Allegri says Juventus is starting a 'new season'
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has declared a "new season" begins against Bologna following a disappointing start to the campaign.
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has declared a "new season" begins against Bologna following a disappointing start to the campaign.
Allegri's side is without a win in five matches, having lost back-to-back games against Monza in Serie A and Benfica in the UEFA Champions League before the international break.
Pressure upon Allegri has risen as a result, with Juventus only able to win two of its nine matches this season.
The hosting of Bologna on Monday (AEDT) begins a frantic period for Juve, with 12 games to come before the season halts for the World Cup in Qatar, and Allegri expects his players to kickstart the campaign.
"We had started well in the first three games, then [there were] many defeats and bad performances. From tomorrow a new season must begin," he said in Saturday's (AEDT) press conference.
"We are trying to bring Juventus back to winning with work and passion and we hope to be able to do it as soon as possible. We still have time to recover both in the league and in the Champions League."
Juve will be boosted by the return of several players, with Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli and Alex Sandro among those back in contention, with Allegri set to manage workloads during such a demanding period.
"I have to manage the important players in the best possible way because now we will have many close matches," he added.
"Now, however, let's think about Bologna. In these two weeks we have discussed to understand the problems and find solutions.
"We are recovering important players, Sandro, Rabiot and Locatelli return tomorrow, Juan Cuadrado and Arkadiusz Milik return from disqualification. Only Angel Di Maria remains out, due to suspension, Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa."
