Massimiliano Allegri Elaborates on Juventus Departure and Ronaldo

Massimiliano Allegri broke a lengthy silence late last night on the TV show Sky Calcio Club. While he did not offer many hints about his future, besides saying that he is eager to return on the bench, he expounded on him parting ways with Juventus in 2019.

“I felt great at Juventus for five years, the ending was natural. We had a different vision, even though it is clear that you have to win when you are there. I did not know they would pursue Maurizio Sarri. President Andrea Agnelli made the call, but we still have an excellent relationship. It was an incredible and unrepeatable stint, with also some important transfer market choices.”

“It can be hard to have the same kind of input after few years at the helm and I think it was part of the reason while I left. We had picked up a ton of points, won the title in Round 30, but we lost to Ajax early in Champions League. I am very attached to Juventus. I think it is impossible to say now whether I would come back now, I think Andrea Pirlo is doing well.”

On coaching superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo: “They change the way you handle things, but they also make things easier. The mutual respect must be at the foundation of everything, but you have to be aware you are basically dealing with a corporation. I consider the management of the human resources a major part of coaching nowadays. Cristiano has a unique ability in getting open and attacking the box. His singular focus is winning.”

On the recent report indicating that he turned down multiple high-profile jobs: “The only real thing is that Real Madrid contacted me three years ago but I was still at Juventus.”