Ariedo Braida Says 'Everything Is Possible' Amid Max Allegri, Barcelona Rumours

Barcelona director Ariedo Braida has refused to rule out Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri as a possible replacement for Luis Enrique, insisting "everything is possible" in the club’s search for a new boss. 

Enrique confirmed last week this season would be his last in charge of the Catalan giants. Plenty of speculation has been triggered as a result, and when asked about recruiting a new manager on Radio anch'io Sport (h/t Football Espana), Braida was adamant they’re ruling nothing out yet.

"Allegri is a friend and we know each other very well, but it's really not something we can talk about—it’s all top secret," said Braida. 

He continued: "There’s a different name coming out every day in the Spanish media, from [Ernesto] Valverde to [Jorge] Sampaoli, from [Ronald] Koeman to Eusebio [Sacristan], who is coach of Real Sociedad and is a part of the Barcelona family. Everything is possible. It's something I would prefer not to talk about."

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As noted in the report, Braida and Allegri have worked together in the past during a spell at AC Milan.

Allegri is not among those named, although there has been speculation linking him with a possible move to Catalonia. According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Alex Wood of the Daily Star), the Italian would be keen to make the switch should the offer come in. As noted in the piece, the coach has also been linked with a move to Arsenal.

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Although eyebrows aplenty were raised when Allegri was named as the successor to Antonio Conte in Turin in 2014, Juventus would be hugely disappointed to lose the 49-year-old tactician.

Since arriving at the club Allegri has made Juventus a stronger force in European football, continued the Bianconeri’s stranglehold at the top of Serie A and has added some superb attacking players in the likes of Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.

As these numbers illustrate from the Sky Sports Statto account, Allegri has also turned Juventus into a juggernaut on home soil:

While Barcelona’s chances in the Champions League are hanging by a thread following the 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie, Enrique could still finish the season with a double; the Blaugrana are top of the table in La Liga and into the final of the Copa del Rey, where they will face Alaves.

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As such, while he’s been maligned at times this term, Enrique will be a difficult man to replace at the Camp Nou. Per La Liga journalist Rik Sharma, he’s popular at the Camp Nou too:

Sampaoli and Valverde, who have both had success in La Liga playing an aesthetic brand of football, look to be the standout candidates for the Blaugrana at the end of the season. Koeman and Eusebio, while legendary former Barcelona players, still have a lot to prove as managers before they should be considered serious options.

Allegri would be a fascinating choice for Barca. As was the case at Juventus, he’d be stepping in to take over a successful manager and challenged with moving an elite team up another level. The Italian champions will be hopeful their boss sticks around until at least 2018, though, when his contract is set to run out.