Juventus will now enter a new era after a heartbreaking Champions League elimination from ten-man Porto on Tuesday in the round of 16. The beautiful elimination – which includes a free-kick goal by Porto Sergio Oliveira over the Juve wall in extra time – – is the end of a cycle and could bring a lot of news next summer.
Meanwhile, Juve confirm that Andrea Pirlo will remain as coach until the end of the season. Only in May will the board decide to make a coaching change or go with it at the helm. Much will depend on whether Juve win their tenth consecutive Serie A title. Inter Milan are currently ten points ahead of the table, but with one more game than the Bianconeri.
“I was called here at Juventus because this is the start of a new project that looks to the future and for several years now,” Andrea Pirlo told Sky Italia after the game. “I will calmly continue my work.”
In addition to Pirlo, the future of Cristiano Ronaldo will certainly be an important issue to monitor along the way. Until now, Juventus have defined Ronaldo, who still has one season (until June 2022) under contract, as untouchable.
Juve’s sporting director Fabio Paratici has issued the following response on Ronaldo’s future:
“The renewal of his contract is not immediately on the agenda; there is time to talk about it.”
And now Juve need to talk to Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes to understand what he wants to do at the end of the season in a busy few months in Turin.