Allegri: 'I almost resigned'

By Football Italia staff

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri admits he considered resigning after the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

The Bianconeri were beaten 4-1 in Cardiff, and the tactician discussed the aftermath in a lengthy essay for the Players’ Tribune.

“When I watched Mario Mandzukic’s strike arch over the Real Madrid goalkeeper, I thought, ‘Wow … maybe’,” Allegri wrote.

“Then it hit the back of the net, and I thought, ‘OK, maybe this is our chance’. It was a magnificent technical sequence from our players in the build-up, and just a beautiful finish from Mandzukic. In my mind, it is a goal that will never be repeated.

“It shows the difference it takes to be a club in a Champions League final. You can’t just be great. You have to be special.

“We have special players. Unfortunately, Real Madrid have many of them. By the second half, I knew we just didn’t have the tools or the pieces we needed. “We had two players who could barely stand on their feet due to injury, and Real Madrid played a very smart match. They were relaxed. They were comfortable.

“To reach the final, you need talent and luck. To win it, you need to be the better team. And this may sound strange, but I actually walked off the pitch that night with peace of mind. Because I knew we weren’t the better team. It was as simple as that.

“I left Cardiff with the team and returned to Italy. The next evening, when I got home, I had to ask myself a very hard question: Is this the end of the road? Is this as far as I can take this team?

“I wondered if I should write the final chapter to my story at Juventus. Part of me was thinking about walking in on Monday and respectfully resigning.”

After discussing his upbringing, his early career and his reasons for being a Coach, Allegri reveals what caused him to remain in Turin.

“When I thought about this Juventus squad, my decision became quite personal. I know I still have a lot to prove. And I know I still have a lot to teach.

“So that night, before I went to bed, I decided that if the club was on board with my strategy and we could move on together, then I would stay on.

“The next morning, my head was clear. I went to my office at 7 a.m. and had my espresso. It was a new season, with new opportunities. A lot has been said in the media about this team and the players. What we can do. What we cannot do.

“For me, I look at Paulo Dybala and Gigi Buffon. In a way, they are the symbol of this team.

“I see Dybala, like a bright boy about to start his first year in school. Buffon, with a World Cup, is about to get his Masters degree.

“One with his career ahead of him, and one near the end. One who wants to show that he can be one of the greats in Europe. One who is already a great, but wants to end his legacy on top.

“I know we can shed the scabs from Cardiff. I know we can have a great season. I know we can have a great Champions League campaign.

“So now we just continue to work. We’ll try to make it to opening night at La Scala once again. The good thing about the opera is that there’s a new show every year.”

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