Will Bonucci’s exit derail Juventus’ monopoly of Serie A?
After years of dominance, Juventus’ stranglehold on Serie A is under serious threat.
The fact that the crippling blow may have come from within is perhaps most shocking.
Over the years Juventus have lost several key contributors, and every time they’ve marched on without feeling the effects.
Paul Pogba was seemingly always destined to leave the Old Lady, while Arturo Vidal’s wild demeanour was never going to keep in Turin for the long haul.
Andrea Pirlo was brought in with an expiry date, while Dani Alves was…well, Dani Alves. All of these players were let go with the intended goal that their departures would be an addition by subtraction.
Bonucci’s departure goes against that.
It’s clear something broke down in the relationship between the two sides, more specifically with coach Massimiliano Allegri. How else could you explain the sale of one of the world’s best centre-backs, a man who once said he’d handcuff himself to the Juventus Stadium gates if asked to leave?
Evidently Bonucci’s love for Juve wasn’t enough to overcome the humiliation suffered at the hands of Allegri when he was sent to the stands for a Champions League match against Porto in February.
Add in reports of a half-time bust up – which have been denied by both player and club – during the Champions League final against Real Madrid, and it’s clear tensions had reached a boiling point.
By handing Allegri a new contract it’s now obvious which side Juventus picked to move forward with, and while whispers of a possible Bonucci sale had made their rounds earlier this summer, they were never really taken seriously for the most part.
However the rapidity with which reports of a Milan approach quickly turned into a €40 million move made it clear a divorce was in the best interest of both parties.
The move to a domestic rival goes against Juve’s policy when looking at past sales, perhaps a sign their hands were tied when it came to deciding the 30-year-old’s next destination.
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— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 14, 2017
Bonucci now becomes the high profile signing the new Rossoneri regime dreamed of when they took over, a man to lead the complete overhaul that has taken place at Milanello this summer.
But the move also offers the rest of Serie A new hope, as you could argue Juve have lost the man who was arguably most influential in leading the Bianconeri to an unprecedented six straight Scudetti.
Like Milan when they lost Pirlo, or Napoli when they were forced to say goodbye to Gonzalo Higuain, it’s now time for Juventus fans to move on and watch their most symbolic player put on another shirt…
… and wonder whether he’ll soon take the Scudetto with him as well.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com
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