Massimiliano Allegri: Dusan Vlahovic is one of the best players of his generation
Dressing suavely, posing almost seductively and talking candidly, Massimiliano Allegri’s recent interview with GQ Italy is a must-read for Juventus supporters.
The wily veteran, whom you most certainly wouldn’t associate with photoshoots and stylish discussions, reveals all as he spoke on a variety of topics ranging from family to Dusan Vlahovic.
Allegri departed Juventus following a hugely successful five-year spell as manager in 2019 before returning to the club ahead of the 2021/22 season. Talking to GQ, the boss said he spent his two-year break spending some quality time with his youngest son, Giorgio, in his hometown Livorno.
Before marking his return to the Bianconeri, it was well-documented that the Italian had reached an agreement with Real Madrid over becoming Zinedine Zidane’s successor. Allegri confirmed that he’d signed an agreement with Los Blancos but added that he had no doubts over returning to Juventus once Andrea Agnelli came calling.
Massimiliano Allegri knew he had a difficult job ahead when deciding to rejoin Juventus last May
Allegri’s return to Juventus was confirmed in May and many expected Juve to swiftly return to the pinnacle of calcio after they’d slumped to fourth in Serie A under Andrea Pirlo.
Allegri, however, knew that a difficult task lay ahead of him: “When I first arrived in 2014 it was all different; Antonio Conte had done a great job with the club, winning three championships and building a very strong team that only needed to be refined.
“This year is a very different team from that, with many young players, with strong players but with less experience. But we are starting from a clear basis, which is the DNA of Juventus, and which consists in returning to winning but knowing how to suffer and always wanting to fight,” he added.
Allegri describes Dusan Vlahovic as one of the best players of his generation, comparing him to Kylian Mbappe & Erling Braut Haaland
It was a bumpy start for the Bianconeri, but signs of recovery emerged at the start of the winter. With Allegri reinstalling the club’s gritty principles, Juve are currently enjoying a 16-game unbeaten run in Serie A which has left them as outsiders in the Scudetto race with eight games remaining.
Victory in the Derby d’Italia on Sunday will bolster their chances considerably, and the manager will be leaning on his star striker, Dusan Vlahovic, to lead the Old Lady to victory. While Allegri was complimentary over Danilo, labelling the Brazilian a “champion”, and veteran defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini during the interview, he couldn’t help but wax lyrical over the Serbian forward.
“He is a young boy, with little international experience, who however has quality, wants and can improve, and has plenty of time to do it,” Allegri said, speaking about the 22-year-old whom Juventus acquired from Fiorentina in January for €75m.
“He has an absolute nastiness. Juventus made an important purchase: in the world, he, [Kylian] Mbappé and [Erling Braut] Haaland are the strongest of their generation.”
While Vlahovic has failed to score in seven of his 12 Juve appearances thus far, he’s still been able to add five goals to his impressive 2021/22 haul. The impact he’s had on this Bianconeri side has been distinct. His physicality, hold up play, and ability in transition means he’s provided Allegri with the focal point that he lacked throughout the first half of the season.
The 22-year-old will compete in his first Derby d’Italia this weekend in what’s yet another significant iteration of a historic calcio clash.