17.05.2019 » What does Juventus need to win the Champions League next year?
Another disappointment in the Champions League basically means the Old Lady will have to do more to end the 23-year long drought in Europe. Juventus is the most successful club in Italian football over the last decade at least, where at times, they make the mockery of other clubs taking part on the domestic front. But it is no secret the Turin-based club have their eyes on the continental glory, which is why they decided to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid just one year ago, in a risky move similar to what desperate gamblers sometimes may do in Spinpalace NZ. The Portuguese superstar was Juventus' biggest signing ever and was brought in to help the club winning the much-wanter silverware in Europe.
Juventus - Cristiano Ronaldo magical night in the Champions League:
the champions league disappointment
The reason behind purchasing a player who is well into his 30's and might be coming to an end of his best days in football was simple - his immaculate record in the Champions League with the Los Blancos, where he won four titles in five years.
However, the plan sadly failed to materialise as Juve suffered a shocking exit from Europe's elite football competition against a young Ajax side in the quarter-finals.
That was not the only setback which Juventus faced during their recent campaign, as they also suffered an exit from Coppa Italia at the hands of underdogs Atalanta.
The season, which was promised to be one of the best in the history of the club, turned out to be nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, which is why it is time for the new manager and the club hierarchy to make tough calls to take the club back to where it belong.
One of the things Juventus can do this season is sell players who seem uninterested in the project of the club. Those players might be big in stature - Paulo Dybala, Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic to name the few - but their performance week in week out is clearly questionable.
Another reason for selling those players is because they make Juventus look slow and teams can run past them, something which Ajax did with ease. Therefore, investment in youth should be the club's second top priority moving into the next campaign.
Who should Juventus sign?
One of the key areas the club should strengthen this team should be their midfield. With the arrival of Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal, the signs are positive but Juventus need most versatility if they are to challenge the best sides in Europe.
For that matter, Ajax's young Donny van de Beek can be and should be one of the club's top priorities. He has the pace, strength, hunger and creativity which Juventus lack in the current players. If not him, than going after Manchester City's target Rodrigo Hernandez from Atletico Madrid or Lyon's Tanguy Ndombele might not be a bad call as well.
Similarly, in the defensive line there is a need for a big shake up as well. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had a decent season but surely there are better prospects available in the market. Manchester United's David De Gea and Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak would be great candidates to fill the gap, as they can surely prove to be an upgrade to the Poland international.
There might be a case for an upgrade on the ageing centre-back trio of Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and and Leonardo Bonucci as well. Real Madrid's Rafael Varane, Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti and Ajax's Matthijs de Ligt can all prove to be more than just a handy replacement.
On the attacking front, there is some work to be done as well. Mario Mandžukić is aging and is not a goal scoring threat which he once was and that is putting more pressure on Ronaldo. Therefore, he need more assistance and players like Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette or Liverpool's Roberto Firmino might fit that role perfectly.
Last but not the least, Juventus finally seems to have made a call regarding the future of Allegri and the Italian manager won't be at the helm of the club next season. Several names to succeed him have been making the headlines over the last few days, but whoever comes in needs to be well aware of the challenges ahead.
Looking at all of those things, there is a lot to be done for the club in the coming few months if they are to become a real title contenders in the Champions League next season.
Author: Ali Mangi
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Juventus is for the Serie A on May 19 of 2019, against Atalanta. You can watch Juventus vs Atalanta, Real Madrid vs Betis, Lazio vs Atalanta, WBA vs Aston Villa, Leeds United vs Derby County, and Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt, all matches provided from our football streaming live game pages.
Juventus next game:
Juventus vs Atalanta kick-off time (19-05-2019):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 02:30
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:00
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / theguardian.com / si.com / juventus.com
