Juventus will endure their first trophyless season in over a decade after they fell to a 4-2 defeat against Inter Milan in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final.
It was a final that had absolutely everything, but Juventus succumbed in extra time after Inter had controversially drawn level from the spot with ten minutes to go of normal time.
Juve overturned their initial deficit in the space of two early second-half minutes thanks to goals from substitute Alvaro Morata and Dusan Vlahovic after Nicolo Barella had given Inter the lead.
After Hakan Calhanoglu made no mistake with his penalty, an Ivan Perisic brace in extra-time sent the cup to Milan to ensure Juventus end the 2021/22 campaign trophyless.
Juventus endure first trophyless season in over a decade following defeat in Coppa Italia final
Juve’s first trophyless season since 2011-12.
— Bianconeri Zone (@BianconeriZone) May 11, 2022
Gigi Delneri was manager the last time Juve endured a trophyless campaign over a decade ago. Delneri’s 2010/11 squad finished seventh in Serie A, were bundled out of the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals and didn’t make it out of their Europa League group.
It was an awful side, one in which Milos Krasic appeared 33 times.
Max Allegri hasn’t quite sunk the Bianconeri to such depths this time around, but the wily traditionalist’s style this season hasn’t been too dissimilar to that of Delneri’s.
A woeful start to the campaign left Juve with way too much to do in the context of the Scudetto, but an admirable recovery saw them comfortably claim a Champions League spot after Dusan Vlahovic was acquired in January.
The €75m man arrived too late for the Supercoppa Italiana, however, which Inter won at the death, and he wasn’t able to save Juve from further continental humiliation as Villarreal dumped the Old Lady out of the Champions League in the first knockout round.
And while Vlahovic scored on Wednesday night, it wasn’t enough to salvage Juve’s wretched season as Inter prevailed over the Bianconeri once more.
In the wake of the pitiful 2010/11 campaign, Juve appointed Antonio Conte who ignited the mightiest of rebuilds in Turin as the Old Lady claimed nine straight Scudetti. After their streak was snapped by Conte’s Inter in 2020/21, Andrea Pirlo oversaw Bianconeri victories in both the Supercoppa and Coppa Italia to ensure that the trophy-winning habit remained.
And despite Allegri’s attempts to inculcate Juve’s vintage ideals on his return to the club, he ultimately hasn’t been successful. Sure, it was a transition year for Juventus, but the manager’s woes this season mean he surely has to be on the hot seat come the start of the 2022/23 campaign.