Massimiliano Allegri has been confirmed as the new head coach at Juventus.
The 53-year old returns to the Bianconeri, two years after resigning. Allegri replaces Andrea Pirlo who was sacked after just a year in charge.
The Turin club only secured a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League on the final day of the season under Pirlo.
During his first reign, Allegri led Juve to five successive Serie A titles, and a pair of Champions League finals appearances.
Good luck, @Pirlo_official and thank you for these emotions! 🏆🏆⚪⚫
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) May 28, 2021
A statement from Juventus: "Thank you, Andrea. These are the first words that all of us need to say at the end of this special experience together.
"A few months ago, Andrea Pirlo, an icon of world football, began his new adventure, his first as a coach.
"To do this, first of all, it takes courage, as well as awareness of one's own means, especially in a period marked by thousands of difficulties, with the world forced by the pandemic to reinvent its own rules day after day.
"Pirlo has just begun the first steps of what will no doubt become a brilliant career as a coach. An adventure of transformation, seeking, and often managing, to bring his ideas and his experience as a champion on the pitch from the “other side” of the fence.
"And since in football, what counts are the victories, let's remember them: in the space of a few short months Pirlo's Juve has raised two trophies:
"The Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia. And he, as coach, brought home brilliant victories on the most prestigious of fields, from San Siro to Camp Nou.
"For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the Maestro, the Coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart. As well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one."
The 2006 World Cup winner won seven major honours for Juventus as a player from 2011 to 2015, managed the club's U23s side before he was a surprise appointment of the first team in 2020.
It is the latest managerial move in Europe with Antonio Conte leaving Inter Milan to be replaced by former Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi and Zinedine Zidane departing Real Madrid.
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