FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted the club must bring in more experienced players in the transfer market in the coming months if they are to start to turn their fortunes around.
Serie A’s most successful club were already assured of a fourth-placed finish this season before Saturday’s final match of the campaign at Fiorentina, but another limp showing in a 2-0 loss showed how far the Turin giants have fallen.
Looking to quickly put a second successive fourth-placed finish behind them, Allegri is already considering the look of his squad for next season.
“Every day the newspapers give names, but we need to rest tomorrow and then we can start thinking about how to sort the squad out,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia.
“There are good foundations to build on. It’s natural that you need a mix of youth and experience, as it’s more difficult to win just with lots of young players.
“The veterans also help the younger players to grow and mature. We need balance when constructing the squad.”
The Serie A title will be decided on the final day on Sunday, with Milan needing a point to be sure of their first Scudetto since 2011, when Allegri was at the helm.
“Tomorrow will be beautiful, unfortunately we are not involved,” Allegri added. “After five years (in his coaching career) it is the first time I am not in a title race and I am not very happy.
“Milan have not won since I was on the bench. It will still be a day of passion, we are a bit envious.
“Now we will have to work to bring those in front closer to us. We must evaluate what we have as we cannot sign lots of players. There is a market that must be respected.”
(Reporting by Peter Hall; editing by Martyn Herman)