Allegri sacked
Serie A champions Juve confirmed last Friday that, on the back of 5 trophy-laden years with the club, Max Allegri was set to be removed from his post as Bianconeri boss this summer.
The Italian tactician’s sacking came as something of a surprise more-so than a shock, with the Old Lady, despite waltzing to their 8th-consecutive Italian top-flight title, having disappointed for much of the campaign.
This came to a head when Juve were deservedly ousted from the Champions League, the tournament which many had tipped them to win on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival last summer, at the quarter-final stage, by Ajax.
TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 16: Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final second-leg match between Juventus and Ajax at Allianz Stadium on April 16, 2019 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Juve’s manager search
As such, rumours have since been rampant regarding who the board at the Allianz Stadium will opt to appoint as Allegri’s replacement.
The likes of Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte, Simone Inzaghi, Didier Deschamps and Mauricio Pochettino have all been touted as potential arrivals on the Juve bench.
And the Old Lady’s hopes of securing a surprise agreement with the latter of the aforementioned tacticians have this evening been dealt a boost, courtesy of a surprising source.
‘Has the desire to coach Juve’
As confirmed by the cousin of Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs boss has a very real interest in taking the reins of the Old Lady this summer.
Speaking in an interview with TuttoJuve, Daniele Pochettino revealed that the 47-year-old’s Italian heritage have seen him drawn to a Serie A switch, with Poch’s entire family rooting for him to down tools in north London to join Juventus:
(It should also be noted that Daniele is the deputy mayor of Virle Piemonte in Turin, the city in which Juve are based.)
‘Mauricio to Juventus is a feasible hypothesis. Everyone in our family wants to see him at Juve.’
‘He is certainly attracted to Italy. He told us he wants to come to our country to find his ancestral heritage.’
‘I met Mauricio a few months ago. We talked about Piemontese food (among other things). He’s a nice and helpful person.’
Mauricio Pochettino during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
‘He has the desire to coach Juve. He’s equipped with all the qualities needed to coach Juve. Juve always recruit the best coaches.’
‘Juve are looking for a coach who has the profile of a winner and Mauricio has this attitude. In style, he is a bit like that of Conte because he wins with a competitive spirit and intensity.’
‘I don’t know if he can be convinced (to come to Juve). We must always see what would be eventually proposed to him.’
‘At the end, it is his decision. In the event he accepts Juve, we will welcome him with open arms (to Piedmont).’
‘Close the five-year chapter’
Pochettino is of course currently in the midst of preparing for the biggest fixture of his managerial career, June 1st’s Champions League final between Spurs and Liverpool.
The former Southampton boss, though, recently hinted that he could well call time on his Tottenham stint, if the capital giants defy the odds yet again to emerge victorious in the Madrid showpiece:
‘Winning the Champions League? It would be fantastic, no? Close the five-year chapter and go home.’
‘To win the Champions League with Tottenham, in this circumstance, in this season, maybe I need to think a little bit to do something different in the future, for sure. Because to repeat this miracle, you know…’