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#3 Juventus
In 2018, Juventus shocked the entire footballing fraternity when they acquired Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. The move came out of the blue as the Portuguese had never really voiced his concerns about staying in Spain. Yet, the move materialised and quite briskly at that.
Consequently, it became evident that the Old Lady wanted to build the club as a brand and ultimately, lay its hands on the Champions League. And, Ronaldo was the harbinger of the lucrative and successful era Juventus craved.
However, not everything went to plan in the UCL in 2018-19. After turning the tables on Atletico in the Round of 16, the Bianconeri were outclassed and outplayed by an effervescent Ajax side at the quarter-final stage.
Hence, Juventus’ dream of lifting Europe’s top prize after nearly two decades, failed to transform into reality.
Subsequently, they went shopping in the market in June 2019, with an eye on bolstering their squad further. They added Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot on free transfers whereas Matthijs de Ligt was bought for a hefty fee.
Also, Gonzalo Higuain returned to Turin and he seems to be enjoying his stint under Maurizio Sarri, again.
Moreover, they recaptured club legend Gianluigi Buffon from PSG, hoping that the Italian would lend experience and in the process, end his own wait for the elusive Champions League trophy.
At the moment, Juventus’ team comprises a fearsome attacking trident and a rear-guard capable of withstanding any onslaught. Thus, the Bianconeri’s squad looks much more balanced than previously.
Furthermore, the prospect of Buffon lifting the UCL before walking into the sunset seems a libretto that is written in the stars.
But, usually, football, or for that matter sport, doesn’t pay much heed to fairy tale endings. Yet, it is a storyline one would be naïve to not keep an eye on.
