Allegri: Juve´s season starts now

Massimiliano Allegri has backed Juventus to recover from a poor start to their Serie A defence and says the champions’ season “starts this week”.

Juve won a fourth-straight league title at a canter last season, but a shock opening loss to Udinese was followed by a poor showing in a 2-1 defeat to Roma, leaving the club without a point after two matches.

However, Allegri believes that the signing of Hernanes from Inter and the imminent return of the injured Claudio Marchisio will improve the squad and is sure Juve will be able to make up the lost points.

“Our season starts this week,” Allegri said at the launch of his new mobile phone application. “I’m sorry to be without a point but against Chievo starts a new adventure.

“Through the difficulties we will return to do the right things. We’ll have Marchisio back and we now have Hernanes.

“I do not see why we should not make up the lost ground. Juventus has the potential to play a great season. We have the chance to live another important year as with the last. It is right to put aside the many achievements of 2014-15 without forgetting them.”

Juve also won the Coppa Italia last term, while missing out on a treble after losing the UEFA Champions League final to Barcelona.

And full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner fears that the Champions League defeat was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

“Juve is one of the biggest teams in Europe, but still not quite at the same level as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich,” he told FIFA.com. 

“Clubs like these reach the final on a regular basis. For me, however, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I knew it was now or never.

“I was therefore incredibly disappointed after the match. In hindsight, I can be happy with everything we achieved last season as a team. I’m also proud of my own performance. I played every minute of our 13 Champions League matches last season.”