During the club’s final home fixture of the season, Juventus wasted a healthy lead, immaturely allowing Lazio to snatch a last-second equalizer. This scene could have served as a perfect metaphor for Max Allegri’s homecoming campaign which turned out to be a complete letdown. However, few are the ones who still cared to analyze another underwhelming performance by the Bianconeri, after all, the action on the pitch played second fiddle throughout the evening. Monday night was all about Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala bidding Juventus fans farewell.
But during the farewell ceremony that followed the final whistle, we witnessed an almost paradoxical scene. On one hand, the captain was all smiles on his last appearance at the Allianz Stadium, while his vice-captain was reduced to tears and could barely withstand the situation.
Yet, the two men’s contrasting reaction is perfectly normal considering the different circumstances that accompanied their respective departures. In Chiello’s case, the legendary defender looked every bit of a man who’s leaving on his own terms. After 17 years of service, the ever-so-devoted captain has given it all for the Old Lady’s cause. As Calcio fans, we had the privilege of watching him rise, peak, sweat, blood and age during an epic stint in Turin.
At the age of 37 and an ever-growing list of injuries, few could fault the defender for deciding to take a step back and contemplate an experience in the United States. During the ceremony, the club paid homage for Chiellini by displaying a video that captured his best moments at Juventus.
The Euro 2020 winner watched it while standing in the middle of the pitch alongside his two young daughters. His brother Claudio and the rest of the family then joined the departing legend for one final tour around the stadium.
Long story short, it was a fitting farewell and a timely exit for one of the greatest defenders to ever grace a football pitch.
On the other hand, Dybala’s departure was anything but perfect. While Chiellini had been given the authority to make a decision himself regarding his future, the Argentine was simply kicked out of the club by a management that deemed him to be unsuitable for the project.
Once upon a time in 2017, a young version of Dybala tore Barcelona’s defense apart, while the famous MSN trio (Messi, Suarez and Neymar) had no answer for the magnificent Juventus star. At the time, observers were ready to crown him as the next big thing in football and the rightful heir for Messi’s throne.
Unfortunately, La Joya was never truly able to recapture the magic of that evening on another major European night, as he remained helpless in the face of the Old Lady’s apparent Champions League curse.
Now surely Dybala enjoyed several memorable campaigns at Juventus, guiding the club towards five Scudetto title while also collecting some personal achievements along the way. But then again, we’re talking about a star who inherited Alessandro Del Piero’s number 10 and earned comparisons to the greatest names in the sport due to his sheer talent. So are these achievements enough to satisfy the Argentine and the Juventus faithful?
Of course the recurring injuries in the past couple of campaigns played a massive role in his demise, while constant managerial changes didn’t help his cause either. But while the reasons might be several, the conclusion remains one: Dybala has never been able to fulfill his early promise at Juventus.
Perhaps one day the club’s supporters will tenderly remember La Joya’s spell in Turin with fondness while recalling some some his fabulous goals and breathtaking skills. But for the time being, the star’s heartbreaking tears are the perfect depiction of a sorrowful ending for an uncomplete mission.