Champions once again, though Juventus did not have it all their way in 2015-16.
The Old Lady were languishing in the bottom half of the table throughout the first series of matches of the campaign, however one moment in the Turin Derby would steady the ship and reverse their fortunes – enter Juan Cuadrado. The Colombian scored a last-minute winner to set up a six-month unbeaten run, powering his side to the top of the table and eventually being crowned champions for the fifth consecutive season.
The Story
The season just gone was a topsy-turvy one for Juve. It all started badly for the reigning champions with injuries to key figures and new signings taking time to find their feet in Turin. Claudio Marchisio’s injury in particular took its toll on a side that found it tough to replace the midfield leader.
Brazilian Hernanes was deployed in central-midfield with no success before Max Allegri even experimented with veteran utility Simone Padoin in the centre of the park to no avail. However, the return of Marchisio added much needed confidence to the side and was able to kickstart its season in the Turin Derby with a win over rivals Torino. Allegri’s men eventually found form and went into the Christmas break with a three-point gap between themselves in fourth position and arch rivals Inter Milan at the top.
It soon became a two-horse race with Fiorentina and Inter dropping out of the top two, leaving Juve and Napoli to fight it out for the Scudetto. Simone Zaza’s late finish in the home tie with Napoli provided the inspiration for Juve to go on and take top spot where they never looked back, opening up an even bigger gap to eventually wrap up the title with a few games to spare.
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Key Player – Gianluigi Buffon
Juventus’ player of the season Gianluigi Buffon proved age is just a number throughout 2015-16. The veteran stopper produced one of the finest seasons of his career, conceding just 20 goals and providing much needed leadership in a season where the Turin giants lost many key stars and dealt with the highest number of injuries of any team across the league. ‘Superman’s’ leadership was typified after the early-season away loss to Sassuolo, in which the Juventus captain reportedly let loose on his team mates in the locker room post-game and demanded his side produce better performances. The week following? ‘That’ Turin Derby mentioned earlier and the six-month unbeaten run which followed.
Manager
History was made for Juventus this season in not only achieving a fifth consecutive title but for their manager, Massimiliano Allegri, becoming the first ever manager to achieve back to back league/cup doubles in Italy. The ex-AC Milan man wasn’t greeted with open arms by the fans initially however Max has again proven this season he’s the right man for the job with Juve not only winning three trophies (league, cup, supercup) but impressively able to manage to keep his side on a steady path among injuries to key players. A similair scenario with the Morata case last season, Allegri intergrated key youngster Paulo Dybala into the squad perfectly. Sheltering the Argentine from much of the hype that arrived with his big money move to Turin and allowing him to flourish as the season went on. Allegri has continued the Conte legacy and built on his success brilliantly with another great season in charge.
Off-season Recruitment
The off-season represented a significant challenge for Juventus, having to replace departing stars Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal. German World Cup winner Sami Khedira was brought in to fill the void left by Chilean Vidal and the ex-Madrid midfielder added much needed leadership and industry in the centre of the park.
In defence, Daniele Rugani was brought in, groomed as the man in line to replace Andrea Barzagli in the back three, but used sparingly in the first half of the season. However, as the campaign progressed, his patience was rewarded as injuries to veterans Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini gave him a chance to prove his worth and gain much needed minutes.
Thirty-year-old old Mario Mandzukic had a solid first season at the Italian champions, banging in 10 goals and earning the fans’ admiration with his tireless running and impressive work rate. Argentine Paulo Dybala filled the void left by Tevez extremely well with the youngster becoming a key figure in the side and the overall leading goalscorer. La Joya provided many moments of magic and just about tripled his value in Turin, enjoying a debut season bettering his predecessor. A star of world football.
Grade – B+
Overall, a B+ for Juventus this season. The toughest Scudetto of their five year period of dominance, Juve went through some tough times at the beginning of the season with injuries and poor form, a true adjustment period. However, their experience shone through, and the Bianconeri picked themselves up in Serie A and powered back to the top of the table where they never looked back, winning three major trophies: the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa.
Their run in the Champions League was disappointing though, bowing out to Bayern Munich after looking certain to progress to the final eight. The Italian Champions will look to bounce back next season and win the Champions League, a point that has often been reiterated among the camp and a desire burning strong.
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