Massimiliano Allegri is now focusing on securing second place after Juventus had their points deduction overturned on Thursday.
Massimiliano Allegri is encouraging his team to make the most of the fact that their points deduction has been overturned in Serie A, as they prepare to face league leaders Napoli and aim for second place. The Turin club had been penalized 15 points in January following an inquiry into a capital gains case, and they were accused of violating the regulations regarding transfers.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) suspended several individuals from football, including former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, former director Pavel Nedved, and former managing director Fabio Paratici, who joined Tottenham in 2021.
Juve then appealed the 15-point deduction they received in January. The appeal was successful, and Nedved and some other former directors were cleared, while Agnelli and Paratici had their suspensions upheld. The Collegio di Garanzia referred the case back to the FIGC following the announcement.
Juve was lifted back up to third place in the Serie A table, and they are now focused on qualifying for the Champions League. While the FIGC may still take further action in the case, Allegri sees the current reprieve as a significant boost for his team.
Allegri praises Juve’s spirit after the ban
“We did what was possible after the penalty. It’s normal that there was some conditioning but there shouldn’t be any excuses. What happened, happened. Now we have to think about what must happen from today until June 4,” he said.
“It would be too easy to think about what if… It could be said that [the deduction] brought us together, but maybe we would’ve won 10 points more than we have without what happened, because maybe in terms of mental conditioning, it’s difficult to explain.
“I’m happy with what the boys have done, it’s something important.
“We had to reset everything, make a mental effort to readjust to what the rankings were and try to get back on track.
“In the meantime, we had the Europa League, the Coppa Italia. What we’ve done has been done well, now we have to do better from here to the end of the season. We have the possibility of going to the final of the Coppa Italia and the Europa League, and we try to go and get Lazio in second place.”
Serie A leaders Napoli beat Juventus 5-1 in their previous meeting this season and are now seeking to achieve a double victory over the Turin-based team for just the fourth time in the league’s history.
However, Napoli’s recent form has been inconsistent, as they have failed to win three of their last six games in the league, which is as many as they did in their first 24 matches of the season.
Juventus seeks the second place
“There is no desire for revenge. There is just a desire to beat the league leaders who have won seven times in their last seven away games,” he said.
“They are strong, they have shown it in Italy and in Europe. Sometimes you lose games that you don’t deserve to lose, but in the end the results count.
“Napoli are doing very well. They killed the championship by keeping an impressive away record.
“This is a Napoli that’s on its way to winning the Scudetto. They’ve had an extraordinary season and are deservedly winning [the title].
“It will be a difficult match against a strong team, who came out of the Champions League despite playing a good game and who will try to score as many points as possible to get to the Scudetto as soon as possible.”
