This summer, Juventus haven’t exactly enjoyed the most groundbreaking transfer campaign. Yet, the club appointed new figures who are already proving their worth to the cause.
While Cristiano Giuntoli’s arrival is obviously the most prominent example, Francesco Magnanelli may be the unsung hero at the club. The 38-year-old joined the club this summer as a technical collaborator.
Since the start of pre-season, the Bianconeri have been adopting a more progressive approach. The team confirmed it during the first-half routing of Udinese on the opening matchday of the season.
Following the match, Federico Chiesa revealed Magnanelli’s importance to the team, crediting him for the team’s more proactive tactics.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Giovanni Albanese explains, Massimiliano Allegri has been very fond of Magnanelli since their time together at Sassuolo.
Max found great success as a young manger at the helm of the Neroverdi, while Federico was still an up-and-coming midfielder.
At the time, Allegri deployed his compatriot as a Regista, making him the point of reference for the whole team.
Afterwards, the coach made the jump to Serie A with Cagliari while Magnelli continued to lead Sassuolo, eventually guiding the club towards the top flight. He remained loyal to the cause, spending 17 years at the Mapei Stadium before retiring in 2022.
Magnanelli joined Alessio Dionisi’s technical staff last season, but as the source explains, he had already been involved in a quasi-coaching role since Roberto De Zerbi’s time at Sassuolo.
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old had always remained in contact with Allegri. So the latter insisted on snatching his services from Sassuolo this summer.
He is the third technical collaborator to arrive at Conitassa based on the coach’s request, following the footsteps of Simone Padoin in 2021 and Paolo Bianco last summer.
Nevertheless, it appears that Magnanelli has already cemented himself as a key figure when it comes to tactical planning and his influence hasn’t gone unnoticed.