
For any nostalgic, or simply a lover of good taste, the crisis could already be seen between the sides of a jersey that kills tradition. A kind of Celtic Glasgow with narrower stripes and in black and white. Yes, tradition. The one that gave Juventus fans trophies lifted by players with a quality so different from the current one. Now the crisis has officially opened.
Against Como, Juventus went on for 90 minutes, the last 45 minutes of the Istanbul match on Tuesday evening. Just when one had begun to notice progress in the game plan, and the standings were starting to be in line with the pre-season ambitions, here came a series to make your flesh tingle. Defeat in Bergamo and farewell in the Italian Cup, a draw at home with Lazio, a bitter surprise at San Siro, a Champions League exit to Galatasaray and a domestic one in Serie A with Como: five matches, four defeats and a draw.
Against Atalanta, Lazio had at least the consolation of having played a more than convincing match, in terms of personality and chances created, with Inter aware that they had suffered a difficult and unbearable injustice and, in the first half in Turkey, the certainty of being more than reliable even in a particularly difficult context. Then came the second half and the entire match at the Stadium with Fabregas' team. Numbers are worth something and then we continue to count: five matches, fifteen goals conceded. Now it gets really difficult. Out of the Coppa Italia, almost out of the Champions League (although the undertaking is very difficult but not impossible) and, for the moment, not even qualified for the next Europe that matters. The Bianconeri lick their wounds and, redoing the calculations again, realize that they have returned to the darkest years after Calciopoli.
Those, to be understood, after returning to A and before Conte's turnaround, continued by Allegri. Since the 2010/11 season, with Delneri as coach, Juventus had not accumulated so few points after 26 weeks: 41 then, 46 today. In 15 years, therefore, it had not been this low. Last year, that of the replacement Motta-Tudor, there were 49, three more than now, despite the fact that there was talk of a ruined season. Two years ago, with Allegri's last dance, 57. In the two previous seasons, always with Max in charge, 53 and 47 respectively. In 2020-21, with Pirlo, 55. In the year of the last title, with Sarri in 2020, 63. Even 72 in the final season of Allegri's first in 2018/19.
It's about a different football and different players. The comparison, however, is impressive, especially if you consider that the club has not spared any expenses. It has simply spent badly. However, there is one mistake that there may still be time to avoid: that of throwing the cross on its coach by starting, for the umpteenth time, a new technical revolution. Whether or not the Champions League place comes, the most logical solution is to collaborate with coach Spalletti to build a team at the height of his ideas and the club's ambitions. Starting from scratch once again would be just another leap in the dark.