Juventus and the Coppa Italia: A Love Affair

26/04/2024 03:30

We're taking a look back at Juventus' glorious history in the competition and what to look forward to next month in Rome.

As the final whistle blew in Rome on Tuesday night, Manuel Locatelli was visibly emotional as he hugged teammate Weston McKennie. While reaching the Coppa Italia final is nothing new to Juventus, having now reached 22 in total, this one felt different. Maybe because it comes on the heels of a terrible second half to the season. Maybe because it will likely be Max Allegri's last match in charge.

Or maybe because it's a reminder that winning is still in this team's DNA.

Whatever the reason, the final on May 15 against Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome may prove to be another pivotal moment in the club's storied history. It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that Juventus are the winningest team in the competition having taken home the trophy 14 times. Equally as impressive, this will be the team's eighth final in the last 10 years and Allegri's sixth time coaching in it (all with Juventus, of course).

The inaugural Coppa Italia was held during the 1921-22 season and featured a collection of smaller clubs as many of the larger, richer teams had broken away from the FIGC in protest and formed la Lega Nord (the Northern League). That said, there was a team wearing black and white in the first-ever final though it wasn't the Old Lady — or Young Lady at that point in time. It was Udinese and they lost 1-0 to current Serie D side, FC Vado 1913, from the province of Savona in Northern Italy.

Juventus won its first Coppa Italia in 1938 after defeating Torino in a two-legged affair that ended 5–2 on aggregate. The bianconeri would claim their second in 1942 under their only ever player/coach, Giovanni Ferrari. Not long after, the tournament would go on hiatus as the second World War escalated on the Italian peninsula. The Coppa Italia would resurrect nearly 15 years later in 1958.

In the years that followed, like with much of the domestic landscape, the Coppa Italia would become all but synonymous with the black and white side of Turin.

In 1959, one year after the competition returned, Juventus claimed top prize by besting Inter at the San Siro 4–1 and would go on to retain the cup the following year making it the first club to repeat after edging Fiorentina 3–2. Throughout the next four decades, the team would make the finals seven more times, winning five and losing two, taking their total cup wins to nine.

Much like the hunt for the elusive third Champions League trophy, winning the 10th (or decima) Coppa Italia became somewhat of an obsession for the club and its fans. For 20 long years, the chase ensued but ended only in finals heartache — another nucleotide in the club's DNA. In this period, Juventus would make the final three times but lose each to the likes of Parma (2002), Lazio (2004), and Napoli (2012).

In many ways, however, that 2012 final against Walter Mazzarri's Tre Tenori marked a sea-change for Juventus ushering the team into an era of near total domestic domination. The record-setting march in Serie A that led to nine consecutive scudetti was closely matched by the team's performance in the Coppa Italia from 2015 to 2018.

Under Allegri, the team broke, set, and again broke their own records, as they became the first club to win the competition four times in a row. The first two trophies came from memorable extra-time winners by Alessandro Matri (vs. Lazio, 2–1) and Alvaro Morata (vs. Milan, 1–0) while the fourth came at the expense of Milan again thanks in part to a horrendous day at the office for Gianluigi Donnarumma. The match ended 4–0. And yes, it was THAT bad — if you're a Milan or Donnarumma fan that is.

Somewhat fittingly, Juventus' last cup win came against Atalanta three years ago. In an unsurprisingly close encounter, it was a moment of brilliance from Federico Chiesa that sealed the 2–1 scoreline.

A lot has changed for Juventus since they lifted the cup in front of a measly 4,500 fans (thanks to COVID restrictions) that night in Reggio Emilia. A few days following the match, Andrea Pirlo was sacked despite winning two trophies that season, Max was back for his second tour at the helm, and Cristiano Ronaldo would be gone not long thereafter.

Atalanta, on the other hand, has continued to cultivate (and sell) star players, play innovative football, and push teams to the brink under the tutelage of Gian Piero Gasperini, who took the reins in July 2016. By most measures, la Dea has shed its underdog status, regularly competing for a place in European competition. This year they're upping the ante as they are arguably in the best form under Gasperini. In addition to making the Coppa Italia final, the team is in the Europa League semifinals after a historic 3-0 win at Anfield against Liverpool. Should they progress against Marseille, it will mark the club's first-ever appearance in a European competition final in its 116-year history.

(Fun fact: Atalanta did make the semifinals of the Cup Winners Cup in 1988 while in Serie B. It remains one of the best performances by a non-league club in any of UEFA's major competitions.)

With several weeks still to go until this season's Coppa Italia final, it's difficult to make any valid prediction about what to expect. Even the two matches from this season tell us little given both ended in ties. The most recent match ended in a four-goal feast which saw Juventus turn around a one-goal deficit to go up 2–1 before another one of Atalanta's hot commodities and Juventus target, Teun Koopmeiners, leveled things at 2–2.

The dynamic of both matches mirrored much of what we've seen to date from Juventus–playing under their potential, counting on moments of brilliance from individual players, and then blowing it all near the end.

There's also the small detail that both teams have incredibly important match-ups coming up as each continues to pursue European qualification. With a game in-hand, Atalanta could close the four-point gap on Roma for 5th place to earn Champions League qualification.

One thing we do know is that both sides will be without key players Manuel Locatelli and Gianluca Scamacca following yellow card accumulations. Given the Italian attacker's incredible form over the last several weeks (8 goals /1 assist in the last 10), most would assume that Atalanta has drawn the short straw here, but many Juventini (including this one) might disagree.

Missing all of three matches this season, Locatelli has proven to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise woeful midfield. His role as the deep-lying playmaker and sometimes makeshift center back when the team tries to play from the back offers the versatility no current player brings with consistent quality. Since being without Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba due to their respective suspensions, the gap in the role comes into focus when you realize go-to solutions when Locatelli has been unavailable (or subbed) have been some combination of Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, Danilo, and (rarely) Fabio Miretti.

Then there's the intangible spirito the Lecco-born midfielder brings to the team. When facing a team like Atalanta, known for quick transitions and meticulous high-press, players like Locatelli can be the driving force in keeping the fight alive–something Dusan Vhlavoic seems to be acquiring more and more each week.

No matter the outcome, making the final alone has come with its own set of ramifications. Not only is the team on the receiving end of an additional financial windfall, but it will also have an absolute jam-packed 24/25 season having now qualified for FIVE competitions next year, including the Serie A, Champions (or Europa) League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Since moving to the Final Four format, the Supercoppa Italiana now carries a cash prize worth up to €13 million — €5 million for making the finals and an additional €8 million for winning the competition. Another €1.5 million is reserved for the losing semifinalist. A potential bounty worth its weight in gold for a team looking to balance the books.

Competitions and finances notwithstanding, what awaits Juventus in its backyard in mid-May will be as much a referendum on this season and Allegri as it will be the foundation for whatever comes next.

In a recent interview with RAI's Che Tempo Che Fa, Marcello Lippi shared that before every final he would tell his players, "Adesso, andiamo e vinciamo." Now, let's go and win. Because, as he put it, finals are to be won not to be enjoyed just for participating.

So, andiamo, e vinciamo!