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Juventus' 2019-20 season came to an end when they failed to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lyon in the Champions League round of 16. The result was not acceptable to the club's hierarchy, leading to Maurizio Sarri being relieved of his duties following Juve's elimination.
The Turin giants seem to have now followed the latest trend of appointing a club legend as manager by turning to Andrea Pirlo for next season. Just a few days earlier, he was appointed as Juventus' Under-23s manager but is now in charge of the senior team. The reason for turning to former players has varied at different clubs but it seems to pay off.
It is clearly a gamble taken by Juventus and it may hurt their domestic dominance. This is Pirlo's first job as a first-team manager and although he may do well, there were other good options available to the club. On that note, let's take a look at five managers Juventus could have appointed instead of the Italian great.
Five managerial alternatives for Juventus
#5 Gian Piero Gasperini
Gian Piero Gasperini is probably the most underrated manager in world football right now. He started his coaching career with Juventus' youth team. The Italian has plenty of experience at the age of 62 and what he has achieved with Atalanta is nothing short from spectacular.
Last season, Atalanta scored the most goals in the Serie A and were one of the top goal-scoring teams in Europe. Under Gasperini's guidance, they have managed to secure Champions League football in two consecutive seasons and also reached the quarter-finals of the competition last term.
Although Sarri also managed to achieve similar things at Napoli, Gasperini has managed to do it a weaker squad.
It would be difficult to lure him away from the Gewiss Stadium though. Atalanta would not let him go so easily, however, the lure of managing Juventus and potentially winning the Serie A could have tempted the Italian to leave Atalanta.
#4 Laurent Blanc
Although Laurent Blanc hasn't been in management since 2016, whenever there is a vacant position at a top club his name always appears. This clearly shows that despite not being on the scene for three years, the Frenchman is still highly-rated as a manager.
Not only did he win titles with PSG, but his work to turn the French national team around is also underappreciated. Blanc also led Bordeux to two consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
Blanc previously played for Barcelona and it is reflected in the way his teams play. His teams have often played expansive and attractive football based on possession.
If he arrived at Juventus, he would also have no problem in managing the big names in the dressing room after experience coaching the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
#3 Leonardo Jardim
Leonardo Jardim is not given enough recognition for the work he did at AS Monaco and could be a good option for Juventus. He managed to win Ligue 1 with young players such as Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar at a time when Paris Saint-Germain were dominating the French top-flight. In the same season, he guided the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
It clearly indicates that if he is given a good set of players to work with, he can do wonders. The current Juventus team already has some very good players with quality and experience. If he is capable of leading a young team like the 2017-18 Monaco, then he can surely achieve more with the Serie A champions.
He was unable to maintain his success at Monaco, but most of his players did leave the club following a wonderful season. Juventus could buy young players and let Jardim develop them into stars. Also, due to current financial crisis due to COVID-19, Juventus don't really have a lot of money, thus bringing in young players would be advisable.
With the help of old guards such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonardo Bonnuci at Juventus, they would be able to maintain domestic dominance. At the same time, Jardim would develop young players and build a team ready for the future. He was sacked by Monaco in December 2019 and since then has been out of work.
#2 Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino made a name for himself during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. He led the Lilly Whites to a Champions League final and also helped them challenge for the Premier League title.
Under his guidance, Tottenham played a high pressing game and dominated possession. However, due to lack of resources at the club, he never really managed to win trophies. Meanwhile, his competitors, such as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, enjoyed the luxury of spending big. This is also one of the reasons why he is so highly-rated.
Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham last year and since then, he has been out of work. The former Southampton manager has good experience in managing in the Champions League though, which makes him a strong candidate for the Juventus job.
#1 Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag is fondly remembered for leading a young Ajax team to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. In the process, they managed to eliminate two European giants in Real Madrid and Juventus. The way Ten Hang's side played was admired by many fans across the globe.
The Dutchman's young Ajax team played some breathtaking attacking football and dominated their opponents. Not only this, but Ten Hag managed to achieve this feat with young players such as Frenkie de Jong, De Ligt, David Neres and Donny Van de Beek.
Though Ten Hag has often shown his loyalty towards Ajax, Juventus should capable of convincing him to part ways with the club by offering him an exciting project.
