These days a peculiar apprehension is hanging around Turin where fallen giants Juventus have started to mould a new-look side as Didier Deschamps continues to steer the 'Old Lady' out of the doldrums.
With an enticing mix of upcoming players from the youth academy and the reliable veterans, so prominent behind Juve's successes before demotion to Serie B, they are guaranteeing themselves a top flight spot for 2007/08 with the current season still at half-way stage.
So, why are Juve so tense and under pressure in their bid to assemble a competitive squad?
A Serie A berth represents the start of a bright new dawning for the club. It is very difficult for any Serie B team this year to squeeze Juventus out of the promotion zone. At the moment, they can only win and wait for brighter times.
Step one for Juve is to win automatic promotion and nothing less. So far, they have shown to be mentally strong to beat any opponents in this division, even the best ones.
Deschamps' men are undefeated after 17 league outings. They are only one point adrift of leading duo Rimini and Piacenza but with a game in hand and after having started the season with a minus nine-point handicap for their involvement in the summer match-fixing scandal.
Step two, and perhaps this is more decisive than the first, is to re-build a winning team capable of challenging for the scudetto next season.
This is no easy task from all aspects. Players like Gianluigi Buffon and David Trezeguet, just to cite a few, have already made their intentions clear that they will only stay if the club bolsters the squad sufficiently enough to challenge for the honours, both in Italy and abroad.
A chain is as strong as its weakest link is. If Buffon had to leave for a more ambitious club, his move could trigger a dynamo effect on the others with the risk that Juve could lose their prized assets.
Such exodus could see the fallen giants from Turin taking more years to re-build a winning team as the likes of Inter, Milan, Roma and, perhaps, Fiorentina and Lazio, remain the sole protagonists in Serie A. This is of great concern for Juve.
From a purely financial point-of-view, in the absence of a winning team revenue generated by sponsorships, gate-money and the lucrative Champions League is likely to drop significantly, resulting in the club having less and less money to invest on the transfer market.
This is the time for Juventus to act and make their best players prolong their stay.
They still have to convince the critics though as on the field of play second place in the Serie B was achieved by winning games they were expected to win.
However, Deschamps has instilled a mental toughness in his side and a fast tempo that can survive even when key players, like Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero, are missing.
Here, Buffon has emerged as the real leader. The Italy keeper, touted by many to leave Juve next summer, is the side's main inspiration.
So far, Juve conceded only eight goals in 17 league outings.
A player, even one as special as Buffon, is never more vulnerable or powerful than in his moment of triumph. It seems, there is no place for sympathy or sentiment in Buffon's future plans. Already his thoughts are turning to next season. But what should we expect?
The indications are Juve will be strengthened in each department to return to the old glory days.
By Antoine Dalli
With an enticing mix of upcoming players from the youth academy and the reliable veterans, so prominent behind Juve's successes before demotion to Serie B, they are guaranteeing themselves a top flight spot for 2007/08 with the current season still at half-way stage.
So, why are Juve so tense and under pressure in their bid to assemble a competitive squad?
A Serie A berth represents the start of a bright new dawning for the club. It is very difficult for any Serie B team this year to squeeze Juventus out of the promotion zone. At the moment, they can only win and wait for brighter times.
Step one for Juve is to win automatic promotion and nothing less. So far, they have shown to be mentally strong to beat any opponents in this division, even the best ones.
Deschamps' men are undefeated after 17 league outings. They are only one point adrift of leading duo Rimini and Piacenza but with a game in hand and after having started the season with a minus nine-point handicap for their involvement in the summer match-fixing scandal.
Step two, and perhaps this is more decisive than the first, is to re-build a winning team capable of challenging for the scudetto next season.
This is no easy task from all aspects. Players like Gianluigi Buffon and David Trezeguet, just to cite a few, have already made their intentions clear that they will only stay if the club bolsters the squad sufficiently enough to challenge for the honours, both in Italy and abroad.
A chain is as strong as its weakest link is. If Buffon had to leave for a more ambitious club, his move could trigger a dynamo effect on the others with the risk that Juve could lose their prized assets.
Such exodus could see the fallen giants from Turin taking more years to re-build a winning team as the likes of Inter, Milan, Roma and, perhaps, Fiorentina and Lazio, remain the sole protagonists in Serie A. This is of great concern for Juve.
From a purely financial point-of-view, in the absence of a winning team revenue generated by sponsorships, gate-money and the lucrative Champions League is likely to drop significantly, resulting in the club having less and less money to invest on the transfer market.
This is the time for Juventus to act and make their best players prolong their stay.
They still have to convince the critics though as on the field of play second place in the Serie B was achieved by winning games they were expected to win.
However, Deschamps has instilled a mental toughness in his side and a fast tempo that can survive even when key players, like Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero, are missing.
Here, Buffon has emerged as the real leader. The Italy keeper, touted by many to leave Juve next summer, is the side's main inspiration.
So far, Juve conceded only eight goals in 17 league outings.
A player, even one as special as Buffon, is never more vulnerable or powerful than in his moment of triumph. It seems, there is no place for sympathy or sentiment in Buffon's future plans. Already his thoughts are turning to next season. But what should we expect?
The indications are Juve will be strengthened in each department to return to the old glory days.
By Antoine Dalli
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Forza Juve!
