GdS: ‘A spectacle’ – how Allegri has prepared Milan for his Juventus return

This won’t be an ordinary night for Massimiliano Allegri, who returns to face Juventus, a club that he knows better than most.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall, Allegri tried to hide his feelings in his pre-match press conference, explaining that ‘every time I sit on the bench, it’s a thrill for me’. However, the one he’ll feel tonight at the Allianz Stadium will be more intense than any other.

For the first time, he returns as an opponent to the Juventus Stadium, which has also been his home since the summer of 2014. Max was sidelined for three years, but spent the other eight on the same bench, enjoying great success, especially in his first five years with the Bianconeri.

In total, he has played 420 matches between Serie A and various cups, with 271 wins, 75 draws and 74 defeats: impressive numbers that led to five Scudetti, five Coppa Italia trophies, and two Italian Super Cups. Plus two Champions League finals, losing to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The story’s epilogue was both sweet and bittersweet, because after winning the Coppa Italia against Atalanta in May 2024, on the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico, Max had a break-up with technical director Giuntoli.

Two days after his dismissal, the Juventus fans never disowned him: they didn’t always appreciate the team’s play and results, but they appreciated the way Max defended the Old Lady. That’s why Turin has remained ‘his’ city.

His son Giorgio and many friends live there, he still has an apartment in the same building as Manuel Locatelli, and there are restaurants and bars he frequented for years. A bit like the Stadium, where he can never be an ‘enemy’ – at most, an ‘adversary’.

Memories and details

Yesterday afternoon, Allegri boarded the bus with the rest of the Rossoneri squad and headed to Turin. He didn’t choose one of the hotels in the city centre for the retreat, but a hotel on the outskirts (already used by the Rossoneri in the past) to make it easier to reach the Stadium and avoid traffic.

Details? Perhaps, but the coach left nothing to chance for his return to his former home. His last time as an opponent at the Allianz Stadium was, ironically, almost twelve years ago, on 6 October 2013, a 3-2 victory over Milan.

His last time on the Juventus bench, however, was on 12 May 2024, during Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Salernitana. Who scored for the Old Lady? Adrien Rabiot, the other great former player in tonight’s match.

That draw was enough (but only in hindsight, with Roma’s defeat against Atalanta the same evening) to mathematically secure qualification for the Champions League. There’s no risk of him choosing the wrong bench tonight, however.

“Juventus have changed this year and now use the right-hand side, so I’ll go back to where I used to sit, the left. Fortunately, I won’t be suspended, given that I’ve served several suspensions recently,” Allegri smiled at yesterday’s press conference, but shied away from one word.

“No revenge. When I joined Juve, I thanked Milan for the four extraordinary years I spent with the club and the fans. Now I thank Juventus for the eight seasons in black and white. In my career, I’ve had the fortune of interacting with managers of the calibre of Berlusconi, Galliani, Andrea Agnelli, Elkann, and Marotta.

“This week I’ve lived normally because the game is what matters, not my return to Turin or anything else. I hope to achieve the same results with Milan as I did at Juventus, but I’m not looking to the future.

“We have to take to the pitch to get points and achieve this season’s objective, which is returning to the Champions League, not the medium- to long-term ones. In football, the only important thing is winning matches, otherwise… you have no future.

“That’s why we need another small step forward in the standings against a strong team fighting for the top four.” Emotions and everything else take a back seat: “In March, we want to be in the running to give ourselves a chance.”