Allegri challenges Juventus to maintain standards

Juventus captured their sixth straight Scudetto today, including the third straight double for manager Massimiliano Allegri. After the 3-0 win against Crotone sealed the title, the manager spoke to the media -

“We have to first of all compliment the six players who won all six Scudetti, as they go into legend.

“I participated in this celebration. I have to compliment the lads, as they have done and are doing extraordinary things.”

Club Director Beppe Marotta has said Juve want Allegri to stay, but the final decision is his -

“It depends on both of us. I am very happy to be at Juventus, we haven’t spoken yet, but we will sit down and understand what to do next. Juve have reached such a high level that we must maintain it and that is not easy, so we need to confront our various ideas.

“This morning a moment flashed through my mind of where I was 10 years ago, from Sassuolo to Cagliari. I am very happy to have won trophies at Milan and Juventus, but there’s a long road ahead of me too.

“My career might not be that long now, but I love football. There’s a lot of pressure, but I find that enjoyable.

“I hope that I haven’t reached my peak yet. I hope that I can do even better, as if you are not motivated to improve, then why bother? This victory is part of the history of Juventus.”

There’s still one game left in the season, and then of course the Champions League Final -

“We’ll come back on Wednesday, having two days off to clear our heads and recharge the batteries. I smiled before the game, as Crotone were extraordinary in their effort and tactics, but tension can change a match. If we had played this three months ago, it might’ve seemed ‘easier’ when with so much at stake it felt very different.”

The change to the 4-2-3-1 sparked the Bianconeri this season -

“I had to break the ice this season, as I felt the team had done all it possibly could with that system and needed to shake things up.”

Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Marotta had also spoken to the media, talking about the winning model created at the club.

“The first thing Andrea Agnelli did was to create the club structure. We have a great unity with the Coach and players, so achieved this also thanks to the human elements.

“Clearly the economic factor is important, but so is planning and technical decisions. We made more of the brand and increased the revenue, which gave the sporting side of the club the opportunity to buy players of greater quality.

“Compared to the side that won the first Scudetto of this run, the squad now has immense quality and is at the top on a European level too.

“I can confirm we are very satisfied with what he has done and will be very happy to continue with him. We have to meet, but I think that considering the man he is, Allegri will feel his era at Juventus has not concluded yet.”

As always, the team is made up of shrewd transfer market signings, a specialty of Marotta’s -

“I think the right mix is to contemporaneously seek young talents who can learn from the long-running champions like Buffon, Chiellini and Bonucci.

“We believe in the culture of work, which has been decisive in our success, so there’s no need or desire to seek the likes of Neymar.

"I think we have created a winning model at the club, because everyone knows their duties and what they need to do. Agnelli is a great fan and embodies the Juventus spirit, which is to try to win in every competition we enter."