Thierry Henry urges Juventus to stick with Max Allegri after Italian side’s elimination from Europe

Ex-Juventus striker Thierry Henry has urged his former club not to sack manager Max Allegri, despite the Italian Giants’ elimination from the Champions League Tuesday, urging the club’s top brass to think about their next move ‘carefully.’ 

Benfica’s Rafa Silva scored two superb goals as they edged the fixture in a 4-3 thriller at Estadio da Luz to seal a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League and end the Italian club’s chances in this year’s competition.

Benfica have 11 points from five games, the same as Group H leaders Paris St Germain, while Juve’s three points leaves them to focus on winning a place in the Europe League, something they can secure on the final matchday when they host PSG.

Juventus manager Max Allegri is facing calls to be sacked due to a poor start to the season

Juventus players react following their defeat in Portugal despite attempts of a late comeback

And despite all of the postgame criticism from former players, and pundits alike, including Micah Richards, Henry was quick to defend the manager and blasted the club’s executives for its downfall. 

‘I wouldn’t go there. As you know, on the other side of the line, it’s very difficult to call out a manager. I think there’s a lot of problems from top to bottom. It’s not only at the bottom and on the field that things aren’t not going well,’ the former Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, FC Barcelona and New York Red Bulls player said on CBS Sports, live from New York.

‘I said it when Pirlo left. I said it when Sarri left. It’s not a bad coach. You need to be able to coach also. Now what’s happening behind closed doors, we don’t know. But like I said, it takes time sometimes. It’s not because you bring Allegri that’s it’s going to work,’ he further stressed. 

The Frenchman, 45, then questioned the strategy of the club’s hierarchy, recently embroiled in accusations of false accounting and irregularities in player transfers between 2018 and 2020, following a notification from the public prosecutor’s office in Turin. 

Thierry Henry has urged the Italian club’s top brass to be ‘patient’ and ‘careful’ in its next move

Juventus’ top executives (shown) may face trial for alleged false accounting irregularities in player transfers between 2018 and 2020

Those involved in the scandal include Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, Vice President Pavel Nedved and CEO Marizio Arrivabene among 15 other people linked with the club. 

‘Where are you going to go? What’s going to be the plan? Who are you going to bring? You need to let people work also for a little while in order to change. Change who has to leave, who’s going to come to play in his [Allegri’s] system,’ Henry said. 

The Belgium National Team assistant then evoked his old club, Arsenal, and how the North London side’s top brass have been patient with manager Mikel Arteta, despite not featuring in Europe’s elite competition since the 2016-2017 campaign. 

The Gunners, however, are now top of the league after a brilliant start to the new season, collecting 28 points from a possible 33.

Henry, who played for Juventus in 1999, has urged his former club to follow Arsenal’s model

‘We’ve seen it with Arteta. It took him two years to put a decent team on the field and people were having a go so are you going to stay with the man? Are you not going to stay with the man?,’ Thierry pointed out to CBS Sports’ Micah Richards, Kate Abdo and Jamie Carragher. 

‘But to think about it carefully, because you never know what can happen. They thought by bringing him [Allegri] in, things were going to change and it didn’t happen yet.’ 

Juventus are also struggling in Serie A this year, lying in eight place, nearly 10 points off top dogs Napoli and 5 points adrift from fourth spot. In Italian football, only the four top teams qualify for the Champions League.