Football Season Guide

Since the Agnelli family personally took again the reins of the club in 2009, Juventus have undergone three proper revolutions during the last three Summer seasons. First, Ciro Ferrara had been charged of triumphing with his spectacular 4-3-1-2 formation. Then, Delneri had been asked to reach at least a qualification to the Champions League thanks to his rigid 4-4-2 system of play. Both coaches failed, badly, and so the managers of the Old Lady thought it wise to give it a try with Antonio Conte, heart and soul of the team during the Lippi era. It has to be seen whether his, theoretical, 4-2-4 system of play will be immediately understood or not by a group completely renewed during the transfer campaign. For sure, a third failure in a row could not be accepted in Turin. If the regular goalkeeper is still going to be Gigi Buffon, with Storari as his deputy, the defence has seen a few arrivals in terms of reliable full-backs such as Lichtsteiner and Ziegler. The midfield is certainly the line which saw the most dramatic amount of changes in the last couple of months: Aquilani, Felipe Melo, Sissoko, Salihamidzic and a few youngsters left or are on their way out, while Pirlo from Milan, Vidal from Bayer Leverkusen and Pazienza from Napoli signed in. The former Milan play-maker, the Chilean international and Marchisio should be competing for two places as regulars in the middle of the park. With Krasic confirmed on the right flank, the left flank could be taken by one between Vucinic and Quagliarella, who might also be considered as valid Matri's partners in the attack. The squad as it is is incomplete: a centre-back, a left-winger and a jolly are still missing. Conte is anxiously longing for a last-second decisive signing. And several more faces (read: Grosso, Grygera, Amauri) are also expected to leave. For good.