Juventus knew exactly what they were getting when hiring Andrea Pirlo and would be wrong twice if they decided to make a change now, according to Fabio Cannavaro.
Despite winning Serie A for a ninth successive season, Juve reacted to the team's shock Champions League exit to Lyon last year by sacking head coach Maurizio Sarri.
Pirlo was promoted from within to the top job, the former Italy international - who had only just been appointed as the club's new under-23 boss - signing a two-year deal to take charge of the first team.
His debut campaign has been tough, both at home and abroad. Juve's dominance in the league looks set to come to an end, while their hopes of European glory were dashed again at the last-16 stage, this time unexpectedly losing over two legs to Porto.
Pirlo's position has come into question as a consequence, yet former team-mate Cannavaro insists the club must show faith in the decision they made to appoint him in the first place.
"When Juve chose Andrea they knew very well that he had no experience," Cannavaro said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport
"It is logical that he should have his time to mature, even in the relationship with the team. There are still 30 points at stake, so it is right to leave it.
"And he did good things, throwing young people and managing a complicated dressing room, one full of people who have won a lot. Of course, some things don't work, he was wrong: he is a human.
"It's a heritage that must be protected. After all, if Juve don't confirm his position, what did they choose him to do last summer?
"They would be wrong twice if they take that decision now. And the blame can't only be his if the players make mistakes on and off the pitch."
Pirlo's Juve have a 57.14 per cent win percentage in Serie A, having scored 56 goals and conceded 25. The team averages exactly two points a game, considerably lower than the 2019-20 season.
They face a fight just to qualify for the Champions League again: Saturday's 2-2 draw against Torino saw them slip to fourth in the table, with a crucial home game against Napoli - who sit fifth, albeit level with Juventus on 56 points – to come on Wednesday.
As for Sarri, his solitary campaign in charge averaged out at 2.18 points per game, the former Napoli and Chelsea boss winning 68.42 per cent of his league fixtures as he secured the title again.
However, both slip below the lofty standards set by Massimiliano Allegri in his final year in the job. In 2018-19, his squad won 73.68 per cent of their Serie A outings, conceding just 30 goals as they picked up points at a rate of 2.37 per game.
Reims striker Balogun backs himself for Olympic appearance
Reims striker Folarin Balogun may have been overlooked by England boss Gareth Southgate, but he believes he could have an international career outside of football.
The Arsenal loanee has been in blistering form this season, scoring 17 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances, and has been a regular for the Three Lions' under-21 side.
Such form has led to calls he should be promoted to the senior squad, particularly given the fight for his international allegiance is fierce as Balogun is also eligible for the United States and Nigeria.
Southgate did not heed those calls, however, instead opting to select Brentford's Ivan Toney as understudy to captain Harry Kane.
Whether Balogun will get his chance in the near future remains to be seen but he has revealed he fancies his chances of featuring at the Olympics in table tennis.
"I'm very, very good at ping pong. We have one [a table] here and honestly, I think I could play it at Olympic level," he told Sky Sports.
"I'm honestly that good, I've made a lot of money with a few bets, but yeah, I'm really, really good."
Balogun could find inspiration from others who have competed in other sports outside of football, including former Arsenal and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who plays semi-professional ice hockey in England.
Sevilla appoint Mendilibar after sacking Sampaoli
Sevilla have confirmed the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar as coach on a short-term contract after sacking Jorge Sampaoli.
A dismal run of form has seen Sevilla lose four of their last seven LaLiga games and they sit just two points above the relegation zone.
Sampaoli's second spell at the club came to an end on Tuesday following a 2-0 defeat at Getafe, which proved the final straw.
The Argentine replaced Julen Lopetegui in October but managed just six wins out of 19 LaLiga matches in charge, although he did lead Sevilla into the Europa League quarter-finals.
Sevilla moved quickly to confirm a replacement, with former Real Valladolid, Alaves and Eibar boss Mendilibar drafted in on a contract until June 30.
His first match in charge will be after the international break, with Sevilla visiting fellow strugglers Cadiz. They then host Celta Vigo on April 7 before travelling to Old Trafford for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Manchester United six days later.
Mendilibar has overseen 448 LaLiga games as a coach, winning 128 and losing 195.
Neville keen for new stadium as deadline for Man Utd takeover bids approaches
Gary Neville is keen for Manchester United to have a new home, telling prospective bidders to modernise the club.
The Glazer family's tenure in charge at Old Trafford could be nearing a conclusion, having announced in November that they were exploring options for a sale.
Last week saw visits to the club from Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's delegation and Jim Ratcliffe, both of whom are the running for a potential takeover – though there could be as many as eight bidders.
Former United captain Neville is keen for whoever takes charge to invest significantly in the club's infrastructure, including the construction of a new stadium.
"I think we've got to make sure that whoever the new owners are in the next few months, that they harness what the club's history is about, and also take Manchester United forward into a modern era," he told ITV News.
"You look back at the past in terms of what we are and what we should be, but also I think we need to be a modern football club, with a new stadium, a new infrastructure.
"The training ground needs to be brought up to speed and the sporting project needs to be world class.
"And there needs to be that feeling among the fans again, that everyone's aligned on the same page - they haven't had that for the last eight-to-10-years."
While United are perceived to have fallen behind to their rivals off the field, significant gains have been made under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch boss guided United to League Cup glory in February, the club's first trophy since 2017, with further honours up for grabs with the campaign in the FA Cup and Europa League continuing.
Those improvements have impressed Neville, who added: "I think the thing about Manchester United for me is that the football can never be boring.
"You always have to go to a game feeling that you're going to see something exciting.
"The lads that wear those shirts out on the pitch, they have to look like they're engaged and they've got a spirit and they want to be here.
"You think about how bad it was at the end of last season to what it is now - a huge turnaround."
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