Juventus waited 12 years for a return to the UEFA Champions League final. Why it took so long goes beyond their talented roster.
The Old Lady has won four straight Italian league championships, dating back to an undefeated 2011-12 campaign that saw fan-favorite Antonio Conte take the managerial helm. Not counting Scudetto, or Series A, titles stripped as punishment for the Calciopoli scandal a few years back, they've won 31 domestic titles and are considered Italy's most historically successful club thanks in large part to Conte's consistent and aggressive style.
Conte's style is what earned him the head coaching position on the Italian national team. It may also be what drove him from Juve's sideline last summer.
"I have matured with time and my feelings led me to make this choice," Conte said of his abrupt departure, just a day after the club gathered for pre-season training. He and team ownership reportedly had a disagreement over the sale of players.
Conte added that it "may be more difficult to keep winning with Juventus" in the future, despite fielding a team nearly identical to the one that notched a record-breaking 102 points in the 2013-14 season.
All-world midfielders Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, and Andrea Pirlo were returning, along with defenders Giorgio Chielllini and Andrea Barzagli. New additions included Manchester left-back Patrice Evra and Real Madrid striker Álvaro Morata. Argentinian star Carlos Tevéz may be on his way out not, but he's proven to be worth every cent of his £10 million transfer fee, coming as the third-ranked Series A scorer last season before being named Juve's "Player of the Season."
In lieu of the fan favorite, Bianconeri got Massimiliano Allegri: an underwhelming hire that was consistently on the hot seat in AC Milan. Like Allegri, Juventus needed a jumpstart. They needed to prove that countrywide success could translate into UEFA competition.
It didn't take long to prove as much.
First came the Series A title. Juventus already had the crown wrapped up by the time Vidal scored the lone goal in a May 2 win over Sampdoria. Better yet, it was locked up with four regular season games remaining.
Next, Juve earned a record 10th Coppa Italia with an extra-time victory against Lazio. Allesandro Matri's 97th-minute score not only brought the TIM Cup back to Turin for the first time since 1995, it brought Juventus' closer to a treble.
Consecutive losses to Atlético and Olympiacos couldn't keep the Zebras from advancing in the Champions League. The steamrolled through Dortmund in the knockout stage and narrowly defeated Monaco by a 1-0 aggregate score. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the league's most feared striker, couldn't outscore Juve, losing the first leg of the semi-finals before tying in the second.
Allegri's squad has persevered all season. If his track record didn't fire up critics, the club's hobbled roster did. Now they find themselves one victory away from their first European Cup since 2002-03.
"There is no specific method to win a final. After achieving our objectives, this final creates the right sense of tension," Allegri said. "It is important to play the game on the field and not beforehand. We must rest now, otherwise we won't be able to walk come June 6."
A scandal took away their 2005 and 2006 Scudettos. That won't be a problem this time around.
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