It was exactly nine summers ago, the summer when Italy managed to conquest their fourth World Cup trophy in history, that the Italian Football Federation condemned Juventus to Serie B as well as seeing them stripped of 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles.
But tonight, for the second time in eight days, they will be facing the 10 times European Champions, Real Madrid, together with their coach, Carlo Ancellotti, whose adventure with Juventus was arguably the most bitter in his coaching career.
Zinedine Zidane (Left) and Carlo Ancellotti (Right) back in their Juventus days
Despite that, the relationship between Ancellotti and the Old Lady did not end there, as in May 2003, while coaching A.C Milan, Ancellotti managed to snatch the Champions league trophy away from Juventus as the Rossoneri won their sixth Champions League trophy in history in the Old Trafford Final, as Juventus lost on penalties.
However, tonight, 12 years and four Scudetti later, Juventus are determined to get a ticket for Berlin’s final with the aim of getting their long desired third Champions League Trophy against the Catalans.
All of the Juventus squad has changed since the time they reached a Champions League, but one man has stayed, he has remained between the goal-posts, the man that won a World Cup in Berlin and went down to Serie B a few weeks later; Gianluigi Buffon is still there.
When Italy won the World Cup in 2006, together with Fabio Cannavaro, Buffon was renowned as one of the Italian heroes, and tonight, Buffon will be doing anything physically possible to visit Germany’s capital city again, only this time representing his beloved Zebre team.
Tonight is not a usual match for Juventus. They won’t be playing against Real Madrid’s eleven players or the thousands of Real Madrid supporters who will be invading the Bernabéu. Instead the battle is also against all those who have doubted them, all those who have blamed them.
The final battle is against their own destiny and against their curse in Champions League matches, but tonight, what matters the most is that they fight for each ball as if their life depends on it, until the very end, fino alle fine.
