Juventus struggles in Serie A

Juventus, once a dominant force in Italian football, now sits in eighth place in Serie A with eleven points, trailing the league leader after a 2-0 loss to Genoa. This marks a sharp decline from its historical dominance in Italian and European football.

Historical success and past challenges

From 1986 to 1995, Juventus went nine years without a league title but still managed to win two UEFA Cups and reach three Champions League finals between 1996 and 1998, winning the European title in 1996. The club also recovered from the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, which relegated it to Serie B, by achieving two seventh-place finishes and later securing nine consecutive league titles starting in 2012.

Champions League failures and financial strain

Under Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus reached two Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017 but lost both. The club’s decline began in 2018 with the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo for 117 million euros, which brought significant financial pressure. Despite Ronaldo’s 101 goals in 134 matches, Juventus failed to return to European glory and faced financial losses of 89.7 million euros in 2019-2020 and 209.9 million euros in 2020-2021.

Leadership changes and ongoing financial crisis

In 2022, Juventus’s financial issues, including overvaluation and accounting irregularities, led to the resignation of Andrea Agnelli and his board. The club lost ten points in Serie A the following year and was barred from European competitions. Since its last league title in 2020, Juventus has had five different coaches, and its financial deficit reached 66 million euros in 2025-2026, marking the ninth consecutive year of losses.

Recent transfers and uncertain future

Recent signings like Teun Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz have not lived up to their high costs. Current recruits such as Guglielmo Vicario and Pape Matar Sarr are not seen as impactful as past stars like Buffon or Ibrahimovic. Young player Kenan Yildiz is considered a key hope for the club’s future, but Juventus has only won two Italian Cups and one Super Cup since 2020, missing out on the Champions League.

Impact on Italian national team

Juventus has long been a major contributor to the Italian national team, with six Turin players starting in the 1982 World Cup final and key figures like Buffon and Del Piero in the 2006 victory. However, the Azzurra team missed the 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Cups, raising concerns about the weakening of one of its main historical suppliers.