Inter a further eight points back with a game in hand.

A serious second wave of infections would likely see Serie A brought to a standstill again and Bonucci thinks it would be better for all concerned in that instance if 2019-20 was simply scrapped.

"I hope we get to the normal end of the championship," the Juve defender told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "If that didn't happen, a lot of stories, controversies, appeals would come out.

"I'm not in favour of other hypotheses. If it stops, it's better to finish things there and not assign anything.

"Hopefully, we'll get to August 2 and declare a winner. Hopefully, it's Juve."

Juve will resume the season with the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Milan on June 12, with the aggregate score 1-1.

The Bianconeri are pursuing a possible treble in Maurizio Sarri's first season in charge since he took over from Massimiliano Allegri.

Comparing the two coaches, Bonucci admits to being "pleasantly surprised" by Sarri's way of working.

When asked to name the differences between Allegri and Sarri, he said: "They're obvious. Allegri is really good at managing the dressing room, the most difficult moments of the season, to make the team understand how to manage the tempo of a match. In his five years, he was a master at this.

"Sarri is meticulous, passionate about tactics, someone who likes to make the team play well. He's also learned in these months with Juve what it means to be Bianconero.

"I've seen us grow significantly. He has a wealth of football knowledge, but he has been able to question himself. He had the humility to understand the dynamics of the collective. I was pleasantly surprised, really."

Higuain, 32, has been with Juve since 2016 when he moved from rivals Napoli and, although he enjoyed a fine first season in Turin with 32 goals across all competitions, he was less impressive the following year.

With Cristiano Ronaldo then arriving at Juve in 2018, Higuain was deemed surplus to requirements and spent the season on disappointing loan spells with Milan and then Chelsea.

Higuain was given another shot at Juve following the arrival of his former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri last year, despite him failing to impress under the Italian with Chelsea.

But a rather meagre goals tally of 11 in 43 matches does not bode well for his future, particularly given Sarri was sacked after Juve's Champions League last-16 elimination by Lyon.

Higuain insists no decision has been made yet as he still needs to talk with Pirlo, though a return to Argentina appears unlikely as he seems to prefer the idea of following his older brother Federico to MLS.

"I don't miss Argentine football, I like watching it, but no, I don't miss it," he told Fox Sports.

"I started young there and today Argentina should open its eyes because so many players hesitate to return, especially for the future of their families.

"Many now go to the United States, to China, or Saudi Arabia at the age of 25. I only left because it was Real Madrid.

"I'll rest and think. On the 24th [of August], I'll return to Italy. I have to introduce myself [to Pirlo] and see what happens with the new manager. I'm sure there will be a different dynamic.

"Many players go to MLS, it would be nice, yes, but now I'm here, let's see what happens."

Whatever happens in the short term, Higuain's future after his playing days are over will not involve management – instead, he wants to work with the "next generation".

"I will not become a coach due to the mental and physical stress that this implies," he said.

"All the coaches arrive with black hair and three years later they turn grey. I want the next generation to learn and know what it means to be a footballer, which is not playing in the square with your friends.

"I want to show them what I have experienced. Children today are very aware of what they will say and are influenced by what their parents have told them about me. Thus, the child will learn differently.

"I think that growth in Europe has been different, they respect me more abroad than there [Argentina]."

The Serie A leaders have the chance to extend their advantage over nearest rivals Lazio - who let slip a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Atalanta on Wednesday – with a victory over relegation-threatened opponents in Turin.

Juve marked their return to league action with a 2-0 triumph away at Bologna earlier this week having already played twice in the Coppa Italia, though Higuain played no part in any of the fixtures.

Sarri previously said the striker was missing due to a slight injury issue but has now revealed the coronavirus pandemic has also had an impact on the player, although he is now training again with the rest of the squad.

"Higuain is a very sensible person, he's been touched in a particular way from the events of the world and from his personal experiences," Sarri told the media.

"At the time of his return he thought it was not even right to go back to playing, while in addition he had this little injury.

"Now it seems to me that he is finding that desire he had at the beginning. For us, his return is important."

Juve will be glad to have Higuain back as the games come thick and fast following the restart.

Lazio's slip means the reigning champions are four points clear at the summit, though Sarri is taking nothing for granted with 11 games still to play in the league.

"The games are all difficult as physical conditions are not optimal. We'll need to be ready," the former Napoli boss said.

"We should not be looking at the other games but, instead, at our performances, which in the end will bring us the results.

"The league advantage isn't substantial as there are still 33 points up for grabs. We need to have the right mentality, always."

Higuain, 32, has scored six goals in 26 Serie A appearances for Juve this term, most recently netting in a 4-0 win over Lecce in June.

The former Real Madrid striker, who has also worked under Sarri at Napoli and Chelsea, came off the bench against Torino and Genoa, having last started a game in March prior to the coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

Ahead of Tuesday's clash with Milan, another of Higuain's former clubs, Sarri has admitted he sometimes has to take an aggressive approach to get the best out of Higuain. 

"I always read that I fight with everyone, when actually the only person I fight with is Higuain," said Sarri.

"I don't know why that is, but it's always been the case. Maybe it's because he needs a rather aggressive counterpoint to bring out the best in him.

"Mentally he's fine but physically I don't know how much he can take because he's been on and off lately.

"He needs pampering one day and beating against a wall the next! When he's feeling down, he needs caring for. 

"When he's on a high, he must be brought down a peg because he can get too carried away."

Milan handed Juve a huge boost in their title bid by beating Lazio last time out, opening up a seven-point gap at the top of Serie A, but Sarri is not expecting any more favours from the Rossoneri. 

"Tomorrow's a difficult game for us," Sarri said. "Milan are in great physical and mental condition and are playing at high levels.

"At a time like this, the mental aspect is very delicate and mistakes are only around the corner. The lads know it's going to be a tough month, so they can't lose focus.

"Our lead at the top shouldn't make us relax. We're at a time when games are all difficult and messing one up is extremely easy."

Sarri has come under fire following Juve's shock defeat to Hellas Verona last week, which allowed Serie A rivals Inter to move top of the table on goal difference.

There have also been reports former boss Massimiliano Allegri could be brought back to Turin, where ex-Chelsea and Napoli coach Sarri is only in his first season at the helm.

Preparing for Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg at Milan, Sarri was asked about the pressure and he told reporters, "If I hadn't wanted to be under scrutiny, I would have applied to work at the post office."

Those comments angered the Italian Post Office, which furiously hit back on Wednesday.

The statement read: "With regards to the comment by Maurizio Sarri, 'If I had wanted to avoid tough tests I'd have worked at the Post Office', Poste Italiane invite Mr Sarri to dedicate a few minutes of his precious time to educate himself on the fact the Post Office is the biggest company in the country.

"It is chosen by young graduates as one of the most attractive companies to work for, that it is recognised among the top 500 companies in the world for quality of working life, that it has one of the best performances on the stock exchange in 2019 and is in third place, on the global scale, among Italian companies for image and reputation.

"The tests therefore – contrary to what Mr Sarri maintains – are certainly there for Post Office staff and the company answers to citizens, businesses and public administrations.

"We invite him to view our daily work in person at one of our 15,000 operative offices."

The outbreak of the virus, officially named COVID-19 which originated in China, forced four Serie A matches to be postponed on Sunday, including the clash between Inter and Sampdoria.

The move came as part of preventative measures taken in Italy after two people died in the country.

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte has said all this week's top-flight fixtures could yet be cancelled too, while reports suggest Juve will host title rivals Inter behind closed doors in Turin on Sunday.

Sarri, though, has refuted suggestions his club's fans should have stayed at home instead of travelling to France for the first leg of their last-16 tie.

"It's a European and global problem, not an Italian one," he told a media conference. "In Italy, we made 3,500 tests for coronavirus and therefore had many more positive tests.

"In France you had about 300 tests and so obviously the average who are positive is much lower. If you did as many tests as we did, you'd probably have as many positives too. Therefore, our fans have every right to be here."

Juve have not won European club football's biggest prize since 1996, but Sarri does not believe his future is dependent on ending that drought this season.

"I don't know what my future depends on, but the president pointed out that this is a three-year project," he added. "I have great faith in what my president says, as he tends to be pretty clear.

"It's very difficult for any Italian club to chase this dream because we were the leaders 20 years ago, but we have been overtaken due to various reasons in the last couple of decades.

"A dream is not to be underestimated. If you chase a dream and achieve it, that is ecstasy, whereas if you don't achieve it, it was still a wonderful journey."

Giorgio Chiellini could make his first European appearance of the season after a serious knee injury ruled him out for five months.

The centre-back has featured in Juve's last two Serie A games and has subsequently been named in the squad for the trip to France, much to the delight of his defensive partner Leonardo Bonucci.

"We both like to not only play football, but also talk during the game, communicate with our team-mates and help the younger players to make the right movements," Bonucci said. "If there are two of us doing that, it's easier.

"There is also a language issue, because with Matthijs de Ligt we are trying to communicate in English while he learns Italian. It's not quite the same, but we're getting there and improving our communication. With Giorgio there, we can speed the process up."

Dybala, 26, is out of contract in 2022, but has been linked with a renewal in Turin after enjoying an impressive season.

Paratici confirmed talks with Dybala were in progress and a fair way down the track, with the playmaker set to stay at Juve.

"We often speak with his entourage and we are moving forward, despite all the difficulties related to the commitments and the movement due to the games that are played every three days," he told Sky Sport.

"Even in this period, we are talking quite frequently and we are well advanced."

Juve clinched a ninth successive Serie A title on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

Paratici was full of praise for coach Maurizio Sarri, who secured the league crown in his first season in charge.

"Sarri has made an incredible climb in his career and he's in the place he deserves to be," he said.

"He is certainly one of the protagonists of our season."

Dybala came off against Sampdoria due to a suspected thigh injury in a worry ahead of the Champions League resuming next month.

Pirlo was named as Sarri's successor last month and marked his first competitive game in charge with an impressive 3-0 win over Sampdoria last weekend.

Ramsey, who was in and out of the side last season, enjoyed arguably his best game for Juve as he created an unrivalled six chances – including an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo.

And the Wales international revealed the mood has now changed in the dressing room on the back of iconic former midfielder Pirlo's appointment.

"We have a new coach, a new staff, new ideas and the players are very involved in this," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"I think we are having more fun than last year. The training sessions are hard but there is also a little bit of joy."

Dejan Kulusevski and Leonardo Bonucci were also on target for Juventus in their opening match, but Ramsey believes there is still more to come from his side ahead of Sunday's trip to Roma.

"We started well but we still need to improve," he said. "In this team there are many great players, who can all play and help the team reach their goals.

"I'm happy to be able to play together with these top-quality attackers."

Inter finished just a point behind Juve last season and are expected to push the champions all the way this campaign after spending big during the close season.

Ramsey is predicting a tight battle at the top this term, adding: "Inter are a great team and have signed a lot of players. They are are one of the contenders for the Scudetto.

"Like Napoli, who are very strong. Milan finished last season well and started the same way. Serie A is a very tough league."

Kulusevski, 20, was bought by Juve for €35million in January before being sent back to Parma on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Swedish attacker said he had watched De Bruyne closely and is hoping he can emulate the Belgium star.

"He is one of the top five players in the world," Kulusevski told Sky Sport on Wednesday.

"I study a lot because he is a phenomenal player and because I want to become like [him], but also stronger.

"Among my habits is to watch many games, because I learn a lot from my colleagues."

Kulusevski was also linked with a move to Inter before deciding to sign with Juventus.

The former Atalanta man said Juve coach Maurizio Sarri was one of the key reasons he chose the Serie A champions.

"One of the reasons why I chose the Bianconeri was Sarri," Kulusevski said.

"I think I can do very well and learn a lot with him. I watched all his Chelsea games."

In a run stretching back to 2011-12, Juve have now won nine consecutive Scudetti, with Sunday's 2-0 win against Sampdoria sealing glory this time.

Fittingly, a moment of magic from Cristiano Ronaldo set Juventus on their way to the title-clinching victory, his strike just before half-time settling the nerves.

Maurizio Sarri replaced Massimiliano Allegri at the helm of the Turin giants for 2019-20 and there have been teething problems.

Nevertheless, as these key games demonstrated, a willingness to fight back from behind and a lethal forward line separated them from the competition once more.

Juventus 4-3 Napoli (August 31)

The second weekend of the season saw Sarri tasked with taking down his former employers, with whom he memorably ran Juve so close in 2017-18. A debut goal from Danilo was quickly followed by Gonzalo Higuain crashing home, and Cristiano Ronaldo made it 3-0 shortly after the hour.

Game over, right? Wrong. Kostas Manolas headed in Mario Rui's 66th-minute cross, with Piotr Zielinski the provider for Hirving Lozano two minutes later. Giovanni Di Lorenzo scrambled home to seemingly complete an astonishing comeback nine minutes from the end, only for Kalidou Koulibaly to put through his own goal in stoppage time.

Inter 1-2 Juventus (October 6)

Antonio Conte started Juve's dominant streak nine years ago and he arrived at San Siro this term with similar intentions for his new club. Inter had six wins from six when they welcomed the champions to Milan.

Paulo Dybala thrashed a fourth-minute opener across Samir Handanovic and Ronaldo rattled the crossbar before Matthijs de Ligt was penalised for handball and Lautaro Martinez levelled from the spot. A high-quality contest remained all square until 10 minutes from time, when Higuain coolly converted Rodrigo Bentancur's pass for a finely constructed winner.

Atalanta 1-3 Juventus (November 23)

Robin Gosens nodded Gian Piero Gasperini's effervescent Atalanta side ahead in the 56th minute, Musa Barrow having erred from the penalty spot before half-time, and Atalanta held firm until Juventus turned the game on its head in the final quarter of an hour.

Higuain hit a brace before compatriot Dybala completed the scoring – securing a victory that would only appear more important after lockdown as Atalanta stormed up the table.

Juventus 2-0 Inter (March 8)

The new normal arrived at the Allianz Stadium for the Bianconeri's final game before the shutdown as the Derby d'Italia took place behind closed doors.

Juve had lost 1-0 to Lyon in the Champions League last 16 in the previous match – a deficit they will finally have the chance to try to overturn on August 7 – but put in a controlled performance to move nine points clear of Conte's men. Aaron Ramsey pounced for the opener and Dybala gave a timely demonstration of his class once more midway through the second half.

Atalanta 3-2 Lazio (June 24)

If beating Inter seemingly ruled the Nerazzurri out of the title race, Lazio were hot on Juve's heels. Simone Inzaghi's team beat the Old Lady 3-1 in both Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana in December and entered lockdown a point behind them at the summit. In their first game back, a Marten de Roon own goal and an excellent Sergej Milinkovic-Savic strike had them 2-0 up inside 11 minutes.

But Atalanta were typically relentless, with Gosens heading in before the break and a Ruslan Malinovskiy piledriver levelling matters. Lazio had long been on the ropes by the time Jose Luis Palomino snatched the points in the 80th minute. The team who had looked like being Juve's main rivals would never properly recover.

Juventus 2-1 Lazio (July 20)

Lazio's implosion was not immediate, as they scraped wins over Fiorentina and Torino on the back of their collapse in Bergamo. However, they had taken one point from the past 12 on offer by the time they travelled to face Juve.

Not that Sarri's side had fared much better, with a 4-2 loss from being 2-0 up at Milan and unhelpfully action-packed draws with Atalanta and Sassuolo leaving them staggering towards the finish line.

Cue Ronaldo, who converted a 51st-minute penalty and tapped in from Dybala's pass shortly afterwards. Ciro Immobile reduced the deficit with a spot-kick of his own, but Juve were on the brink - even if there was time for one more wobble in a 2-1 loss at Udinese.

The bulldozing Bianconeri have won Serie A for a ninth year in succession following their 2-0 victory over Sampdoria on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi scored the goals that clinched the championship for Juve following a run of just one win in their previous five games.

Although it may not have been a vintage Juve season they still extended their record run of consecutive titles.

With the help of Opta, we take a look at the stats behind their ongoing dominance.

Days of glory

The first title in this incredible run was secured on May 6, 2012.

By defeating Sampdoria, they clinched number nine three days after they celebrated their 3,000th consecutive day as Italian champions.

A record for Sarri

Antonio Conte led Juve to their first three titles in this run and Massimiliano Allegri extended it by a further five.

Maurizio Sarri kept the tradition going in his first season at the helm, earning his first major trophy in Italian football.

By topping Serie A aged 61, he surpassed Nils Liedholm (60 years and 219 days) to become the oldest coach to win a Scudetto.

Not as solid

Sarri was appointed to bring a more expansive approach to Turin and their defence has seemingly suffered as a result.

Juve have already conceded 38 goals, becoming the first team to win the title while shipping that many since Milan let in the same amount in their triumphant 1961-62 season.

Veteran centre-back Giorgio Chiellini is the only player to have made at least one appearance in each of Juve's past nine Serie A title successes, with Gianluigi Buffon the only player in history to have won more Scudetti.

In the season he surpassed Paolo Maldini at the top of the all-time Serie A appearances list, Buffon, who has been back-up to Wojciech Szczesny since returning from Paris Saint-Germain, won the league for an incredible 10th time.

Ronaldo rolls on

Juve's continued success owes a lot to the incredible goalscoring feats of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner may be 35 but his prolific nature does not appear to be waning; this season he became the first player in history to score at least 50 goals in Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League.

Ronaldo was also the fastest to 50 goals among players to have debuted since 1994-95, hitting the milestone in just 61 appearances with a double against Lazio on Monday.

That brace also moved the Portugal captain onto 30 goals for the season, a tally he stretched to 31 against Samp, making him just the third Juve star to reach that mark in a single top-flight campaign, following in the footsteps of Felice Borel (32 in 1933-34) and John Hansen (30 in 1951-52).

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, who also missed a penalty, and Federico Bernardeschi helped Juve to a 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday to clinch the league crown.

Sarri said Juve's dominance was incredible, hailing his players for winning Serie A after a break of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It was one of the hardest [seasons] because of everything that's happened," the Juventus head coach told a news conference.

"If you think, we began our pre-season on July 6, and we won the title on July 26 the year after, that's pretty tough. Nobody can tell me that the 50, 60 days we weren't active because of lockdown, reading about thousands of deaths, has been a relaxing period.

"It's been an extremely hard season, a tough one – in sports, in football, in life, there is nothing that can be taken for granted, winning is always hard.

"Winning for two to three years is very hard. Winning for nine years, as some of these players have – I think – is an extraordinary feat."

Former Chelsea and Napoli boss Sarri, 61, became the oldest coach to win Serie A thanks to Juve's success.

The Italian joked about winning the title at his age, saying: "I, like all children, used to dream about winning the Scudetto.

"I didn't win it as a grown up, yet I did as an old man."

Empoli favourite Maccarone played at the Tuscan club when Sarri made his reputation there in a three-year stint that began in 2012, before the coach went on to Napoli, Chelsea and now Juventus.

Veteran boss Sarri only came to prominence in his early fifties, when Maccarone was a key figure in his Empoli side, just as Ronaldo now is at Juve.

And while 61-year-old Sarri has forged a plan to fit superstar Ronaldo alongside Gonzalo Higuain and Paolo Dybala in a three-man Juve attack, it was once the case that he had a quandary involving Maccarone.

Once he solved that puzzle, Empoli and Sarri went from strength to strength.

"At Empoli, the strikers were me and [Ciccio] Tavano, but he started with only one forward," Maccarone told Stats Perform.

"So, to let us both play – we were still young at 33 since we are still playing at 40 now, but still we were not so young – he adapted himself to the talent he had.

"This is when a manager proves to be smart. Ever since he changed the formation, we started getting points.

"Now he says, 'I have got Cristiano Ronaldo who will score at least one goal per game, so I have to adapt my style to his'."

Maccarone is a cult hero to many followers of Italian football, having returned from a spell in England with Middlesbrough to score regularly, largely for Siena and Empoli.

Still playing at the age of 40 for Serie C side Carrarese, he has fond memories of Sarri.

Maccarone and Tavano, who turned 41 last month, have taken their Empoli partnership to Carrara, where the veteran pair are again team-mates.

Sarri knew they were a potent partnership, which is why he ripped up his lone-striker policy at Empoli.

That flexibility was rewarded in the 2013-14 campaign when Empoli were promoted to Serie A, and a year later Sarri was on his way to Napoli, his home city club.

Looking back on Sarri's Empoli reign, Maccarone said: "At the beginning things didn't work out well, but there his style was born. I think he is one of the best managers I had.

"He gives you a lot of motivation and is a good talker. On the pitch you already know where, how and when you will receive the ball, then of course you have to add your spin.

"I like Sarri's way of playing football. When needed, he makes himself understood, he gets often angry because he wants everything perfect."

The former Italy midfielder took charge as the Under-23s boss at his old club just nine days ago but has now been named as Maurizio Sarri's successor.

Sarri was sacked on Saturday after Juve were knocked out of the Champions League on away goals at the last-16 stage following a 2-2 aggregate draw with Lyon.

Ex-Juve player and current Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane emerged as one of the initial favourites for the role, along with ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi.

There was also speculation Italy boss Roberto Mancini could be offered the post, but the club has promoted Pirlo instead.

"From today he will be the coach for Juventus, as the club has decided to entrust him with the technical leadership of the first team, after having already selected him for Juventus Under-23s," a statement read.

"Today's choice is based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench, an expert and talented squad to pursue new successes."

Pirlo left Juve in 2015 after the Bianconeri, who had been chasing the treble, were beaten 3-1 in the Champions League final by Barcelona.

He spent two years in MLS with New York City before calling time on his playing career.

The 2006 World Cup winner is a six-time Serie A champion, having won two with Milan and four with Juve. He won two Champions Leagues as a Rossoneri player, in 2003 and 2007.

Pirlo, 41, was sensationally appointed Juve coach on Saturday after the Serie A winners sacked Sarri following their Champions League last-16 exit at the hands of Lyon.

Former Juve midfielder Pirlo, who was only recently named the Under-23s boss in Turin, will surprisingly have his first taste of senior coaching with the Bianconeri.

Zola worked as an assistant to Sarri at Chelsea in 2018-19 and he told Sky Sport Italia: "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by this.

"It's fascinating and if the project works, it'll go down as a huge success story for the club. It's not an easy job, though, as Juventus are asking to win in a certain way.

"This is a courageous move from the club and based on the quality of the man, but Pirlo will need their support going forward. It's not simple, but I do think he can have real success."

Pirlo left Juve in 2015 after the Bianconeri, who had been chasing the treble, were beaten 3-1 in the Champions League final by Barcelona.

He spent two years in MLS with New York City before calling time on his playing career.

The 2006 World Cup winner is a six-time Serie A champion, having won two Scudetti with Milan and four with Juve. He twice triumphed in the Champions League as a Rossoneri player, in 2003 and 2007.

There is a growing belief that the two clubs have agreed to a deal that would see Juve pay Barca €10million and send Pjanic to Camp Nou in exchange for Brazil international Arthur.

Rumours of such a deal have persisted for many weeks, with both clubs said to see the arrangement as a useful way of balancing the books amid the financial uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, but Arthur was reportedly not interested in a move until a change of heart in the past few days.

Speaking ahead of Juve's Serie A clash with Lecce on Friday, which could stretch their lead over Lazio at the top of the table to seven points, Sarri insisted he has not been told by the club that Pjanic is bound for the exit.

He also made it clear he is not pushing for the midfielder to leave despite suggestions Pjanic is not wholly compatible with Sarri's preferred system.

"If he is sold, it'll be for other reasons. He is not under discussion from a technical point of view," he said on Thursday.

"But the club haven't given me any signals in that sense, so I don't take it into consideration.

"The discussions between him and me are on technical and mental aspects. He mustn't worry if he misses a game, but he has to react quickly.

"I'm happy with Miralem and I'm sure, in that role, he can improve further."

When asked specifically about Arthur, Sarri replied: "Arthur is a Barcelona player and I don't want to talk about him."

Sarri had appeared irked by the fact Barca counterpart Quique Setien spoke about the rumours this week, claiming Arthur was affected by the speculation.

"Given how things are, we need all of our players and we'll try and isolate ourselves from this situation and the media who are reporting on and talking about these rumours," Setien said.

"We need him to be focused. It's true it is a difficult situation but we have to overcome it somehow."

Juve appeared set to open up a six-point gap at the top of the table when Cristiano Ronaldo scored for a club-record 10th successive league match in the 65th minute.

But Fabio Borini levelled with a clever finish 14 minutes from time and Giampaolo Pazzini completed the unlikely turnaround late on, converting a penalty after Leonardo Bonucci had deflected Marash Kumbulla's header onto the crossbar with his arm.

If Inter and Lazio win on Sunday, a solitary point will separate the top three in Serie A, and Sarri had forceful words at full-time.

"This team has been accustomed to winning comfortably over recent years and we need to get it into our heads that we cannot afford to waste points," Sarri told DAZN.

"Hopefully we'll learn the lesson, because we have been talking about it for quite a while. It's difficult, because the team trains well but then can't rise to its full potential during matches. We have to find a resolution to this.

"The mind is most important. If that's not engaged then you aren't going to be on the mark tactically. Similarly, if your mind is also not 100 per cent engaged, then the physical stuff won't follow either.

"We need to realise that winning cannot to be taken for granted. We must work harder, get dirty when we need to and not relax.

"Verona deserve immense credit for the first 30 minutes, but we deserve the blame for the final half-hour. They showed great intensity – we didn't, it's that simple."

The defeat was Juve's second in three games and third in their previous five away league matches.