Juventus: A Successful Comeback

Juventus lost players, titles, and respect after the Calciopoli scandal. With their heads down they were forced to play in Serie B.

But they found something different there—the joy of the game. The Old Lady seemed revitalized and it wasn’t long before Italy cheered Juventus again.

What former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri has done with the Bianconeri has exceeded all expectations. He has sparked hunger and passion in the players and the Turin club has been flying high in Serie A as the competition looks stronger than ever.

Ranieri has been spot-on in selecting the starting eleven for almost every game, although some say that Del Piero should be put to more use. Juventus is currently in third place (eight points shy of Inter), but has proven to be on par with the stronger sides by earning draws against Milan, Roma, Fiorentina, and Inter.

Going into this season, Il Pinturicchio had yet to put pen to paper on a new contract extension. Lengthy meetings, much speculation, and a pay cut later Del Piero finally signed a new deal tying him to the club for another two years.

With a freshly signed contract on his back, he took his game up another level. In spite of discovering some of his previous fine form, he has been unable to take a place in the Ranieri’s starting line-up.

Vincenzo Iaquinta and Tiago were last summer’s biggest signings. Iaquinta has made an instant impact and has already taken a spot in the first eleven alongside French ace David Trezeguet, while Tiago has spent most of his time at the club warming the bench.

Gianluigi Buffon is still showing why he’s considered the best goalkeeper in the world with every game, but while he has been rock steady between the posts, the defense has been lacking in solidarity at times.

Reports are placing Aston Villa’s defensive rock Olof Mellberg in the Turin club. He could very well be the leader the backline has been lacking since the departure of Fabio Cannavaro. Chiellini, still at a young age, possesses much of Cannavaro’s characteristic qualities and will without doubt be of great use to Juventus.

The midfield—Camoranesi, Zanetto, Nocerino, and Nedved—has been outstanding. Nocerino and Zanetti have risen to the challenge while Nedved and Camoranesi look newly inspired. Whether or not the Czech decides to play another season remains to be seen.

Raffele Palladino has the will but has so far been unable to prove his worth. Ranieri still has three forwards in superb form at his disposal with Del Piero, Iaquinta, and current Capocannoniere, Trezeguet.

Juventus’ loss in the Calciopoli scandal was tremendous, but there is a silver lining—the players who make up Juventus today are here because of their love to the club and its fans. The prospect for this season was to take a Champions League spot, but the Old Lady has gone right into the Scudetto race.