Three Juventus stars were reportedly unhappy with the tactics deployed by manager Massimiliano Allegri after the Old Lady were knocked out of the Europa League semi-finals by competition specialists Sevilla.
Following a 1-1 stalemate in Turin last week, Allegri’s side fell to a sucker punch in second-half stoppage time as former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Erik Lamela headed home to dump the Italian giants out and send the Spanish club to their fifth European final in ten years.
Dusan Vlahovic had given Juve the advantage at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Thursday night with a 65th-minute goal but Suso levelled with a stunning strike just six minutes later.
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As the tie looked destined for extra time, Lamela popped up with a last-gasp winner to set up what promises to be a captivating encounter with Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Budapest at the end of May, after they overcame Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on aggregate in the other semi-final.
To compound Juventus’ misery, Italian newspaper La Repubblica has reported that Juan Cuadrado, Angel Di Maria, and Federico Chiesa all disagreed with the tactics used by Allegri in Spain.
Cuadrado said prior to the game that in the first leg Juventus “should have pressed high if the coach allows us”.
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And the report in La Repubblica suggests the trio were not happy with the same defensive-minded approach used that ultimately contributed to their elimination in the reverse fixture.
There is now also believed to be question marks over the future of all three players. Di Maria’s frustration at being substituted in the second half only adds to rumours of his strained relationship with Allegri.
Cuadrado, meanwhile, is not expected to stay beyond his current contract, which ends this summer. And Chiesa, whose deal runs until 2025, is also thought to be considering his options after returning from a serious knee injury.
After a trophyless season this term, Allegri’s future may also be in doubt. Despite being on course to finish runners-up in Serie A this season, they currently sit 14 points behind runaway champions Napoli and, earlier this season, crashed out of the Coppa Italia at the semi-final stage following defeat at the hands of Inter over two legs.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Juventus, Sevilla, Europa League