Some of the best soccer teams in the world play in the top-flight Italian Serie A, but the undisputed champion of the league is Juventus.
Combining their domestic and international performances, Juventus has over 70 official titles, making them the most successful Italian soccer team ever and the 15th most successful on a global scale.
Their story is one of courage, glory, scandal, and most of all, excellence, so let’s take a closer look at Juventus…the dominant force in Italian soccer.
Basic Facts
- Country: Italy
- City: Turin
- Founded: 1897
- Home Ground: Juventus Stadium (Allianz Stadium) 2011 – present day. Stadio Olympico (interim ground) 2006 – 2011. Stadio Delle Alpi 1990 – 2006. Stadio Comunale 1933 – 1990.
- Nicknames: Fidanzata d’Italia, I bianconeri, Vecchia Signora, Goeba, Signora Omicidi, Zebre.
Home Grounds
Juventus is something of a wandering team when it comes to their home grounds. Despite their formation in 1987, it wasn’t until the early 30s that they adopted the Stadio Comunal as their official home ground.
They stayed put for almost 60 years before moving on to the Stadio Delle Alpi, named for its proximity to the Alps mountain range covering the northern tip of Italy.
Not ones to make themselves comfortable, Juventus occupied the Studio Delphi for just 16 years before departing for greener pastures at the Juventus Stadium.
The pitch at the home ground measures 105 x 68 meters, the recommended size for professional-grade soccer, and the turf is made up of Poa Pratensis grass.
Poa Pratensis, more commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass, is the ideal natural grass for sporting events due to its regenerative rhizomes. It’s normally overseeded with Lolium perenne grass in order to support the initial cultivar in different microclimates.
Main Trophies
Juventus have claimed almost all major soccer trophies multiple times, including the Champions League twice, the UEFA Cup three times, the European Super Cup twice, and the Intercontinental Cup twice. They’ve also won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Intertoto Cup once.
Domestically speaking, Juventus are even more successful, garnering an astounding 36 Serie A league titles, 1 Serie B title, 14 Coppa Italia titles, and 9 Supercoppa Italiana titles.
Club History
Founded in 1897 by students of the Massimo d’Azeglio Lyceum school in Turin, Sport-Club Juventus was initially a simple athletics club. It wasn’t until two years later that it’s name was amended to Foot-Ball Club Juventus.
The very next year, Juventus joined the Italian Soccer Championship, losing their first-ever official game against Torenise 1-0. During this nascent period, Juventus’ colors were pink and black.
It wasn’t long before the club fell into financial instability, and if it wasn’t for businessman Ajmone-Marson, who reinvigorated their finances, Juventus may well be a very different team today, if a team at all.
The funds were put towards moving the training ground from piazza d’armi, to the much more suitable Velodrome Umberto I. Now Juventus had the rudiments to grow as a team and win their first Italian league title in 1905, a revival marked by a change in team colors. Inspired by the monochrome stripes of English soccer side, Notts County.
Unfortunately, just as Juve were finding their feet, in 1906, a schism occurred similar to that of AC and Inter Milan, with the then President, Alfred Dick, departing with some of their most prominent players in order to form FBC Torino.
Recovery was a slow process for Juventus, but by the mid-20s the team was back on track, claiming its second league title in a washout final against Alba Roma.
Juve continued to grow. Their players formed the bulk of Italy’s national squad in the early 30s, helping the side to become the first Italian club ever to develop a decentralized following around the world.
After moving into the Stadio Comunale, Juventus performed well but failed to recapture the brilliance they’d achieved early in the decade. It wouldn’t be until the early 50s that they claimed another league title but progressed quickly from there on out, winning a league and cup double during the 1959-60 season.
The rest of the decade was uneventful, but by the time the 70s came around, Juventus were once again ready to dominate, claiming multiple domestic titles, as well as their first European title in the 97 UEFA Cup.
By 1984, Juve had won the Italian league 20 times, which meant they could add a second gold star to their jerseys, something no team has achieved even to this day (although Inter Milan only need one more Serie A win to hit 20).
One year later, in 1985, Juve became the first soccer team in history to have won all 3 major UEFA championships. The remainder of the decade went by in an unremarkable manner; however, after moving into new home, Stadio Delle Alpi, things started to look up.
They won a Coppa Italia/UEFA Cup double in 1990, another UEFA cup in 93, and in 95, won their first league title since the 1980s. The following year, Juve won the UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup, and despite losing in two consecutive Champions League finals in 97 and 98, took home the Serie A titles for both years.
The mid-noughties proved to be Juventus’ lowest point in their entire history, as certain members of their organization were found to be involved in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
As a punishment, Juve had their 2005 league title stripped, and they were placed at the bottom of the Serie A and subsequently relegated. Many players didn’t respond well to the relegation and moved to different teams.
Thankfully, Juventus worked hard, won their first and only Serie B title, and were reintroduced to the Serie A. With manager Claudio Ranieri at the helm, they spent the next few years coasting, and he along with Juve’s subsequent three managers, Ciro Ferarra, Alberto Zaccheroni, and Luigi Delneri were dismissed due to poor results.
It took the appointment of manager Antonio Conte (succeeded by Massimiliano Allegri) and a move to Juventus Stadium to reinvigorate the team, starting a winning streak that would stretch to a record 9 consecutive Serie A titles.
Between 2011 and 2020, Juventus also secured four consecutive Coppa Italia, which still stands as the current record, and just before the decade closed out, they beat Milan to earn their 8th Supercoppa Italiana.
In 2021, Inter Milan ended Juve’s 9-year Serie A streak, but they performed well enough to finish fourth on the table and qualify for the Champions League.
Club Timeline
- 1897 – Sport-Club Juventus was founded by Turinese students.
- 1899 – Sport-Club Juventus changed their name to FC Juventus.
- 1900 – Enter their first Italian championship and lose to Turinese.
- 1905 – 1st Serie A victory.
- 1933 – Move into Stadio Comunale.
- 1977 – Juve wins their 1st UEFA Cup.
- 1983 – 1st Cup Winners’ title.
- 1985 – 1st European Cup title and 1st Intercontinental Cup title.
- 1990 – Move into Stadio Delle Alpi.
- 1995 – 1st Supercoppa Italiana title
- 1996 – Juve wins their 1st Champions League title.
- 2001 – Juve purchase Gianluigi Buffon from Parma for €52,000,000, the record fee for a goalkeeper at the time.
- 2006 – Relegation due to involvement in the Calciopoli scandal.
- 2011 – Juve move into newly built Juventus Stadium.
- 2016 – Juve spends a club record €90,000,000 on Argentinian striker, Gonzalo Higuaín, formerly of Napoli.
- 2020 – 9th consecutive Serie A title confirmed.
Club Net Worth
- Team Value: $1,950,000,000
- Revenue: $441,000,000
- Operating Income: -$14,000,000
- Debt/Value: 16%
Stadium
Juventus still play at Juventus Stadium, with no plans to move or start any new builds on the horizon. As of July 2017, the official name for the structure was changed to the Allianz Stadium due to sponsorship obligations.
Situated in the Vallette borough of Turin where the Stadio Delle Alpi used to stand, Juventus Stadium is one of only four UEFA category 4 soccer venues in the whole of Italy, which means it has a suitable infrastructure to host the most prestigious soccer games of the season.
It can accommodate 41,507 spectators, making it the 6th largest soccer stadium in Italy, yet despite its monstrous size, great effort was taken to keep the project as environmentally sound as possible.
It’s fitted with solar panels to produce enough green electricity to run the whole stadium, and all concrete and metal from the Stadio Delle Alpi was either repurposed or recycled.
The inaugural game was played between Juventus and Notts County as a way of honoring the English side for inspiring Juve’s now-iconic monochrome aesthetic.
Owners
The Agnelli family, have been majority owners of FC Juventus ever since 1967 when the club was converted into a public limited company.
They own a 63.8% stake in the club, investment management company Lindsell Train owns 10%, and the remaining 26.2% are free float shares that can be traded publicly.
The Agnellis has a long history with the club stretching further back than their official ownership, as in 1923 Edoardo Agnelli was elected club president.
This pedigree within the team’s management has helped build a strong bond between the family and the club, amounting to a mutually beneficial relationship.
Best Players
A wealth of world-class players have donned the black and white stripes of Juventus over the years, but none have had quite as explosive an impact as French attacking midfielder, Michel Platini.
Platini joined the already formidable squad in 1982, bringing his unique skills on the ball and intelligent approach to set pieces to the forefront of Juve’s gameplay.
Sometimes the word magic is used to describe particularly exciting and innovative moments of soccer, and it was precisely these moments that Platini specialized in.
Often considered to be one of the top 3 goalkeepers of all time, you can’t talk about the best Juventus players without mentioning Gianluigi Buffon.
When Juventus were relegated to the Serie B, and prominent players were jumping ship right, left, and center, Buffon decided to stay and help the team claw its way back into the Serie A.
French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is another soccer legend that took to the pitch in Juventus’ colors. His tenure at the club may have been short-lived, but his command of the game in the middle of the park quickly earned him a place among the all-time Juventus greats.
Striker extraordinaire, Paulo Rossi, also deserves a mention. He helped Juventus snag their first European Cup and is widely considered one of the best Italian forwards ever.
In Juventus’ current squad, their number one player is the Portuguese soccer genius, Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only is he one of the top-scoring soccer players of all time, but his fluency on the ball and lightning-fast feet make him one of the best players, period!
Frederico Chiesa is the world-class talent in their midfield line. With his boundless energy and intense pace, he’s an asset no matter where the play is on the pitch.
In defense, the rock that holds it all together is Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, a Columbian player with talent and pace enough to play in almost any position. He’s just as good playing the role of attacker in one-on-one situations as he is defending against them.
All Time Top Scorer
Juventus’ top goal scorer of all time by more than a 100 goal difference is Italian Alessandro Del Piero who racked up an amazing 290 goals for the club between 1993 and 2012.
The player with the most goals in a single season is Cristiano Ronaldo, with 37 in the 2019-20 Serie A league.
Captain
Giorgio Chiellini has been Juventus’ captain since Buffon’s departure in 2018. Often labeled as an old-school ball winner, his presence in the center of the Juventus defensive line is truly massive.
His height makes him a dominant force during aerial encounters, and his tackles are known to take the breath as well as the ball from attacking players.
Underscored by expertly measured aggression, his playing style stops even the most physical players in their tracks, and once he has reclaimed possession for Juventus, his vision and masterful touch make him a great foundation for snappy counterattacks.
At 36 years old, he’s reaching the twilight years of his celebrated career, and there are talks that after his departure from the professional game, the captain’s armband will be making its way to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goalkeepers
1st Goalkeeper:
- Wojciech Szczęsny
- Nationality: Polish
Sub Goalkeeper:
- Carlo Pinsoglio
- Nationality: Italian
Defenders
- Matthijs De Ligt
- Position: Center Back
- Nationality: Dutch
- Leonardo Bonucci
- Position: Center Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Giorgio Chiellini
- Position: Center Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Alex Sandro
- Position: Left Back
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Luiz De Silva Danilo
- Position: Right Back
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Juan Cuadrado
- Position: Right Back
- Nationality: Columbian
Midfielders
- Federico Chiesa (on loan)
- Position: Right Winger
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 14
- Rodrigo Bentancur
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Uruguayan
- Goals: 3
- Weston McKennie
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: American
- Goals: 6
- Aaron Ramsey
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Welsh
- Goals: 6
- Adrien Rabiot
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: French
- Goals: 6
- Dejen Kulusevski
- Position: Right Winger
- Nationality: Swedish
- Goals: 7
- Federico Bernardeschi
- Position: Right Winger
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 10
Strikers
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Goals: 101
- Paulo Dybala
- Nationality: Argentinian
- Goals: 100
- Álvaro Morata (on loan)
- Nationality: Spanish
- Goals: 47 (split across two spells with the club)
Managers
Massimilliano Allegri has only been the head coach and manager of Juventus since early 2021, but he’s no stranger to the black and white colors, having been at the helm of the side from 2014-19.
As you can tell from his name, he’s of Italian descent and is widely considered to be one of the best managers of all time. With Juventus alone, he has won 11 titles, including 5 of the 9 Serie A league titles the team won consecutively.
Coach
Goalkeeping Coach:
- Claudio Filippi
- Nationality: Italian
Conditioning Coaches:
- Andrea Perusio
- Nationality: Italian
- Antonio Gualtieri
- Nationality: Italian
Technical Coaches:
- Maurizio Trombetta
- Nationality: Italian
- Aldo Dolcetti
- Nationality: Italian
Athletic Coaches:
- Duccio Ferrari Bravo
- Nationality: Italian
- Simone Folletti
- Nationality: Italian
Assistant Coach
Marco Landucci is a former Italian goalkeeper and has been the second in command at Juventus for both of Allegri’s terms. In fact, he’s worked alongside Allegri in some form or another for the past decade, having served under him at previous clubs AC Milan, Grosseto, and Cagliari.
Home Kit
The Juventus home kit changes ever so slightly from year to year, but the core of the design is always centered around a black and white striped jersey, à la Notts County and Newcastle United.
The current home goalkeeper jersey is green with faded white highlights that give it a subtle wave effect.
They’ll normally wear white shorts and socks, but black is sometimes an option.
Away Kit
Juventus can be pretty experimental with their away kits, often mixing their classic monochrome coloring with other colors, but this season, they’ve omitted the white altogether and settled on a full black kit with yellow stripes at the shoulder.
In recent years, they’ve also been known to play in pink jerseys as a nod to their roots.
Logo
The Juventus logo used to be a simple oval containing five vertical black and white stripes, with their name was emblazoned across the top half. On the inside base of the oval is a small shield with a white silhouette of a charging bull, a symbol of the Comune of Turin. A small crown sits atop the shield, referencing the city’s Roman roots.
Recently, the logo has been modified to give the Juventus brand more flexibility. It’s currently a large “J” with two white borders and a central black stripe.
Club Academy
As the most powerful and influential soccer force in Italy, Juventus has taken it upon themselves to provide far-reaching academy programs, so people all around the world can benefit from their sporting techniques and morals.
They currently run three programs, a summer camp, year-round training, and a standard training camp. They also hold a Juventus academy world cup each year.
League Titles
Serie A – 36 Wins
- 1905, 1925-26, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1957-58, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20.
Serie B
- 2006-07
Other Titles
Domestic
- Coppa Italia – 14 Wins
- 1937-38, 1941-42, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1964-65, 1978-78, 1982-83, 1989-90, 1994-95, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21.
- Supercoppa Italiana – 9 Wins
- 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020.
European
- European Cup/Champions League – 2 Wins
- 1984-85 and 1995-96.
- European Cup Winners’ Cup
- 1983-84.
- UEFA Cup – 3 Wins
- 1976-77, 1989-90, 1992-93.
- European Super Cup/UEFA Super Cup – 2 Wins
- 1984 and 1996.
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- 1999.
Worldwide
- Intercontinental Cup – 2 Wins
- 1985, 1986.
Fun Facts
- Juventus originally played in pink shirts with black ties, but perpetual washing was draining the color, so English team member, John Savage, was asked if he had any connections that would source a new kit. He contacted his friend in Nottingham, who, naturally, sent black and white jerseys similar to those of his home team, Notts County.
- One of Juventus’ nicknames is La Vecchia Signora, which translates as “the Old Lady”, an ironic response to the team’s actual name, which means “Youth” and the fact that Juventus is one of the oldest teams in Italy.
It’s also suggested that the ironic nickname could have something to do with the team’s early tendency to keep on experienced, older players rather than introducing fresh legs to the squad.