Blog: Tainted love
Recent confusion aside, Amauri is likely to be Juventus’ first summer signing. But Paul Watson fears the Palermo star isn't the Old Lady’s Mr Right
The personification of pace, power and poise, it is little wonder that Amauri has become this summer’s must-have accessory for a title chasing side. But while you can’t quarrel with his achievements on the pitch, Amauri’s performances in Press conferences have been less than convincing.
“I am 91 per cent Juve and it will be an honour to wear the Juve shirt,” the Sao Paulo native declared a fortnight ago. However, there wasn’t even time to print his name on the back of a replica shirt before he had changed his tune. “Nothing is decided – I’m focusing on Palermo,” he insisted.
Touching sentiments, but sadly what Amauri really meant was that some other glamorous suitors had turned his head. And sure enough, he let his deepest fantasy slip when he suggested a ménage à trois with Milan where he would play six months with each side.
But it’s not the first time Amauri has flaunted his fickle disposition. Born in Brazil, the former Chievo man is pressing to get an Italian passport so that he can represent the Azzurri. Fair enough you may think, he has fallen in love with the Bel Paese, but he has openly admitted that he will snub Italy if he gets the Selecao call first. Pragmatism rules in Amauri’s world.
It seems that Serie A’s Casanova has an ego to match his talent and I wonder whether the Old Lady will be able to put up with his wandering eye. Amauri is a mercenary and is out for what he can get – an attitude that stands in complete contrast with the Juventus ethos. At the moment there’s a state of harmony in the Bianconeri dressing room, in spite of the superstar egos, but Amauri could be like a bull in a china shop.
So accustomed to being the main man, how will he cope with spending significant periods of time on the bench? Claudio Ranieri will be looking to rotate his squad more next term, given the added pressure of Champions League football, and he will need players who understand that the team comes first. If Vincenzo Iaquinta and Raffaele Palladino don’t seem to have the patience, what hope is there for Amauri?
-Channel 4
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The bolded part sums it up.