Calcio Debate: Are Juve Throwing Away Their Youth?
Following their post-Calciopoli promotion from Serie B in the summer of 2007, the Juventus board stressed that they would not be building the team the same way that the previous regime used to.
Under the old system of Luciano Moggi, known as the ‘Triade’, Juventus were one of the big players in Europe when it came to the transfer market. The club was known for using rather smart and sneaky tactics to swing deals with lesser clubs in order to secure player signatures. Furthermore, they were also known for spending significant sums of money on world-class talent, and for not integrating players from within the Bianconeri youth system.
But then there was Calciopoli, which resulted in Juve being relegated to Serie B and forcing the club into financial trouble, meaning that many top class players had to be sold. The likes of Cannavaro, Vieira, Ibrahimovic, Thuram, Zambrotta, and Emerson all were offloaded and replaced by youth.
In a way, we could call the relegation a blessing in disguise. It forced the club to re-think their position when spending money, and provided an opportunity for many young Italians in their system to blossom at Italy’s biggest club. And there are many, or should I say there were many.
Slowly but surely right in front of our eyes we are seeing the youth being shipped out in deals, while has-been players are being chased to take up their spots in the squad.
This should be a very worrying sign for fans of the Bianconeri because, as was discussed in a previous Calcio Debate by my colleague Carlo Garganese, Italy are entering into a Golden Era and many of these youths belong to Juventus.
Recently we’ve seen the likes of Antonio Nocerino and Davide Lanzafame move to Palermo - the former on a full ownership and the latter on a co-ownership - in the deal that sent Amauri to Turin. I am a big fan of the Brazilian-born striker, but a striker should have been at the bottom of the priority list, considering the Juve strike force is one of the most potent in Europe.
This brings me on to Raffaele Palladino and the imminent deal sending him to Genoa on a co-ownership. It is absolutely ludicrous that a young, up and coming, versatile player is not being given a chance to shine with the Old Lady.
Throughout last season he was played out of position, and through no fault of his own he was not given enough opportunities to prove his worth. We all witnessed his brilliant display for Italy during the friendly against Portugal in February, which was surely a sign of his talent and potential. Why is it that when he returned to Juve he looked like a shadow of this player? My assessment is that it comes down to confidence and the fact that the coaching staff didn’t place their trust in him.
The most worrying sign is that at one point during the negotiations with Palermo for Amauri, Sebastian Giovinco was even reportedly considered as a pawn in the deal. Officially these reports were unconfirmed but the rumours were strong and if it wasn’t for a Juve fan revolt, then Giovinco may have ended up wearing a Pink jersey this season.
This is particularly shocking as there has been much talk of adding an attacking midfielder this summer such as Dejan Stankovic, who is clearly past his sell-by-date. Once again if not for a Juventus fan revolt; Stankovic, who has repeatedly insulted the club in the past, would be wearing the famous black and white jersey.
Oh, and lets not forget that transfer guru (now that’s a bit of a stretch) Alessio Secco almost succeeded in selling Giorgio Chiellini to Manchester City last year. This youngster was outstanding during Euro 2008 and is proving to be the building block of the future for the Azzurri defence. Now imagine what the Juve defence would’ve looked like without him last season. Pretty scary thought considering Jorge Andrade was lost early on in the campaign.
All in all the future is definitely not bleak considering that Claudio Marchisio, Paulo De Ceglie, and Sebastian Giovinco are back after spending a season on loan elsewhere. But the Juventus board really needs to set things straight as to the direction the club is going to go in. Are the Bianconeri going to build with youth or are they going to continue shipping them out and bringing in has-beens, like Stankovic.
Juventus can no longer dictate the transfer market like they used to, as Serie A has fallen behind the EPL and La Liga in terms of purchasing power. But what they can control (and are very good at) is developing young talent, young talent that must not be thrown away.
What are your views on this topic? Are Juve throwing away their young talent? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think…
James Gisone
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