Juventus: Old Lady, new lease of life

by Gianfilippo Scarpati

The 8th of September 2011 marks an historic date for the old lady of Italian football. The opening of a new state of the art stadium is every bit reflective of the new lease of life she has had breathed into her. This is a new era for Juventus. One could go as far as calling it a rebirth. The boulder that is Calciopoli no longer feels as if it is resting on her stern shoulders. The old lady has looked herself in the mirror, understood she has had to change and reinvented herself accordingly.

The 8th of September is now to Juventus what January the 6th is to all Italians. It is their epiphany. La Vecchia Signora, like La Befana, has seen the light, even in her old years. She has provided a gift from an adverse situation, having realised that she cannot hang onto her past but rather must go into her present with a less self-indulgent and more altruistic attitude. One of the wise men who has helped her on the way is Andrea Agnelli. As Juventus president, it was his emotional speech at the stadium’s inauguration that encapsulates this new outlook. Andrea took over presidency of the club in 2010 and is the son of the former Juventus president Umberto Agnelli, now no longer with us. The Agnelli family has an historic place in both Italian and Italian footballing history. A moved Agnelli resoundingly declared Juventus’ new home as one that is filled with:

‘people recognizable from the look in our eyes. People who know to accept the results that are achieved on the pitch, a green pitch like this one, painted with white lines which define our destiny. Lines that don’t lie because the truth is always to be found on the pitch.’

No more scandals to be had – no more corruption, no more lies, no more excuses. The truth lies within the parameters of a new stadium that is systematic of a new ethos. This is now a rejuvenated, reinvigorated Juventus that has cleaned itself up, quite literally too. The eco-friendly stadium meets the criteria of the Kyoto Protocol.

This is not to say that the club is still not immensely proud of its tradition. Returning to Agnelli’s speech, he went on to name the pitch he was discussing as the same one which, “saw us win the Italian title 29 times, the European Cup twice and the World Club Championship twice.”

The old lady could be seen as having gone through a mid-life crisis, for there is life left in her yet. She was corrupted by her surroundings but now has herself a new home. She is in control of her destiny. Juventus are not only laying down a marker for themselves but also the rest of Italian football. In owning their own stadium, they become the first side in Italian footballing history to do so. There is no renting involved and therefore all match-day revenue generated from gate-receipts, which includes income made from an in-built shopping complex, goes directly into the club’s pockets. In the face of this modernised approach, history is also importantly upheld . There are suites dedicated to Gianni and Umberto Agnelli and a museum which showcases Juventus’ glorious past.

This modern 41,000 seated capacity stadium lays the foundation for a new philosophy, not just off it but on it. Appointed in the summer, new manager Antonio Conte brings with him an image reflective of the new modern and vibrant approach of Juventus 2.0. Not only in terms of age but in his refreshing approach to how football should be played. An attacking 4-2-4 formation has seen him achieve wonderful results in Serie B, getting both Bari and Siena promoted to Serie A in his only seasons at the club. This project for him however, as an ex-Bianconeri stalwart, is one of longevity.

He fully understands that the job of getting his beloved Juventus back competing among the European elite is one only at its primitive stages – a work in progress. Nonetheless, with the calibre of player the Turin-based side have recruited over the summer, coupled with the quality they already had possessed amongst their ranks, anything short of Champions League qualification this season may be seen as a failure. This is an even harder task given that Serie A now only has three Champions League qualification places, having lost one to the Bundesliga.

Italia

The vision of the club is to recruit, and field, in the main, Italian players. Of the eighteen players in Juve’s squad in the opening game of the season, thirteen were Italian. What’s more, ten were named in the starting eleven. New signings Pirlo and Giaccherini made their competitive home debuts whilst Lichtsteiner was the only foreign signing to start. Vidal, Vucinic and Elia had to settle for places on the bench, whilst the one-season Juventus veteran Krasic had to also do the same. Loan signing Estigarribia, who impressed with Paraguay in the Copa America, could not even make the bench.

This was a squad also missing the names of the likes of Iaquinta, Amauri, Quagliarella, Grosso, Motta, Sorensen and new signing Pazienza – six of these eight names provided notably also Italian. By no means is Juventus’ approach a xenophobic one or one that omits players merely based on nationality however. Elia, Vidal and Krasic and Lichtsteiner all started in the recent away draw to Catania.

However, there is a clear emphasis on creating a squad whose base is greatly Italian, in so returning to the glories of the past when Juventus were European and World Club Champions. This was an era which saw the club built on a wholly Italian core. The average age of the starting eleven against Siena was also around the 29 mark. This is an experienced set of players with world champions and loyal Juventus custodians running through the spine of their squad.

Buffon, Chiellini and Del Piero reflect the latter part of this jigsaw and Pirlo supplements this experience and winning mentality, although new to the side. Two of Juventus’ youngest players to have played this season, Elia and Marchisio, are 24 and 25 respectively and both internationals. Elia, at 24, is in fact the youngest player to make an appearance for Juventus this season [prior to the Milan game - ed]. It is this experience, alongside the class and vitality involved in the new cycle, that means there is no reason why we should not see a very competitive squad this season. This is also further aided by Juve’s non-participation in European competition.

Juventus have started the season unbeaten and sit at the top of the table with eleven points. The bad days seem to have been erased by a Men in Black-like memory zapper. The years knocked off the men in black and white make the club younger, more forward-thinking. Juventus remain and will always remain the old lady but one must not forget the meaning of Juventus in Latin. It means youth. She may be 114 years old but oxymoronically she is still young and full of life. By the same token, she has the wisdom her maturity has provided. In short, La Vecchia Signora has a new lease of life. Whether this new lease of life will lead her to another Scudetto winning season is the question of real intrigue.

Gianfilippo Scarpati is a new contributor to Just Football specialising in Italian football.

(photo credit: superbriu on Flickr)

Italian Serie A, Italy, Juventus