Allegri: Juventus won Scudetto despite constant injuries and fitness problems

Juventus lifted their eighth straight Scudetto at home with a win over Fiorentina, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory.

Speaking after the game, manager Massimiliano Allegri was happy to finally seal the title with five games left to play.

“I am very happy, because we hit an important target and won half the trophies we competed for this season.

“We remained organised in the first half, but brought it home in the second.”

Was the mood around the squad soured by the Champions League exit earlier this week?

Considering their Champions League quarter-final exit to Ajax only a few days ago, was the mood in any way dampened?

“It is a Scudetto and needs to be celebrated, because it’s not easy to win. We secured the title with five games left and that proves just how remarkable our season has been.

“There were strong opponents in the Champions League this year, as in October I saw Tottenham play in Barcelona and realised the Catalans were the favourites for the trophy.

“We lost, but the team mustn’t let its head drop. On Tuesday, there were another 30 minutes to go and we were 2-1 down, so we could’ve fought back. It’s important to learn how to deal with unexpected events.

“The main thing we must improve next year is how to play with a calm state of mind and confident we’ll be able to do it, as that can make the difference in the big games.”

What would he say was the turning point in the title race?

“I think we won the Scudetto in Bologna, between the Champions League matches with Atletico Madrid and the Napoli head-to-head. That was the decisive match. We had a lot of problems to deal with.

“There were constant new injuries and recurring fitness problems, so at times I had only 14 players to train with. Despite it all, we won by a big advantage.”

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed that he will definitely be returning next season.

“I am staying at Juve, 1,000 per cent. In my opinion, it was a very good first season and I adapted well. We won the Scudetto and the Italian Super Cup, which is certainly not easy to achieve.

“After winning the league in England and Spain, now I can say I’ve won it in Italy too. It was important to me and I’m very happy.”

Was he disappointed by the Champions League loss against Ajax Amsterdam?

“It was a year of success, we are happy. You can’t win all the time. We felt that we could do more and we wanted to win, but only one side can win the Champions League.

“Next year is a new page, the fans all want it and so do we. It is an important trophy, but it’s difficult to get there in this tournament. It’s a positive group and I believe it has been a good season.”