If you don’t win the Europa League this season, it could be very difficult for Juventus to retain many of their players heading into 2023-24.
The prospects of the club’s top talent and coaching staff are hanging by a thread that could break at any moment due to the weight of what is at stake in their Europa League quarter-final tie with Sporting on Thursday.
Salernitana boss Paulo Sousa dashed Juventus hopes at Gazzetta dello Sport by praising the Portuguese side: ‘The Portuguese beat Arsenal, they can’t be afraid of the bianconeri’.
The impact of elimination would be truly devastating for Juventus and would force their hand on many of their players, for example Adrien Rabiot, whose contract expires this summer.
A defeat to Sporting could be a defining moment in the future of a club in turmoil, determining how they move forward.
Juventus are seventh in Serie A and winning the Europa League is their best chance to qualify for the Champions League
They will face a Sporting side who recently knocked out Arsenal on a penalty shootout in North London
Massimiliano Allegri is currently in danger of ending his second season as leader without winning a single trophy. The only way for The Old Lady to end this desperate year on a somewhat positive note is to take the treacherous paths offered by the two remaining cup competitions they participate in.
While victory in the Coppa Italia would be domestic success, the elimination of the Europa League would end the club’s 27-year wait for a continental honour, having beaten Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final.
ALLEGRI FIRST IN THE LINE OF FIRE
Allegri’s future is most at risk, despite the wages he earns at the Allianz Arena. The chances of his contract being mutually terminated are increasingly likely, especially if the club is trumped by Sporting.
The Tuscan coach would have no problem finding a new team and would be in great demand in the international market.
In that case Juventus, as previously reported by Sports mailwould likely look for a former player and Igor Tudor would be one of the main candidates, with the Croat on the books in Turin from 1998-2007.
In Italy, according to Tuttosport, he is considered John Elkann’s favorite pick for the role, as his approach resembles Antonio Conte’s while coming at a fraction of the price.
The likelihood of Massimiliano Allegri’s contract being mutually terminated is increasing
Igor Tudor from Marseille is considered John Elkann’s favorite successor
VLAHOVIC AND RABIOT
Dusan Vlahovic and Rabiot are perhaps the most valuable assets within the team, but there are doubts about their future next season. Both are top players and as such have much higher aspirations for their careers.
Vlahovic is going through a rough patch and is seriously considering ending his Juventus career after being constantly targeted by fans on Instagram, which he recently decided to suspend.
The pressure to represent Juventus is much higher than Fiorentina’s, but this season his statistics show just how bad his form has been.
Eight goals in 20 appearances in Serie A are the numbers of a mediocre striker, and the Serb is understandably eager to return to his status as one of the division’s leading stars, despite Allegri’s team’s tactical and technical difficulties.
With Rabiot, Juve have found a much-needed source of goals from midfield, with the Frenchman scoring eight in 24 Serie A appearances, highlighting just how far he’s come in recent months.
But his future will undoubtedly be marked by offers from elite European clubs, and the temptation to return to PSG is very strong after four up and down years in Italy.
As things stand, there is only about a 10 per cent chance of the player extending his contract with The Old Lady, and his departure would likely represent a huge loss to Juventus’ tactical and technical plans.
The idea of replacing him with Sassuolo’s Davide Frattesi exists, but tactically it wouldn’t exactly be a like-for-like change – they’re two different players, with their only common feature in their physical attributes.
Adrien Rabiot is one of the most improved players in the Allianz Arena, scoring eight goals in Serie A
Dusan Vlahovic has had a lackluster season in Turin and has been regularly targeted by fans
WITHOUT EUROPE THERE WILL BE A REVOLUTION
How will Juventus afford Wojciech Szczesny’s huge wages without the money from the Champions League? How can they continue to pay Allegri about £7 million (€8 million) over the next 2 years?
These are just two of the immediate financial problems at the heart of a club ultimately teetering on the brink of economic implosion.
Winning the Europa League is the only available path to next season’s Champions League and Juve’s only realistic chance of keeping the best players in the squad.
European qualification would be a much-needed breath of fresh air in the club’s struggle to retain the likes of Vlahovic, Bremer, Rabiot, Filip Kostic and Arkadiusz Milik, on loan from Marseille with a £7 million (€8 million) purchase option. .
The approximately £35 million (€40 million) the club would receive if they secure Champions League football next season, added to the £17.6 million (€30 million) expected for taking home the Europa League trophy, would be a much-needed cash injection in the arm that would help the club improve its economic condition.
The club will likely struggle to pay Wojciech Szczesny’s wages without Champions League qualifying money