'Changing would be madness' – Juventus chief defends Allegri after poor run

By Sports Desk September 18, 2022

Juventus dismissing Massimiliano Allegri following early-season struggles would be "madness", according to Bianconeri chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

Allegri's side had won just two of their eight games in all competitions ahead of their Serie A trip to Monza on Sunday.

That form has led to growing pressure on coach Allegri, who has resembled a defiant figure as he insisted his side were "growing" despite domestic and European failings so far.

The 55-year-old signed a four-year contract in Turin last year, and reports in Italy suggest Juve are unlikely to part ways with Allegri at this stage.

Arrivabene echoed those sentiments as he suggested he should take some blame for the Bianconeri's underwhelming results this term.

"Changing would be madness," he told DAZN. "Today, problems must be lived and seen at 360 degrees; we have come out of difficult years that have weighed on everyone's skin, not just football. 

"The responsibility is running Juventus; carrying out summary trials or pointing at a culprit does not help a club like Juve to work.

"Max not only has a contract but a four-year programme. I have a CEO programme. If you are looking for a culprit, it's me.

"The CEO is at the top of the company; if things don't work out somehow, it's also my job to make them work.

"Looking ahead, there are three very important elements: humility, clarity, determination. We need to look ahead together."

Related items

  • Mona High begins defense of Manning Cup title with 7-0 win over Waterford Mona High begins defense of Manning Cup title with 7-0 win over Waterford

    Mona High School started the defense of their first ever ISSA Manning Cup title with a dominant 7-0 thrashing of opponents Waterford High at Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, St. James on Saturday.

    Man of the match Carlton Brown scored a pair of goals in the 17th and 37th minutes, the first being a brilliant right-footed strike from long range that evaded Waterford goalkeeper Jaheim Daley.

    In between those two strikes, Savi-K Morton made it 2-0 in the 31st minute through a well-placed left-footed shot from just inside the 18-yard box.

    Captain Robino Gordon made it 4-0 ten minutes later with a close-range finish, a score that would hold until the end of the first half.

    Just a minute into the second 45 minutes, Alex Suazo made it 5-0 with the second long-range strike of the day.

    The scoring was completed by Kshaine Gordon (67’) and Denzel McKenzie (70’).

    “It’s really important to get off to a good start and we have more to come,” Brown said in a post-match interview.

    Mona assistant coach Kyle Butler believes his team could have done even better but was happy with the win nonetheless.

    “Definitely a statement win. The foundation is there but we’re still in second gear. We still have a lot that we can improve on. We could have won 10-0 easily but as I said the foundation is there and we want to build on that,” he said.

    Waterford High coach Kevin Reid expressed disappointment at his team’s performance.

    “It’s a disappointing start for us. Experience got the better of us today. Nevertheless, I believe they learned something to day and I believe the best team won. We just have to get back in training and put in some more work and, hopefully, we will have a better second game,” he said.

    Mona will next take on Jonathan Grant on September 12 while Waterford will tackle Charlie Smith on the same day.

     

     

     

  • Leon Bailey's injury update emerges with surgery a possibility Leon Bailey's injury update emerges with surgery a possibility

    Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey could be ruled out for over 10 weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up recently.

    This according to injury expert Dr. Rajpal Brar, who explained the best and worst-case scenarios for the Jamaican international, as he pointed out that surgery could also be on the cards.

    Manager Unai Emery was reluctant to put a timeline on Bailey’s return, and Dr. Brar, a physical therapist and sports scientist, agreed as he explained that the 27-year-old’s return will be determined based on the extent of the injury.

    “His return timeline remains TBD, so that leads me to believe it’s not just a low Grade 0 or 1 injury, which would be the best-case scenario. The worst case would be a Grade 4 hamstring rupture, which means over 10 weeks out depending on if surgery is needed or not, and that possibility cannot be ruled out yet,” Dr. Brar told Villa News.

    “One confounding variable with Bailey is that he’s a high-pace player, which puts more stress on the hamstrings, so you have to make sure he can handle those demands before being reintroduced,” he added.

  • Arsenal 1-0 Rosenborg: Maanum strike ensures Champions League progression Arsenal 1-0 Rosenborg: Maanum strike ensures Champions League progression

    Frida Maanum's first-half strike ensured Arsenal progressed to the second round of Women's Champions League qualifying after a 1-0 win over Rosenborg.

    Maanum netted the only goal of the game in the 19th minute after Caitlin Foord saw her cross spilled by Rugile Rulyte, with Maanum on hand to finish from close range. 

    The Gunners could have made the encounter more comfortable as Alessia Russo's header came back off the crossbar to conclude a dominant first half.

    Arsenal struck the woodwork a further two times after the interval, through Russo and Kyra Cooney-Cross, with Leah Williamson also seeing her header cleared off the line.

    But Jonas Eidevall's side were able to restrict their opponents to very little, with the hosts ending the contest with 30 shots, though only five of those were on target.

    Arsenal go through to the next stage of the next stage of the competition, which is a knockout tie played across two legs.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.