Brescia owner Massimo Cellino believes Juventus should renew the contract of coach Massimiliano Allegri: ‘Max is a Leo….a real leader…’. The former Leeds chairman spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Juve’s match against Cagliari on Friday evening, offering his assessments of the two sides and the different coaches:
“Claudio Ranieri is a miracle worker, I hope he repeats it this time too: my heart is always Gialloblù. Max Allegri is a superstar, but don’t forget he’s a Leo sign.”
What does that mean?
“The Lion needs to feel trust around him to express all his talent. Max recently surpassed 1,000 points in Serie A: he earned the first ones with me, at Cagliari, and I supported him despite the initial defeats. Cristiano Giuntoli is an Aquarius. The two signs can coexist, but the Lion always eats the Aquarius. And he’s the real leader.”
So if you were Giuntoli, would you confirm Allegri for the next season or would he change the coach on Juventus’ bench?
“If I were John Elkann, I would start with Allegri and then sort out everything else. If Max brings Juve back to the Champions League, it’s as if he won the league that the club asked of him. Allegri made a heartfelt choice by returning to Juventus. In 2021, he even made me angry when he said ‘No, thanks’ to Real Madrid. Now he is leading a transition period for the club. He is one of the few coaches who thinks first about the company and then about himself.”
Returning to Giuntoli’s choice…..
“If he’s intelligent – and he has proven to be – he thinks like me and starts again with Max. Giuntoli is good and has won with Napoli, but there are no magic executives: time is needed in football. If I were in his place, I would renew Allegri’s contract for 3 years, asking him to spread part of the salary… This way, I would save money by keeping a top coach and I would have more money to buy players.”
Allegri also divides Juventus fans, especially for the style of play.
“People have fun when they win, it will always be like this. But to win, you need the car, and now Juve is a bit like having deflated tires. It’s not the team it used to be… Vlahovic is a champion, yes: but he needs to carry the team more on his shoulders and also help the coach.”
Yildiz makes the fans dream: did he impress you too?
“He’s 18 years old, he’s a talent and… he’s a Taurus, a sign that attracts money. If I were his president, I would agree on nice match bonuses with him. Half fixed salary and the other half in bonuses. I don’t always look at zodiac signs, but sometimes I notice them. Instead, I’m always very superstitious. I avoid purple. And on the 17th of the month, I don’t buy players anymore.”
Tonight there’s Cagliari-Juventus: feelings?
“Don’t take it personally, Max, but I’ll watch the game and cheer for Cagliari. I trust Ranieri, a great coach: it’s a shame I didn’t have him in my teams. I like Luvumbo from the Gialloblù.”
Your Brescia is seventh in Serie B: do you believe in promotion to Serie A through the playoffs?
“Now we should be safe, anything extra is welcome. It doesn’t happen, but if it does… I’ll make a gift to the Church of San Giuseppe in Brescia.”
