14 December 2015
Juventus enjoyed a sensational evening at tonight’s ‘Gran Galà del Calcio’ ceremony in Milan, winning the awards for best club and coach of the 2014/15 season, as well as having six members of the squad named in the side of the year.
The Bianconeri’s sensational run to a fourth consecutive Scudetto title saw Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Paul Pogba and former players Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez included in Serie A’s best XI, while the performances of Daniele Rugani, who returned to the club on a permanent basis in the summer following a successful spell at Empoli, also earned him a place in the team.
Massimiliano Allegri was named best coach, while Juventus picked up the prize of Italy’s finest club.
The event, organised by the AIC (Italian Footballers’ Association), is now in its fifth edition having replaced the former ‘Oscar del Calcio’ awards in 2011.
Under the previous format, which ran between 1997 and 2010, Juventus held the greatest number of accolades: four best players, three best Italian players, five best foreign players and coaches and two best clubs.
Of course, the formalities in Milan were not the only major footballing event to take place today and naturally the Bianconeri boss stepped aside to briefly discuss the result of this afternoon's Champions League last 16 draw that has pitted his side against Bayern Munich.
The Tuscan commented: "By being drawn with Bayern, we have the opportunity to knock out one of the competition's strongest teams at an early stage. Either way, we'll need to play two superb matches for what is sure to be a stellar tie.
"We'll prepare in the best possible way and if we win, we will undoubtedly prove that we are one of the favourites for the trophy. If we lose, we will turn our full attentions to our domestic campaign."
Echoing Allegri's sentiments was club director Giuseppe Marotta who added that, while the fixture looked daunting on paper, anything can happen in football.
"When you come up against the likes of Bayern Munich then, of course, it's a difficult encounter, but as we know, anything can happen in sport. We will approach the match paying due respect to our opponents but with plenty of confidence in our own abilities.
"The Juve that you are seeing now is different from the one at the beginning of the season. The team are now more determined, more clinical and more sure of themselves. Let's not forget that the tie won't be played until the end of February and the form of both sides could change between now and then."
He concluded: "We need to keep marching in all competitions. We're making up ground in the league now too but there is still a long way to go."
