Soccer

Juventus claim fifth Serie A title in a row after Napoli lose at Roma

Turin club won 24 games out of 25 as they stormed back from poor start to campaign

Juventus players will focus on the Champions League next seasons, says coach Massimiliano Allegri. Photograph: EPA/Di Marco
Juventus players will focus on the Champions League next seasons, says coach Massimiliano Allegri. Photograph: EPA/Di Marco
Mon Apr 25 2016 - 21:39

Juventus claimed their fifth Serie A title in a row after Napoli lost 1-0 at Roma yesterday. Radja Nainggolan scored the only goal in the final minute against Napoli to end Maurizio Sarri’s team’s slim hopes of catching the Turin club.

And Juventus say they have no intention of selling their top players and are determined to assert themselves as a major force in Europe next season.

Despite their domestic dominance and reaching the Champions League final last season, overall Juve’s European form has been patchy and the club are eyeing success on the continent next season.

“Next year we must focus on winning the Champions League,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri. “It’s somewhat narrow-minded just to focus just on Serie A,” he said. “It was hard to digest this year. We got knocked out this year on the final cross of the game against Bayern Munich but we need to do better next year.”

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Serie A clubs often have trouble holding onto their best players. However, Juventus have already stated that they intend to keep Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba, their two most precocious talents.

Pogba (23) has come on hugely this season after being given more responsibility after the departure of the veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo. A player who combines finesse and physical power, Pogba could fetch more than €120 million if sold, Juventus estimate.

Transfer

Allegri, however, said jokingly last week that he would rather keep the Frenchman than have the money to spend in the transfer market.

Dybala, one year younger, has also shone in his first season following his move from Palermo, scoring 16 goals.

“Over the course of our history, Juventus have very rarely let our best players go. Paul, as well as Dybala, is part of the core of this team and we do not intend to put them on the market,” said chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.

In many ways, this year’s title has been the most unexpected of the last five. Juventus got off to a miserable start after losing Pirlo as well as top scorer Carlos Tevez to his native Argentina and tireless midfielder Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich, and were 11 points off the pace by the end of October.

But they went on to win 24 of 25 games, taking 73 points out of a possible 75, to clinch another title with five games to spare.

“To win this season would be really crazy and unbelievable,” said the goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon after the 2-1 win at Fiorentina on Sunday.