5 Ways Juventus Can Become Champions League Winners Once More

The transformation of Juventus from Serie A also-rans into three-time champions was an incredible achievement from Antonio Conte. The former club captain instilled the attitude and winning mentality that, while previously being a hallmark of the Bianconeri, had been lost in the years following their 2006 relegation.

It was a superb feat that deserves nothing but the highest praise. Such was his influence that his sudden departure last summer sent waves of fear running throughout fans of the Turin giants. The appointment of Massimiliano Allegri was largely met with indifference, with understandable doubts over the coach whose spell in charge of Milan ended very poorly.

Yet over the course of the 2014-15 season, the 47-year-old has won over his sceptics, intelligently improving the team and leading them to their impressive current position. As discussed at length in a previous column, Italian football’s grand Old Lady is enjoying a healthy lead in the domestic title race and awaiting a Champions League quarter-final tie with AS Monaco.

Should they emerge victorious from that encounter, it would mark Juve’s first semi-final appearance in that competition for over a decade. To go on and lift the European Cup at this stage seems unlikely, with a lot of work still needed to enable the Bianconeri to compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich on a regular basis.

With that in mind, over the following pages is a look at what Juventus must do to end an almost 20-year run without triumph on the continental front.

Add Depth and Quality at Full-Back

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While the Bianconeri possess impressive depth in both central defence and in midfield, there is little doubt the squad is relatively thin at the full-back position. Injuries to Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres and Romulo have not helped, but only one of those three is a natural at full-back, with the others simply filling in due to a lack of alternatives.

That has meant Simone Padoin—and occasionally Simone Pepe—has been employed to cover on either flank should Stephan Lichtsteiner or Patrice Evra, who are asked to play almost every game, be absent. The club will surely look to address this issue over the summer, bringing in one or two players to fill the glaring void.

Continue with Tactical Flexibility

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One major feature of Juventus during Allegri’s tenure has been tactical flexibility—most notably their ability to switch between three or four-man defensive lineups with ease. That was most evident in the round-of-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund. Andrea Barzagli’s introduction for the injured Paul Pogba allowed the team to change to a 3-5-2 formation and neutralise the threat posed by the German club.

That must continue, with perhaps the summer being used to add a third alternative to the frameworks employed by Allegri, something that would ensure the Bianconeri were difficult to predict while retaining their identity.

Increase Attacking Options

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In order to continue his evolution of the side, the club needs to provide Allegri with even more options in attack, allowing the coach to tailor his forward line to pose problems for a variety of opponents.

A winger—perhaps co-owned Sassuolo star Domenico Berardi—would present the chance to use a 4-3-3 formation, while an attacking midfielder, such as Franco Vazquez of Palermo, would allow Allegri to field a genuine trequartista behind his favoured front two.

Do All of That Quickly!

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While it is said that patience is a virtue, the fact is Juventus need to work quickly if the current team is to enjoy the ultimate glory in the Champions League. Gigi Buffon (37), Andrea Pirlo (35) and Andrea Barzagli (33) are essential players in this side and will not be playing at the highest level for that many more seasons.

That trio would be extremely difficult to replace, while Carlos Tevez appears determined to head back to Argentina when his contract expires at the end of next season. That narrowly reduces the time available to Juventus, but the experience gained this term should vastly improve their chances in 2015-16.

Keep Paul Pogba

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Selling Paul Pogba would hurt Juve’s chances of winning the Champions League more than any other factor on this list. Such is the quality of the 22-year-old midfielder that losing him would take away one of the team’s best players, robbing them of one of few genuine match-winners in the current squad.

It is easy to discuss how a potential world-record transfer fee could be spent, but would new signings integrate quickly enough—or indeed at all—to allow that aforementioned list of aging stars to taste the ultimate victory? Unlikely. Paul Pogba is a once-in-a-generation talent, and Juve’s best chance of glory comes with him in the club’s famous black-and-white stripes.