Andrea Pirlo’s future at Juventus is hanging by a thread as Bianconeri bigwig Andrea Agnelli welcomed former manager Massimiliano Allegri to his home last night. As reported by Goal, Juventus chief invited Allegri to his house to watch the reigning champions’ 2-2 draw with Torino on Saturday evening.
The pair watched underperforming Juventus crumble against relegation candidates they had outscored in five consecutive such meetings prior. Indeed, a stalemate against cross-town rivals added insult to injury, as Juve succumbed to a shocking 1-0 home defeat to Benevento on the eve of the international break.
Led by rookie manager Pirlo, La Vecchia Signora have suffered another premature Champions League elimination, bowing out to Porto in the competition’s round of 16. Furthermore, the perennial champions are on the brink of surrendering the Serie A title to bitter rivals Inter Milan.
Not only Juventus’ decade of dominance in domestic football seems destined to end, but they could also miss out on a top-four finish. Sitting 12 points adrift of table-toppers Inter in fourth, the Turin giants are level on points with fifth-placed Napoli and only four clear of Lazio.
Based on that, it comes as no surprise that Pirlo is not the most popular figure at the Allianz Stadium at the moment. Juventus’ top-four six-pointer against Napoli on Wednesday could decide the future of the Italian tactician.
Allegri’s visit to Agnelli’s home has prompted rumors about the experienced manager’s potential return to the helm. The 53-year-old was in charge of the club between 2014 and 2019, guiding his team to the Serie A crown in each season in the dugout.
Although his successor Maurizio Sarri won the league title in his first year at the club, he only lasted for a season before Pirlo took over last summer. Juventus failed to perform at the optimal level since Allegri left, and a potential reunion could be on the cards.
The Italian is out of work after quitting the Allianz Stadium, but Napoli’s win in midweek could force his return to the realm of management.