Leonardo Bonucci Returns to Juventus Without Much Love from Their Fans

At first it sounded too strange to be true. Early last week, rumours began to emerge that Leonardo Bonucci had informed AC Milan he wanted to leave the club just one year after arriving, with some reports even claiming he was seeking a shock return to Juventus.

That he had walked out on the Bianconeri just 12 months earlier and instantly been appointed captain of the San Siro outfit meant these were stunning revelations, and they were soon confirmed by both clubs.

"I've met with a range of clubs, including Juventus," Milan's Brazilian sporting director Leonardo said, per Joe Shread of Sky Sports. "The desire [to talk to Juve] came from him, so if the conditions are right, we'll try to make it happen."

Now they have done just that via a complex deal that saw Bonucci rejoin Juventus while both Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara head in the opposite direction. The Argentinian was a beloved figure among match-going Bianconeri supporters, while many also lamented the loss of the 24-year-old defender.

"I didn't want him back," Juve fan Andy Torres told Bleacher Report as the arrangements for Bonucci were finalised, while fellow member of the club's official Empire State supporters group Tal Battat added that "he's not worth losing Caldara for!"

But while the emotions of those who follow the team closely were understandably stirred by the news, B/R's own Sam Tighe was able to offer a more detached view that helped to explain why the Turin-based side were so eager to facilitate Bonucci's return.

"At surface level, swapping a 24-year-old Caldara for Bonucci (31) seems like a very shortsighted move from Juventus," he said. "You could throw the same argument at the decision to sign Ronaldo (33) for a blockbuster £100-plus million fee, but Juventus' rationale is understandable when viewed through the correct prism: They want to win the Champions League, they think they have a window to do so, and they're doing everything they can to maximise it.

"That's why luring Ronaldo away from Real Madrid—severely weakening the reigning champions whilst strengthening themselves in the process—and burying the hatchet with Bonucci makes similar sense. They're probably not smart moves long term, but if come June 2019 they lift football's most prestigious club trophy, who cares?"

While some fans most certainly do, there are still those who back Bonucci and believe—as Tighe does—he can play a major role in helping end the Old Lady's 22-year wait for European glory.

"Juve is about the team, not one player," Juve supporter Michele Zaccaria told Bleacher Report. "Bonucci offers more assurance in that defence than Medhi Benatia, who is often prone to switching off moments in big games, with Napoli at home being the best example."

He was of course referring to the 1-0 defeat that almost cost them the title, while the same fan also remembers Bonucci going to sit with the club's hardcore fans when he was suspended for a game against Empoli two years ago.

"He stood in the Curva. He's Juventino, end of story," Zaccaria added emphatically. "People might not like it, but he's come home. He knows he messed up, and sometimes it takes a bigger man to admit that and go back."

However, others are not quite so forgiving, as fellow fan Tino Persia explained. "It's a strange one because Bonucci always filled me with confidence when he played and seemed the natural successor for the captaincy," he told Bleacher Report. "Whilst I still don't fully understand what happened in Cardiff and the background to his departure, from a fan who follows their heart, he'll never command the same emotions from me.

"That said, I'm sure he'll be aware of this and will have to prove his worth. But then seeing Gonzalo Higuain kiss the Juve badge as he left, I'd have him back any time. I think it's all about how you leave that gives value to any return."

At the club he leaves behind, Milan fans were somewhat more forgiving, aware that while losing Bonucci might harm their hopes in the immediate future, pairing Caldara with standout defender Alessio Romagnoli (23) gives them a long-term solution at the back. Higuain, meanwhile, almost guarantees goals.

"Bonucci is a fantastic defender that you always wanted on your team, but he never felt like a Milan player," Gino De Blasio told B/R. "He wanted the leadership role, but under Vincenzo Montella, he didn't seem to have that on the pitch, something that clearly contributed towards the coach being dismissed last November.

"Milan fans won't miss him," De Blasio continued. "We have the potential Italy national team backline for the next 10 years, and that's more exciting than Bonucci not being in the squad. Milan's problem wasn't defence under [Gennaro] Gattuso, it was goals. With or without Bonucci, that won't make any difference. He's also a necessary sacrifice in getting Higuain, and I'd rather have a goalscorer that we know has form in the Italian game over a defender that caused trouble at Juve in the past."

He was not alone in that thinking, either.

"I never rated Bonucci the best like many experts say he is, but I was happy when we signed him," Milan regular Michelangelo Gamberini confessed. "Our defence lacked quality, and he was an excellent option. He probably decided to go back to Juve because he is not the kind of man that can put the whole responsibility of a team on his back, especially one with many problems and no other big personalities to share this effort with.

"Bonucci shines when he plays among other good players rather than being a star who has the duty to drag the squad by himself. I am currently very happy at Higuain and Caldara arriving, and I am not so focused on Bonucci's departure, even if I know it will create some problems. I wish Bonucci good luck for his new adventure, thanking him for his massive support on the pitch and in the locker room in the past year, but I am more disappointed that the Milan captain left for Juve rather than about losing Bonucci himself."

Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this move is how the Italy international will be received at Juventus Stadium just a year after walking away. After all, last season he scored there for Milan, and after being subjected to loud jeering, he celebrated that goal in front of those who once idolised him.

"Many people are asking why Juve fans in Turin didn't try to stop this deal like other fans did with similar swaps in the past, but our management earned a lot of credit," Maurizio Giovanelli—a Juve season ticket holder and founder of fan site Around Turin—told B/R. "We must respect and trust their decisions, also considering the financial parameters they must meet, which has clearly been the main reason for all this.

"Even if the Ultras wanted to eventually protest, you must understand that all the organised groups are on summer vacation, and can you imagine complaining with the club now that we just got Ronaldo or protesting against a management team who brought so many trophies in the last few years?

"I am the first one who is not happy at all about how things went, but to be honest, what is done is done," Giovanelli continued. "I will not cheer for Bonucci at the stadium because I feel betrayed. Do I have respect for this man? No. He abandoned ship more than once when things got heated, and he will have the chance to talk and explain, but regardless of what he will say, I will never love him again like I used to love him in the past. I will simply deal with it because I love my team and we have a goal in mind."

That viewpoint was supported by hardcore supporters, as Ultra leader Marchino explained. "Fans forgive and forget very quickly," he told B/R. "I think you have to have full trust in a club that has managed to bring you Cristiano Ronaldo in the team, and if they have taken Bonucci back, there will surely be good reasons for doing so?"

A belief that the club, and in particular director general Beppe Marotta, deserve the faith of the fans runs deep, with many putting their emotions aside somewhat in order to understand how this move could be justified.

"I like this deal from the financial side because Bonucci and €55 million for Caldara and Higuain is good work," season ticket holder and Turin native Luca Carpi told B/R. "What disgusts me is sending Higuain to Milan from a playing point of view and accepting Bonucci back, but the big problem for Juve is that it seems to have been impossible to sell Higuain, meaning they would only agree to give the Rossoneri Caldara if they also took the Argentinian striker. It was the only way once Chelsea dropped out.

"It's a good deal to make €25 million profit on Caldara, who hasn't played a single minute for Juve. We can say thank you to Higuain, but now we have Bonucci again. Forza Leo! There was nobody to greet him at the airport and very few people at the medical facility. I don't think he'll be whistled when he plays at the stadium, but he might be greeted with silence, indifference."

Some have yet to clearly make up their mind, with one supporter, Jean-Francois Scarfo, still unable to comprehend what had happened. "I thought it was impossible, but then I remembered Ronaldo was also impossible, so…" he told B/R, his voice trailing off in disbelief. "As a fan, I didn't want this transfer to happen. Bonucci had no respect for the club last year when he left, but putting emotions aside, it's probably the player we needed at the back, so now we can only hope he is strong enough to handle the pressure from his own crowd."

That remains to be seen, but after agreeing to pay a 33-year-old Ronaldo an astronomical salary over the next few seasons, re-signing the 31-year-old defender is yet another example of how badly the Bianconeri want to secure European silverware.

Perhaps it is fitting when discussing a deal surrounding such high-profile players that the last word goes to another professional athlete, with former boxer Joe Calzaghe expressing his delight when asked about the deal.

"Bonucci is back?" exclaimed the former undisputed world super-middleweight champion and lifelong Juventus fan. "I'm happy with that. Those Champions League sides better look out!"