Former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli stole the headlines by attending a Milan contest on Sunday, but no one was more excited than Max Allegri.
The two men share a friendship dating back to the manager’s first stint in Turin between 2014 and 2019, when he guided the club towards five Scudetto titles, four Coppa Italia triumphs, and two Champions League finals.
Agnelli reluctantly parted ways with the Livorno native on the advice of his vice-president, Pavel Nedved, and the club’s former sporting director, Fabio Paratici, before choosing to bring him back for a second tenure two years later.
The two men’s second collaboration ended prematurely, as the former Juventus president had to resign from his post in November 2022 when faced with growing pressure stemming from the club’s legal issues at the time.
However, their shared esteem for one another survived all difficulties, as evidenced by Agnelli’s appearance at San Siro on Sunday.
(Getty Images)
Following the expiry of his sporting ban, the 50-year-old is now able to attend Serie A contests. But instead of showing up at a Juventus match (where his presence might not necessarily be welcome), he opted to support his old friend, Allegri, as Milan hosted Hellas Verona in Sunday’s early kickoff.
The Rossoneri ended up beating the struggling Venetians by three unanswered goals. Christian Pulisic scored the opener, while Christopher Nkunku opened his Serie A account with a brace.
However, Agnelli’s presence was the main talking point during and after the match.
Moreover, a clip featuring an interesting exchange between Allegri and Rabiot in the tunnel has been circulating on social media.
“The president is here today,” the manager told his long-time French pupil.
The former Juventus midfielder was at first distracted by his headphones, so he asked for confirmation: “Is he here?”
“The president is here, Andrea,” reiterated Allegri with a low tone.
