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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Why hiring Davide Ancelotti at Rangers would unlike Andrew Cavenagh
Ancelotti survived long enough to lead Reggiana in a make-or-break game against Venezia at the Mirabello Stadium. His team scored three times in the opening 45 minutes of an encounter Don Carlo later described as one of the most important days of his coaching career. Promotion to Serie A earned Ancelotti a crack at the Parma job. He lasted two seasons before he was sacked. That's the thing with football management. To hear people speak now, you'd think that the godfather of modern football won all those Champions Leagues, titles in Europe's top five nations and Club World Cups by spending the last three decades raising an eyebrow at just the right time. The truth is that elite coaches are not spoon-fed wisdom, expertise and excellence from the moment they leave the womb. Their know-how is shaped by those early days spent with their head perched on a guillotine waiting for the blade to fall. Davide Ancelotti clearly has the intelligence and potential to follow in his old man's footsteps in Glasgow. He speaks five languages. He is a smart, urbane, tactically astute coach respected by some of the biggest names in Europe. The problem here is clear. Even if the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, no one has the first idea if it's ripe. Rangers are not Reggiana. Ibrox is not place where a young coach can make his mistakes away from the glare of media scrutiny or demanding supporters. Regardless of whether his previous clubs were Everton, Napoli, Bayern or Real Madrid, Ancelotti Jr was never the man responsible for the consequential decisions. He has never known how it feels to be the chosen one with thousands of eyes burning a hole in the back of his head as anxiety grows over the team's inability to break down a low block on a dry and bobbly – or artificial – pitch. In the hazy glow of a takeover, level-headed supporters speak of giving things time. If they see evidence of a plan taking shape, they'll make more allowances for the new people than they ever did for the old. How much allowance is contingent on what the naked eye tells them. If Ancelotti Jr finds himself heading into October trailing Celtic, with another title race disappearing down the plug hole, the good intentions might not last long. Read more: Stephen McGowan: Is Dermot Desmond absentee landlord or Celtic mastermind? Stephen McGowan: Aberdeen cup glory a throwback to golden days for a battered city In an open letter to supporters, new owners Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe identified thoughtful, disciplined investment – guided by a clear strategy – as the path to success. They wrote of decisions being made with sustainability and the club's long-term interests in mind. The appointment of Kevin Thelwell as sporting director might be the most important decision of all. Charged with forging a new strategy, identity and culture, there is no quick or easy way of fast-tracking the process. The patchy recruitment of Nils Koppen and others before him needs to improve. The arrival of former Everton head of recruitment Dan Purdy will help with the critical task of finally implementing a profitable player-trading model. If a decent offer comes for Nico Raskin or Cyriel Dessers this summer, they have to go. Put Ancelotti in charge and the new regime will mirror the direction of travel across Europe's top leagues. From Enzo Maresca to Fabian Hurzeler, more and more teams are under the control of a head coach who answers to a sporting director and overseas owners. If a young thruster is what they want then they should probably elbow Fiorentina out the way and lock Francesco Farioli in a room until he knows the words to 'Penny Arcade' off by heart. So long as he's drawing covetous glances from England or Italy, of course, that's easier said than done. Every candidate for the job has been spinning plates in the air, weighing up their options. Every one of them has pros and cons; every one of them comes with a level of risk. As things stand, Rangers are looking at a new chairman, vice-chairman, five new American board members, three old directors moving out and a new sporting director. With all that flux and change, there's a decent argument for minimising the level of jeopardy in the technical area. They could do that by simply giving the job to Russell Martin. It's a measure of the antipathy some supporters feel about that idea that they'd prefer to take the punt on Ancelotti. From time to time a gamble in Glasgow pays off. A late U-turn from Eddie Howe prompted Celtic to make a panicked call to Ange Postecoglou, a plan B with little or no knowledge of the Scottish game. When the Australian lost three of his opening six league games, his saving grace was good recruitment. He gave the team an identity, a culture and a recognised style of play. When he needed it most, his experience made the difference. Right now it feels as if Rangers are looking for a young Ange. A coach of conviction with plenty to prove who can find his feet in Scottish football quickly, forge a new team and give the folk on the other side of the city a run for their money. Given time and a fair wind Davide Ancelotti just might be that man. With the help and backing of the 49ers investment group, Thelwell and Purdy, standards will surely improve on and off the pitch. He might stamp his authority on the team from day one and be a game-changer. At this stage no one knows for sure that he even has the job. The only thing anybody can say with any conviction is that something has to change. A Celtic boardroom dominated by cautious, conservative men in grey suits has delivered 13 titles in the last 14 years and 21 of the last 27 trophies up for grabs. Far from aping the safety first strategy of their bitter rivals, Rangers are clearly going in a different direction. Study his track record and Andrew Cavenagh made his fortune in health insurance by limiting his exposure to risk as much as possible. Appoint Davide Ancelotti and the new owner won't just be making a big, ballsy call. He'll be casting away the habits of a lifetime.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Juve do just enough to reach Champions League. Will Conte join them there?
Serie A's title race ended on Friday night, but the drama certainly didn't. Still to be decided were the final qualifiers for all three European competitions and which teams would join Monza in dropping out of the top division. The six games that could affect those outcomes kicked off simultaneously on Sunday. Within 70 seconds, Daniel Fila had given 19th-placed Venezia the lead over fourth-placed Juventus. A tone-setter for an evening of twists and turns. Juventus thought they had equalised almost immediately at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, Alberto Costa driving a brilliant half-volley in from the edge of the area. But he handled in the buildup. Roma took the lead away to Torino. One point behind the Bianconeri at the start of play, they were on course for the last Champions League spot. Related: Conte masterminds 'most unexpected' scudetto with single-minded Napoli | Nicky Bandini Venezia needed to win this game, and hope neither Lecce nor Empoli did the same, to have any shot at survival. So far, so good. The former were drawing and the latter a goal down at home to Verona. But Juventus came back. Kenan Yildiz equalised in the 25th minute, receiving the ball from a throw-in and dribbling inside before finishing at the near post. Randal Kolo Muani made it 2-1 soon after but they conceded another equaliser to Ridgeciano Haps at the start of the second half. In many ways, this was the perfect still-frame of Juventus in 2025. They have improved since hiring Igor Tudor to replace Thiago Motta for the final stretch, moving the ball quicker and adding purpose to their press, but a defensive injury crisis has kept them looking vulnerable. The starting back-three for this game was two right-backs and Lloyd Kelly, who has had a tough adjustment since joining on loan from Newcastle in mid-season. Roma were 2-0 up now and back on track for fourth place. Lecce had also taken the lead at Lazio but were down to 10 men. Venezia needed to score again and hope for some help from Lazio. Juventus simply had to win. The underdogs could have taken it. In the 71st minute, John Yeboah released Issa Doumbia, whose fierce near-post effort demanded a good save from Michele Di Gregorio. But moments later, Francisco Conceição jinked into the box at the far end and drew a foul from Hans Nicolussi Caviglia. Manuel Locatelli placed his penalty into the right corner. This time Juventus defended their lead successfully. A 3-2 win was enough to keep fourth, while Roma took fifth after beating Torino. Still a very creditable result when you remember they were 12th, with three wins from 12 games, when Claudio Ranieri took charge. Lecce, impressively, held on to beat Lazio, securing a fourth-consecutive season in Serie A, their longest run in the top-flight. At full-time, they paid tribute to Graziano Fiorita, the club's physio who died at the age of 38 last month. Lazio's defeat meant they dropped out of the European places, allowing Fiorentina – who came from behind to beat Udinese 3-2 – to secure a place in the Conference League for the fourth consecutive season. Empoli lost 2-1 to Verona, suffering relegation with Venezia and Monza. Back at the Penzo, there were questions about what Juventus's victory would mean for Tudor's future. The club's director of football, Cristiano Giuntoli, said in a pre-game interview that the manager would at least stay in charge for the Club World Cup, which begins in less than three weeks. Tudor called his bluff. 'You will know everything soon. Very soon,' he said. 'It would not be right to go to America without a definite decision. If someone is not going to be here next year, there is no sense in them going to the Club World Cup.' The common belief is that Juventus intend to replace him with Antonio Conte – fresh from his scudetto triumph with Napoli. Giorgio Chiellini, who returned to the club in a new role as the head of institutional relations last September, is understood to have been in contact with the man under whose coaching he won the first three of nine Serie A titles. There is no lack of appreciation for Tudor's work. Qualifying for the Champions League will bring in more than €50m in additional revenues. In a cruel irony, it may make it easier for Juventus's directors to persuade Conte to return. Although Juventus were fifth when Tudor took over, they had lost four of their final six games under Motta, including a 4-0 drubbing by Atalanta and a 3-0 loss to Fiorentina. Juventus only really beat the teams they were supposed to beat – all five of Tudor's wins came against teams from the bottom half of the table – but that was enough. They avoided defeat in key end-of-season head-to-heads, drawing with Roma, Bologna, Lazio. His only loss came away to Parma. Tudor seemed philosophical on Sunday, expressing gratitude for the experience and satisfaction at achieving the goal he was set. 'I lived through a lot of emotions this evening,' he said. 'I felt a crazy adrenaline in my body.' His positivity may have been the thing Juventus needed most in the final part of the season. In the past few years they have often looked like a team weighed down by their club's identity – the permanent expectation that, whatever else happens, they simply ought to win. Locatelli, the club captain, characterised his decisive penalty as 'like kicking a medicine ball'. Napoli 2-0 Cagliari, Como 0-2 Inter Milan, Bologna 1-3 Genoa, Milan 2-0 Monza, Atalanta 2-3 Parma, Empoli 1-2 Verona, Lazio 0-1 Lecce, Torino 0-2 Roma, Udinese 2-3 Fiorentina, Venezia 2-3 Juventus Tudor reminded everyone that this is an inexperienced group coming together. Juventus fielded the second-youngest starting XIs, on average, in all of Serie A. Yildiz, third on the team with seven goals, celebrated his 20th birthday at the start of this month. Conceição is 22. Khéphren Thuram, who picked up the league's player of the month award before kick-off, is 24. There are interesting pieces here for a manager to build on. Champions League revenues should make it easier to address the issue highlighted by Tudor as their greatest weakness: a lack of depth in key positions. It appears unlikely he will be the one who gets to take the project forward. As we saw on Sunday, though, a lot can change – and then change again – in a short space of time. Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Napoli 38 32 82 2 Inter Milan 38 44 81 3 Atalanta 38 41 74 4 Juventus 38 23 70 5 Roma 38 21 69 6 Fiorentina 38 19 65 7 Lazio 38 12 65 8 AC Milan 38 18 63 9 Bologna 38 10 62 10 Como 38 -3 49 11 Torino 38 -6 44 12 Udinese 38 -15 44 13 Genoa 38 -12 43 14 Verona 38 -32 37 15 Cagliari 38 -16 36 16 Parma 38 -14 36 17 Lecce 38 -31 34 18 Empoli 38 -26 31 19 Venezia 38 -24 29 20 Monza 38 -41 18
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Will Juventus Replace Igor Tudor With Antonio Conte Despite UCL Berth?
Igor Tudor celebrates Juventus' win over Venezia (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Getty ... More Images) Having accomplished the vital task of securing a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, it is unclear what the future holds for Juventus boss Igor Tudor ahead of the 2025/26 season. Thanks to a final day victory over Venezia – discussed at length in this previous column – the Bianconeri finished fourth in Serie A, guaranteeing themselves the increased revenue that comes with a spot in European football's elite competition. The Coach deserves immense credit for that accomplishment, something that was far from a foregone conclusion when he took charge of the club following Thiago Motta' dismissal back in March. Losing just one of his nine games at the helm, Tudor claimed 18 points to get Juve over the line. That equates to two points per game, where Motta averaged 1.76 points per game over the rest of the season and there is little doubt that the players have responded positively to the change. They have repeatedly spoken of the impact made by the new boss, with Manuel Locatelli perhaps speaking out most directly. 'The energy has changed,' the club Captain told Sky Italia in April. 'We now approach games with a lot of positive energy and that is what we need to keep doing.' Beyond that improvement in mentality, Tudor also appears to have a far clearer idea of what he expects from the team as a far more obvious style of play has emerged under his guidance. Aggressively pressing opponents and then seeking to play an expansive and entertaining yet direct brand of football, they have managed to mask flaws in the squad to achieve the goal set by the club. Yet getting back into the Champions League is simply the bare minimum for a side of Juve's stature. According to Forbes' calculations, they currently sit outside the top 10 most lucrative clubs in the world, with a valuation of $2.05 billion and dropping five places from the 2023 list. Their biggest issue has been revenue, currently calculated to be around $459 million which is $100 million less than any team in the top 10 and is dwarfed by leaders Real Madrid's income of $873 million. While responsibility for that does not rest on Tudor's shoulders, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Bianconeri want to return to winning trophies not settling for a place in the Serie A top four. That has led to growing rumours of a reunion with former boss Antonio Conte, who built his entire coaching reputation on the transformation of Juventus he oversaw between 2011 and 2014. Back then, they were in even worse shape than they are today, having finished seventh in back to back seasons before he was appointed. Now, having just won the Scudetto with Napoli, DAZN journalist Orazio Accomando believes Juve will hand Conte a three-year contract with an annual salary of €8 million ($9.68 million). This follows news Conte will leave Napoli after disagreements with owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner dropping numerous hints that a split is on the cards throughout the title celebrations. Things are made even more complicated by the FIFA Club World Cup, with Juve's first game against Al-Ain scheduled for June 19. The Bianconeri have insisted that whatever decision is made about the Coach, Tudor will be at the helm for that competition only for the man himself to distance himself from that idea at the weekend. "My future will be known before the Club World Cup, as it should be,' Tudor told Sky Italia following Sunday's win over Venezia. 'Otherwise, going there and then not being there next year would not be fair to anyone. "I haven't spoken to the management about it yet. It's natural that I want to know my future, for a coach it's logical." That certainly causes issues for Juventus should they decide to move on from Tudor, with transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that it would cost the club €1 million ($1.14 million) to terminate his contract. There will undoubtedly be much more news on the futures of both Antonio Conte and Igor Tudor in the coming days, Juventus seemingly unwilling to stand still despite a successful end to the season.
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Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Juventus clinch final Champions League spot in thrilling win over Venezia
Igor Tudor achieved his short-term mission at Juventus, guiding the club to a top-four finish and Champions League qualification after a tense 3-2 victory over Venezia in the final round of the 2024/25 Serie A season. 'It was an emotional rollercoaster, full of adrenaline,' Tudor said post-match, reflecting on his dramatic few weeks in charge since replacing the sacked Thiago Motta in March. The Bianconeri found themselves trailing early after Daniel Fila put relegated Venezia ahead in the second minute. However, goals from Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani turned the game around by the 31st minute. Venezia fought back through Ridgeciano Haps in the second half, but Manuel Locatelli's penalty sealed the crucial win for Juve. Serie A clubs who clinched UCL spots for next year Napoli Inter Atalanta Juventus 'We made our share of mistakes this season,' Locatelli admitted. 'But reaching the Champions League was always a key target.' Juventus finished just one point above Roma, who beat Torino 2-0 to secure a Europa League berth. Roma's win also marked the final game in Claudio Ranieri's managerial career. Ranieri, who took over with the club sitting 12th, oversaw a resurgence and now transitions to an advisory role, having played a part in selecting his successor. In other matches, Fiorentina secured a UEFA Conference League spot with a 3-2 win over Udinese, leapfrogging Lazio, who fell 1-0 to Lecce. Moise Kean netted the winner for Fiorentina. Atalanta's Daniel Maldini grabbed headlines with a rapid-fire brace in a 3-2 loss to Parma. Meanwhile, Empoli joined Venezia and Parma in the relegation zone after a 2-1 defeat to Hellas Verona. Juventus now turn their attention to the Club World Cup in the United States, with decisions looming about Tudor's future. Though his contract included a possible extension upon Champions League qualification, Juventus are reportedly exploring a return for Antonio Conte, fresh off a title-winning campaign with Napoli. 'In this profession, uncertainty is part of the job,' Tudor noted. 'But the club must decide before the Club World Cup preparations begin.'
Rhyl Journal
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Juventus ensure Champions League action next season with victory at Venezia
Locatelli kept his nerve 17 minutes from time after Venezia, relegated with the defeat, had fought back in a vain attempt to deny Juventus finishing fourth in Serie A. Daniel Fila fired Venezia ahead after two minutes and a quickfire Juventus equaliser through Alberto Costa was ruled out by VAR. La Juventus vince e conquista un posto per la prossima Champions League! ✅#VeneziaJuve — Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 25, 2025 Juventus did level through Kenan Yildiz's fine finish after 25 minutes and Costa set up Randal Kolo Muani six minutes later. Ridgeciano Haps equalised for Venezia 10 minutes after the restart, but Hans Nicolussi Caviglia brought down Francisco Conceicao and Locatelli calmly dispatched the spot-kick to guarantee Juventus joy and Roma pain. Despite winning 2-0 at Torino, Roma came fifth and will play in the Europa League next season. Leandro Paredes converted from the spot to put Roma ahead after 18 minutes and Alexis Saelemaekers soon added a second after the restart. Manuel Locatelli celebrates a goal during Juventus' 3-2 vital Serie A victory over Venezia ). (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP) Atalanta were already assured of third place and Champions League qualification but lost 3-2 at home as Parma secured their top-flight survival. Daniel Maldini scored twice in the space of 60 seconds to give Atalanta a comfortable half-time lead. But Parma replied through Antoine Hainaut and a Jacob Ondrejka double, with the winner coming in the first minute of stoppage time. Empoli's relegation was confirmed by a 2-1 home defeat to Verona. Fiorentina qualified for the European Conference League spot next season at Lazio's expense with a 3-2 victory at 10-man Udinese. Nicolo Fagioli, Pietro Comuzzo and Moise Keane – who scored the winner eight minutes from time – turned around an early deficit against Udinese hosts, who had Jaka Bijol sent off for two bookable offences before half-time. Lazio finished below Fiorentina on goal difference and miss out on European football altogether after losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Lecce, who started the day in relegation danger. Santiago Pierotti was sent off in first half stoppage time after Lassana Coulibaly had put the visitors ahead, but Lazio could not find an equaliser and were reduced to 10 themselves in the final seconds when Alessio Romagnoli saw red. Barcelona celebrated their LaLiga title success with a 3-0 victory at fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the opening 17 minutes and Dani Olmo converted a stoppage-time penalty as Barcelona finished the campaign with 102 goals, becoming the first LaLiga side to reach three figures since 2016-17. Atletico Madrid had earlier made absolutely certain of third spot by routing Girona 4-0 in Catalonia. Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored a second-half hat-trick and Clement Lenglet was also on target as Girona's disappointing season ended on a low note. Fifth-placed Villarreal finished on the same points total as Bilbao by beating Sevilla 4-2 for a sixth successive victory. Yeremy Pino and Papa Gueye struck inside the opening eight minutes before Djibril Sow gave Sevilla hope. Alex Baena restored the two-goal cushion and Gueye added a fourth after the restart, with Ramon Martinez managing a late consolation for the visitors.
