Last season was rough for Juventus. The Italian giants were deducted 15 points — later changed to ten — after a scandal involving transfer fees, dropping down to seventh in Serie A. Normally this means they would play in Europa Conference League, but Financial Fair Play violations resulted in a one-season ban from Europe. Meanwhile, the club’s board of directors resigned, and several key players left.
There were some bright spots, though. Many young players were given minutes, with several breaking into the first team. Arguably the biggest winner was Nicolò Fagioli. The Italian prospect had spent the previous year on loan with Cremonese and was expected to be a depth option. However, an injury crisis in midfield created opportunities for Fagioli, and he took advantage. By the end of the season, he was a regular starter, playing over 2,000 minutes.
Now an Italian international, Fagioli is expected to play a big role for Juventus in the near future. This is reflected in the number change — he swapped his old number, 44, for a number worn by several Juventus greats, 21. The Old Lady has a rich history with that magical number: Zinédine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Paulo Dybala, and Gonzalo Higuaín all wore 21 at some point during their careers in Turin. Oh, and Andrea Pirlo.
Pirlo is one of the legends of the game. He was a six-time Serie A champion, twice won the Champions League, and a World Cup winner. He helped bring a winning culture back to Juventus, signing for them for free in 2011 and winning the next four league titles and reaching a Champions League Final. His free kicks and passing were unmatched.
Pirlo is also a big fan of Fagioli. It was Pirlo who gave the promising talent his debut during his brief (and unsuccessful) stint as manager of the club in 2021. Earlier this year, Pirlo also stated that Fagioli “could be the new Pirlo”.
It’s fitting, then, that Fagioli will wear Pirlo’s number next season. He now has a chance to become a Juventus legend, just like Il Maestro did nearly a decade earlier.
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Image Courtesy of Football.ua, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons.
