Massimiliano Allegri was about to take over Real Madrid before Andrea Agnelli talked him into returning to Juventus after a two-year hiatus. The coach admitted it in an interview: “I needed such break, which went well, COVID-19 aside. I had done 18 seasons as a player and 16 as a gaffer without catching my breath.”
The manager talked to GQ Italia: “I had already signed an agreement with the Spanish club. Then, one day, I called their president and told him I would not join because I would go back to Turin instead. He thanked me. I never had any doubt once the Bianconeri contacted me.”
It was not the first time Allegri turned down Real Madrid because of Juventus: “It would have been the coronation of my career. But you can not have everything in life. I am happy and proud of what I have achieved in four years at Milan and now six with my current team. I could have moved to La Liga a few seasons back when I was discussing a new contract. However, I had already given my word to Agnelli.”
The boss discussed a few of his players: “Danilo was a wonderful surprise. He is a true champion and highly intelligent. The night we signed Dusan Vlahovic, I phoned Alvaro Morata to tell him he would stay and become an even more crucial player. He is unassailable technically speaking. Then it is normal for him not to be at his best when he plays in a position that is not truly his, as he has done for months. Vlahovic is young and has little international experience, but he has quality and is willing to improve. He, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are the best of their generation.”