Marco Borriello won a Scudetto with Juventus. He worked directly under Conte, experienced the institutional environment Agnelli created, and felt what the combination of those two forces produced in the dressing room. His diagnosis in today’s Gazzetta interview is the most uncomfortable one the debate has produced — not because it criticises Spalletti or demands Conte, but because it locates the problem in a place that no managerial change can fix.
“Conte Would Bring Back the Juventus DNA — But I’m Not Convinced That Would Be Enough on Its Own”
The Conte endorsement comes with an immediate and specific qualification: “I am a great admirer of Antonio. He is a winner and I felt his force first-hand — he transmits a phenomenal mentality to his players. But I don’t believe Spalletti is Juventus’s problem and consequently I don’t think Conte alone would be enough to allow Juventus to return to winning. We are talking about two extraordinary managers — Luciano and Antonio are different, but at a technical-tactical level they are both phenomenal. Conte would bring back the Juventus DNA and would work like a madman, but I am not convinced that would be sufficient on its own to win.”
This is the most significant departure from the week’s prevailing commentary. Where Vidal, Ravanelli, Giaccherini and Llorente treat the appointment of Conte as the answer, Borriello treats it as a necessary but insufficient condition. Something else is missing.
“What’s Missing Is a President Like Andrea Agnelli — the Players Can Smell It”
The diagnosis: “A president like Andrea Agnelli. From outside you feel the absence of Andrea’s warmth — a director always present. Juventus has a historic and unique ownership — the attachment to the family jewel is evident, economically too. John Elkann is the number one supporter and deserves thanks for the continuous investment; you can’t ask more of him. But he is a great businessman and cannot be at the training ground every day. Juventus is missing the magic — the kind that makes the planets align, the kind that in the season we won the Scudetto was created by Conte, the supporters and the new stadium. These are not urban legends. Players sense the environment and even unconsciously behave accordingly. Trust me: players smell these things. Football is alchemy and a communion of purpose.”
“Bremer Would Not Have Spoken That Way in Agnelli’s Time. And Kessié Choosing Atalanta Over Juventus Is Worrying”
Two specific examples anchor the abstract argument. On Bremer’s post-Lazio outburst: “At my Juventus, Bremer would certainly not have spoken that way after losing 3-0 to Lazio. With Agnelli and Marotta he would not have allowed himself to criticise his teammates. But that’s not the only example.” On Kessié signing for Atalanta rather than Juventus: “The fact that Kessié chose Atalanta and not Juventus is worrying. With all due respect, Atalanta are not AC Milan. Players smell the moment a club is in — they ask around.” The implication: the club’s gravitational pull on top players, which under Agnelli was so powerful that the best wanted to come, has weakened to a point where mid-level choices now go elsewhere.
On Woltemade, in the briefest possible verdict: “He is a tall, technical player — but predictable.”
