"Juventus" team captain Gianluigi Buffon did not spare compliments last summer for Massimiliano Allegri, who took over the team's helm. In July 2014, former AC Milan coach Allegri replaced Antonio Conte, who unexpectedly left the club after three successful seasons, and faced a tsunami of criticism from both fans and football pundits. However, under the guidance of the experienced Italian, Juventus comfortably leads the Italian championship and has reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. After Sunday's hard-fought 1-0 victory against Genoa, G. Buffon admitted in an interview with journalists that it was by no means an easy match. "We put most of our energy into maintaining concentration for the full 90 minutes. It was extremely difficult to do because we barely had time to recover from the emotional Champions League matches. I can only be happy that Juventus' determination to fight tooth and nail brought us victories," Buffon said after the match. Many football pundits predicted a tight battle between Juventus and Roma for the Italian championship title at the beginning of the season, but now the Bianconeri, having acquired a 14-point advantage, have become unstoppable for their rivals from the Eternal City. "I must admit that although I am an optimist and a dreamer, I doubted our chances of winning the Scudetto. The numbers didn't promise us anything good, and Roma's name was echoing across Italy. At that time, we couldn't even dream of a 14-point lead in Serie A and a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals," the winner of the 2006 World Cup said openly. When the conversation turned to the current team coach, journalists reminded that when M. Allegri first arrived at the Juventus training base, the club's fans greeted him with anger and insults - they thought that the hero who had brought the team back to life had been replaced by a former opponent from the camp of principled bosses. "The secret of our team's success lies in the club's DNA - fighting to the end. We were off track, but over the past few years, we have managed to restore the team's mentality and confidence in our abilities," said the Italian. "Allegri pleasantly surprised us. His decision was the bravest that any coach could make." "To come after three golden years for the club, knowing that you could lose everything and continue to win despite all obstacles... The only thing left is to tip your hat to that man," said G. Buffon.
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