Juventus: The missing piece
Juventus, a football club that has done the impossible. What Juventus achieved in those last few years is something out of a mission impossible movie but the football kind. Relegated to Seria B, Selling your best players, and hurting your reputation! That’s something very hard to come out of but Juventus with an Angelli, will always reach for the stars.
Qualifying to the Uefa Champions League final in 2014 proves how far the team has gone, they’re now one of the best teams in Europe but why aren’t they the best yet? They have the players, the new stadium, and the desire so what’s the missing piece?
I have watched Juventus suffer when first coming back to the Uefa Champions league and we all knew the problem then, the players weren’t as good as their opponents. Now after reaching the final their players proved that they are at the same level as the best teams in the competition, but when you try to compare Juventus with teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern (let’s call them teams A) you notice that there’s a difference, maybe be its more logical to compare Juventus with teams that are at a lower level like Atletico Madrid and PSG (Let’s call them teams B).
If you take a better look at the difference between teams A and teams B, you find that despite having the same level of players, teams A have something extra, they have the allurement that every player who wants to be the best must have. Call it marketing, history, or even a childhood dream, almost all players who play for teams A feel like they’re playing for the best and moving to any other team would be a step down. That lure is what Juventus is missing, top players who had proved themselves very valuable to the team left, Tevez left with one year left on his contract, Vidal and Coman preferred to play for Bayern instead of Juventus, Morata and recently Pogba chose to go back to their old teams, that’s the problem “the missing piece” to the Juventus puzzle.
Now that we established the what, how can a team B become a team A? First thing that comes to mind is Bayern Munich. Since they won the Uefa Champions league in 2001 they failed to reach the semi finals for 8 year, in that time Bayern would be considered among teams B, what they started in 2007 changed everything. After already having the best players in Germany like Schweinsteiger, Klose, Lahm, and Oliver Kahn they brought in world class players like Ribery and Robben, they also didn’t have much competition in the Bundesliga except for the stubborn Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, yet that’s not what upgraded Bayern to be on the teams A list.
Juventus are in a similar situation as Bayern in 2010 if not better, both losing a Uefa Champions league final but the difference is that Bayern kept their players despite of many offers for their elite players specially Ribery, the players wanted to stay and believed that they could win it. Three years later, Bayern dominates the Bundesliga and wins the Uefa Champions League and finally joining the teams A list. Juventus right now dominates the Seria A, reached the final in 2014 but players still left the club, yes they brought in good players but what’s the point if when they’re world class players they’ll leave for a team in the teams A list? Of course I’m not talking about the Italian players in the club as they have a different situation than other players.
I’m not going to start and imagine a Juventus with the new players and the players that left (although I’d love that!) because that’s not how it works, but I’d love to see players actually wanting to stay and see the dream through. Since Juventus reached the final in 2014 and last year getting knocked out by Bayern (CLEAR THE BALL EVRA!) and this year, Juventus went in with almost a new team each year except for their back line. In 2014 Juventus had their great midfield Pogba, Vidal, Pirlo, and Marchasio with Tevez and Morata In front! And in 2015 they had Pogba, Marchasio,Khedira, and Cuadrado with Dybala and Morata/Mandzukic attacking, and this year Juventus will have Marchasio, Pjanic, and Khedira behind Dybala and Higuain/Mandzukic. Juventus couldn’t keep a solid midfield or attacking line for two straight years, that of course did not and will not help Juventus reach their dream.
The lure that teams A have is the missing piece that Juventus need and that would never happen if they did not convince star players to stay in the team like Bayern did with Ribery and Robben. I hope I’m wrong and I hope to see Platini handing the trophy to the great Gigi Buffon. hurry up please, he only has until 2018.
