Massimiliano Allegri threatens to quit as Juventus boss, report

Massimiliano Allegri, manager of Serie A's Juventus, was giving his employer a hard time as he handed in resignation note before his team defeated Napoli 2-1 on March 3, according to Corriere dello Sport.

Allegri's decision came as a shock to Juventus president Andrea Agnelli who had to cancel a business appointment and returned to Turin to convince the 51-year-old manager to stay. Allegri confirmed the report himself by admitting that he and Agnelli met at the San Paolo before the game against Napoli.

One of the reasons behind Allegri's decision was that he was annoyed by the railing of Juventus fans against him. Under his leadership, "the Old Lady" won 23 of their 26 games this season and led by 16 points over No.2 Napoli on the standing table-it's only a matter of time for the club to pocket their eighth Serie A championship.

Players of Juventus celebrate in the game they win against Napoli 2-1, March 3. /VCG Photo

However, that's not good enough for the fans. As a traditional old-school manager, Allegri pursued steady victories, which meant that the game his team played was rarely beautiful. Having witnessed so much success already, fans wanted more than victory.

Another reason was the pressure of winning the UEFA Champions League title. Since Juventus were already invincible in Italy, the club would understandably aim for something bigger, like the top club soccer honor in Europe, especially after Juventus paid some 100 million euros (about 113 million U.S. dollars) to get Cristiano Ronaldo.

Nonetheless, truth hurts. In the first leg of their competition against La Liga's Atletico Madrid, Juventus lost 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano on February 20, making it extremely difficult for the Italian club to enter the next stage. Fans railing became so intense after the loss that Allegri had to close his social media accounts.

Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Juventus in the game they lose 2-0 to Atletico Madrid, February 20. /VCG Photo

Actually, it's hard to deny that Juventus considered replacing Allegri with someone else. According to SPORT bible, the club had three candidates in mind, including Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Didier Deschamps.

Even Allegri himself admitted that his future with Juventus was unclear. "Nothing is certain. I've been fine here at Juventus for five years and I'm happy. I have a contract and I am happy at Juventus. I am focused on the present, on our targets for this season. We've won the Supercoppa, now we have to win Serie A and the Champions League," said Allegri in February.