Born in Naples on 10/03/88, graduated in Philosophy and Politics at the Oriental University of Naples. He has been working for TMW since 2008, he was deputy director for 10 years. Correspondent following the National Team
When Massimiliano Allegri and José Mourinho last season let their dissatisfaction slip over squads that were not up to the expectations of the fans and their respective clubs, they were often and willingly (almost always) accused of wanting to hide their inefficiencies behind a finger. Juventus, who only matched Inter for one round, only to collapse after the halfway point, has for the majority of public opinion played a disappointing season despite finishing third. “Because they had to fight for the title”, they said.
Mourinho, on the other hand, was torpedoed first: his intolerance towards a club that in the previous four transfer market sessions had only made do with free agents and loans had become a huge problem for the Friedkin family. In this sense, the defeats against Lazio and Milan were only the assist to torpedo the Portuguese and start a new cycle with Daniele De Rossi as coach early.
Allegri and Mourinho at a certain point had become the scapegoats. Divisive, probably at the end of their cycle and therefore to be replaced. However, as great coaches as they are and have been, they had not made mistakes in their assessments of the available rosters. It is no coincidence that the two clubs, having resolved the coach issue, have endorsed profound restructuring of the squad. As never before in recent years.
Giuntoli’s announced revolution
Arriving in the summer of 2023 to set up a new technical project, Cristiano Giuntoli took a year to understand and study the Juventus world before putting his stamp on it. Without his coach, the Juventus market man limited himself to ordinary administration for two transfer windows: the only purchase of the summer of 2023, the American Timothy Weah, had already been defined by Giovanni Manna. Then in January, while Allegri was asking for one between Pereyra and Bonaventura, the meteor Alcaraz arrived, as well as Tiago Djalo, a defender snatched from Inter who – for now – does not yet have a precise place in the Juventus technical project.
Once he chose his coach, Giuntoli changed his tune. Because Thiago Motta will find himself with a team that is profoundly different from the one that finished the last championship in third place. Douglas Luiz, Di Gregorio, Thuram and Cabal have already arrived, and at least three more signings will arrive. The main course is still missing: Adrien Rabiot’s heir.
Almost one hundred million already invested, a good part of which recovered through the sales of Ilinig-Junior, Barrenechea, Huijsen and Soulè. A lot more money will be spent next month: a whole other world to the mere 10 million euros invested in the summer of 2023.
Ghisolfi’s (less announced) revolution
However, if Juventus’s was a summer revolution that had been announced for a few months, on the other hand, the transfer market that Roma is carrying out is decidedly more unexpected. We are talking about a club that from January 2022 to January 2024, or in four transfer market sessions, has only moved for loans and free agents. With only two exceptions: Zeki Celik, purchased for seven million euros plus bonuses, and Leandro Paredes, who cost 2.5 million euros. Then many additions and even good signings, but on the condition that they did not involve spending on the registration cards. A strategy that, with the change of coach and sporting director, has changed diametrically.
In the space of a few weeks, the Giallorossi club has shelled out twenty million euros for Enzo Le Fée and 26 million plus bonuses for Matias Soulè. They bought Samuel Dahl from Djurgardens for four million euros, and are ready to spend almost 40 million for Arten Dovbyk, the top scorer in the last Spanish League who will be tasked with replacing Romelu Lukaku. And that’s not all. This summer, Roma has planned to invest 100 million euros for player registrations alone, compared to 10 million in the last two years. Something clearly needed to change, even more than something…