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What's the story?
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has revealed that he would like to emulate Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson's reign. Fergie was the manager of United for 26 years, while Allegri has almost completed his fifth season in charge.
In case you didn't know...
Massimiliano Allegri is a 51-year-old Italian who has managed a total of eight clubs including AC Milan, Cagliari, Sassuolo, and now Juventus.
He is a former player too, who spent his career solely in Italy playing for the likes of Napoli, Pescara, and Perugia. It's safe to say that his tenure as a manager has been more successful than any time when he was a player.
With Juventus, Allegri was won four consecutive Serie A titles and won the Coppa Italia trophy four times as well. The Old Lady are a very strong side anyway and have dominated the division for many years, but with Allegri at the helm, the club seems a lot more focused and driven than it has been in the past.
The heart of the matter
Allegri has some way to go before he can level the honours Sir Alex Ferguson accomplished at Old Trafford. The thirteen Premier League titles won by Ferguson dwarf the four Serie A titles that Allegri has earned, but the latter has time on his side.
Ferguson was 71 years old when he retired as United manager, so 51-year-old Allegri has plenty of time to catch up, but will have to depend on the Juventus board keeping him in his role. Football managers come and go frequently in the modern game, so anything could happen from here.
Allegri was keen to stress when speaking with Corriere della Sera that he views his duties as being under the 'corporate coach' umbrella, and had this to say on the matter:
"A corporate coach is a coach who brings results. Iconsider myself a manager for the club, who has to bring home results at the end of the season, not only on a sporting level but also in terms of player growth.
"These are results that ultimately affect the club's financial statemets.
"I hope I have a role like Ferguson's because it would mean staying at Juventus for so many years."
In the modern game, Directors of Football undertake these kinds of duties which is why managers are so expendable - because they aren't as rooted into the club as much as they once were.
Fergie was the heart and soul of Manchester United for 26 years. Could Allegri be the same for Juventus?
What's next?
Juventus are currently 18 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, but lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, so they won't be retaining that trophy this time round.
