In the current age, international breaks are universally despised by football fans and clubs alike.
The fan hates it because it prevents him from seeing his favorite club for two weeks. Instead, he sticks with a less exciting type of football, be it qualifying matches, useless friendlies or some newly invented tournament that makes less sense than the application of VAR (Yes, that’s the UEFA Nations League).
As for the clubs, few would blame them for hating the whole concept. After all, their squads rarely come out unscathed, and players often return from international duty bruised or simply exhausted.
However, the international break can hardly hurt a club that has already hit rock bottom.
So for Juventus, any damage caused by these internationals to Max Allegri’s team would pale in comparison to the damage inflicted by the team on itself.
So maybe, just maybe, this break could somehow leave a positive impact on the Bianconeri’s fortunes.
In recent weeks, the atmosphere within the club’s walls has turned poisonous. Disastrous results, horrible performances, tensions between players and fans, management confusion… a perfect storm, to say the least.
Therefore, breaking out of this environment should serve the morale of the players. For example, Leonardo Bonucci endured a horrible week on a personal level following his post-match actions against Monza, which provoked a massive backlash from the Ultras.
But on Friday, the veteran defender was at his best, producing a wonderful display at the back for Italy against England.
Additionally, players like Juan Cuadrado, Leandro Paredes and Dusan Vlahovic could also get a huge morale boost during their international duty.
So let’s hope these players return to Continassa in different spirits and shake off the negativity that has been haunting this place for the past month, even if saving the campaign requires harsher measures than a two-week trip.
