Juventus' Target for the 2014/15 Champions League Season Is the Quarter Finals

It has been a strange summer for all connected with Juventus. The reigning Italian champions saw Antonio Conte walk out on the second day of pre-season training, losing the man perhaps most responsible for their return to dominance.

The coach had overseen three incredible years on the domestic front, ending each of his seasons on the bench by lifting the Serie A title. In winning those successive crowns, the 45-year-old managed to end the malaise that had blighted the club in the post-Calciopoli era.

Yet Conte was unable to deliver a similar level of success in Europe, with the club perhaps even appearing to regress in the Champions League during his tenure. His first campaign was without continental competition altogether, before making a splash by reaching the quarter final stage in 2012-13.

Once there however, he was simply overwhelmed by eventual winners Bayern Munich, the German outfit overrunning an ill-equipped Bianconeri side. Even the 4-0 aggregate scoreline failed to fully surmise the comprehensive nature of the Bundesliga giants across the two-legged tie.

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Last season saw Conte’s Juventus failed to improve, eliminated at the group stage despite a comfortable-looking draw. Paired with Real Madrid, La Madama expected to progress ahead of either Galatasaray or FC Copenhagen, yet managing just one win in four matches against that latter pair.

Dropping into the Europa League provided some respite, comfortable wins over Trabzonspor, Fiorentina and seeing them into the semi-final. There, with a final to be held in their own stadium awaiting, the Bianconeri were once again given a lesson, this time by a rampant Benfica.

Having looked on as they collapsed, Massimiliano Allegri arrived in Turin knowing he's facing a difficult task in taking over from Conte. Speaking at his inaugural press conference (h/t UEFA.com), the new coach vowed to win over “skeptical” supporters with “good results, hard work, respect and professionalism.”

Moreover, he displayed an understanding that the Champions League was the one area where he could surpass Conte’s achievements on the Juve bench. He went on to tell reporters his intentions, adding:

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Juventus are still the favourites in Italy, while there are many other big clubs playing in Europe. We have to be one of the best eight in Europe, I will try to get the best out of my players and will adapt to their characteristics.

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It is perhaps that statement that leads to the conclusion that the quarter final must be the aim this term, despite an expectant fanbase demanding much more. Progressing that far would not only represent a major improvement on last term, it would provide the belief that there is much more to come from this current incarnation of Juventus.

That could prove important not just to those filling the stadium each and every week, but also the men currently pulling on those famous black-and-white stripes. There are a number of high-profile players within the squad who need to see such improvements quickly, with questions mounting over their futures.

Felice Calabro'/Associated Press

Chief among them are Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, two men around whom there was intense speculation all summer, such as this from Anthony Chapman of The Express. The two midfielders are vital to Juve’s continued success, driving the team forward with the undeniable quality and ability discussed in depth here.

It will also prove the managerial credentials of Allegri, a man who arrived tainted by last year’s failure at Milan, but determined to prove he deserves his current position. Further still, success in Europe would once again establish the club as one of the continent's finest clubs, and a name to fear once again.

Former boss Marcello Lippi—who led the Bianconeri to Champions League glory in 1996—believes that is the only way his former club can compete with other elite sides. Speaking earlier this summer, he told Perform (h/t Goal.com) that Juventus “are now aware of their strength and they need to continue their growth at international level."

That must begin this season, and reaching the quarter-final stage should be the minimum aim of Italy’s grand Old Lady. With the likes of Gigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo joining rising stars like Pogba and Vidal, she certainly has the men in place to show her the way.

The time has come for Juventus to deliver.