Juventus. The Old Lady. The kings of Italian football. Juve have dominated Serie A for the past six seasons, cementing them as one of the biggest clubs in Europe. They have found trouble on the European stage however with the Bianconeri having last won the Champions League in 1996. With just two European crowns to your name, this is what you must look to correct with Juventus on Football Manager 2018.
Philosophies
Juve managing director Giuseppe Marotta will welcome you to the club and present the club’s philosophes. These can be discussed, but the default is to just play attacking football. With all the attacking talent at your disposal you should not face any troubles here.
Expectations
Next up, Marotta will show you the board’s expectations for the season. These can be freely adjusted, and the more difficult you make your targets, the more you will receive in your transfer budget. The suggested goals are to win the Serie A title and reach the semifinals of the European Champions Cup. The Italian Cup and Super Cup are marked as not important. If you were to target the Champions Cup final, you will get an extra £1.5 million for transfers.
Budget
Transfer £19.61 million
Wage: £2.91m per week (Current spend: £2.89m)
Formation
Juventus have used a three/five at the back system for the best part of the last decade, but with star centre half Leonardo Bonucci (CA 173) leaving for AC Milan, you should opt for a four at the back formation. We’ve gone for a 4-2-3-1 to give a nice balance to the side.
Skipper Gianluigi Buffon, as ever, is in the Juve goal, with Stephan Lichtsteiner, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro in the back four.
Sami Khedira partners Miralem Pjanic in central midfield, with the catalyst Paulo Dybala in the number 10 role. Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa provide the width, with Gonzalo Higuain leading the line.
Key players
There’s a great blend of youth and experience at Juventus, which should aid the transition of the club over the next few seasons.
Gonzalo Higuain – CA 4 star (178), PA 4 star (180)
Always facing the critics, but Gonzalo Higuain’s record speaks for itself. 43 goals in a season and a half in Turin showcases the Argentine’s prowess, and if Juve are to go on a win a Champions League trophy in the next few seasons, Higuain will need to show his talents on the biggest stage.
On FM 18, Higuain has a 178 current ability rate, which could still go and reach his 180 potential. The former Real Madrid man has attributes of 20 finishing, 19 decisions and 18 anticipation.
Gianluigi Buffon – CA 4 star (177), PA 4 star (194)
It’s a sad thought that we could soon see a Juventus without Gianluigi Buffon, and on our FM save the Italy captain is retiring at the end of the season. Due to his longevity, the 39-year-old could go down as the best goalkeeper of all time, having won eight Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, a UEFA Cup and a World Cup.
On the game his 177 CA has fallen heavily from his 194 PA, but Buffon can still offer you incredible attributes of 20 command of area, 20 communication and 20 reflexes.
Paulo Dybala – CA 4 star (174), PA 4 star (185)
The new star of Juventus is Paulo Dybala. The attacking midfielder or striker is the man the fans will look to so that they can challenge Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid for European titles, and it is vital they keep La Joya at the club as he approaches his peak.
19 technique, 19 agility and 18 dribbling help make up the 23-year-old Dybala’s 174 CA, with the Argentine holding a superb potential of 185.
Young talent
Juve have had the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Sebastian Giovinco, Ciro Immobile and Claudio Marchisio come from the youth setup, but there hasn’t been a noticeable graduate since. Who from the current crop of youngsters could change that?
Manolo Portanova – CA 1.5 star (88), PA 3-4 star (140-170)
Defensive or central midfielder Manolo Portanova made the switch from Laio to Juventus at the age of just 17, so keep an eye out for the Italy U18 international in the years ahead. On FM he has an 88 CA which can rise to a potential between 140 and 170.
Fabrizio Caligara – CA 1 star (86), PA 2-3 star (140-170)
Juve through and through is central midfielder Fabrizio Caligara. The 17-year-old has worked his way up from the youth teams and even made his first team debut in the Champions League this season. His 86 CA rating can rise to a potential between 140 and 170.
Elia Petrelli – CA 1 star (80), PA 3-4 star (120-150)
The next bright striker coming through is Elia Petrelli. The 15-year-old (yes, fifteen) has netted 22 goals in 27 games for Juve U17s, earning him a call up to the Italy U17 side. On FM he may only have an 80 CA, but that can rise to a rating between 120 and 150.
Team report
Strengths | Weaknesses | |
|---|---|---|
Decisions | Wage Budget | |
Work Rate | ||
Strength | ||
Teamwork | ||
Scouting Staff | ||
Coaching Staff | ||
Youth Prospects | ||
Central Midfield Depth | ||
Goalkeeper Depth | ||
Jumping Reach | ||
Star Goalkeeper (Gianluigi Buffon) | ||
Star Defenders (Alex Sandro, Giorgio Chiellini) | ||
First Touch | ||
Passing | ||
Transfer Budget | ||
Aggression | ||
Overall Depth |
Dynamics
Team Leaders – Gianluigi Buffon (c), Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio
Highly influential – Juan Cuadrado, Gonzalo Higuain, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Andrea Barzagli, Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala, Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic, Daniele Rugani, Stefano Sturaro
Dynamics is the big new feature for FM 18, which depicts the atmosphere inside the dressing room. Be sure to monitor the morale of your players, and more importantly, make sure you keep your influential players happy. Saying the wrong thing to one of the leaders of the dressing room can cause performances of the squad to slip on the pitch.
Transfer targets
A £19 million transfer budget isn’t a great deal, but it should still allow you to bring in one name for your first team.
Right back – Aleix Vidal (CA 149, PA 153)
In Stephan Lichtsteiner you have a right back on the decline. The 33-year-old is the weakest player in the starting lineup, and you should look to replace him with a superior alternative. With your budget, the best you can do is Barcelona’s Aleix Vidal, who can be picked up for just £19.5 million. That will get you the Spaniard’s 149 CA rating, which can still rise to a 153 potential. The 27-year-old’s best stats include 16 work rate, 15 movement and 15 dribbling.
Alternative options:
- Mario – Age 26, Villarreal, Spain, CA 147, PA 153, Value: £12mm, Wage: £40k
- Djibril Sidibe – Age 25, Monaco, France, CA 147, PA 154, Value: £18m, Wage: £40k
- Elseid Hysaj – Age 23, Napoli, Albania, CA 146, PA 154, Value: £14m, Wage: £22k
- Hugo Mallo – Age 26, Vigo, Spain, CA 145, PA 156, Value: £10m, Wage: £29k
Players to sell
If you want more for your transfer budget, you will need to sell off some players. With a large squad at Juventus, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
If you are going to bring in a new right back, you will want to be selling Stephan Lichtsteiner. The Swiss international has performed well for Juventus, but at the age of 33, it’s time for him to move on. Lichtsteiner should collect you £3 million in the transfer market, freeing up his hefty £89,000 a week wages.
Stefano Sturaro
You have plenty of midfield options at Juve, and you can’t see Stefano Sturaro getting many games ahead of Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi and Claudio Marchisio. With a value of £13 million and wages of £47,500 a week, that could prove the difference between a decent and world class signing.
Carlo Pinsoglio
With two top goalkeepers at the club in the form of Gianluigi Buffon and Wojciech Szczesny, third choice Carlo Pinsoglio won’t receive much game time. Yes, he could be called upon if there is an injury crisis, but you still have options in your youth squads. The 114-rated Pinsoglio can only grow to 120, so look to sell the 27-year-old for £750,000 and reinvest his £6,250 a week wages.
Finances
At large, the finances at Juventus are in good health. There is one debt that still needs to be paid off, but it will do so gradually until 2025. The overall balance of the club is on the rise, and turnover is set to remain fairly constant. Expenditure will rise, but the only real concern is the club’s profit turning into loss at the end of the season. Winning some silverware could correct his. You will be pleased to know your transfer budget will hit £90 million next season.
Go one better
Losing Arturo Vidal and Leonardo Bonucci in successive seasons is a blow for Juventus, and this season they have serious competition for the title they have clung on to so tightly for the last six years. You must make sure that the club stays in a strong position during this transition period, with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Barzagli also likely to leave the club.
Your next few transfer windows will be vital to revitalise the squad, but there is more than enough there already to launch a bid for that elusive European victory. Being dark horses for the competition could work in your favour, and with a versatile squad you can be a match for any club.
Juventus first team squad, player roles and ratings
Player | Age | Pos | Role | Duty | Role Ability | CA/ PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Lineup | ||||||
Gianluigi Buffon | 39 | GK | Goalkeeper | Defend | 4 star | 177/ 194 |
Stephan Lichtsteiner | 33 | DR | Wing-Back | Defend | 2.5 star | 145/ 159 |
Andrea Barzagli | 36 | DCR | Central Defender | Defend | 3 star | 162/ 167 |
Giorgio Chiellini | 32 | DCL | Central Defender | Stopper | 4 star | 167/ 167 |
Alex Sandro | 26 | DL | Complete/ Wing-Back/ Full-Back | Support/ Attack | 4 star | 168/ 172 |
Sami Khedira | 30 | MCR | Central Midfielder | Automatic/ Support | 4 star | 165/ 167 |
Miralem Pjanic | 27 | MCL | Advanced Playmaker | Support | 4 star | 169/ 171 |
Juan Cuadrado | 29 | AMR | Winger | Support | 3 star | 159/ 165 |
Paulo Dybala | 23 | AMC | Attacking Midfielder/ Advanced Playmaker | Support | 4 star | 174/ 185 |
Douglas Costa | 26 | AML | Winger | Attack | 3 star | 157/ 166 |
Gonzalo Higuain | 29 | STC | Advanced Forward | Attack | 4 star | 178/ 180 |
Substitutes | ||||||
Wojciech Szczesny | 27 | GK | Goalkeeper | Defend | 3 star | 155/ 163 |
Medhi Benatia | 32 | D (C) | Central Defender/ Defensive Centre Back | Defend/ Any | 2.5 star | 151/ 159 |
Mattia De Sciglio | 24 | D (RL) WB (RL) | Full-Back | Automatic/ Attack/ Support | 2.5 star | 141/ 151 |
Kwadwo Asamoah | 28 | D (L) WB (L) M (LC) | Wing-Back | Defend | 2.5 star | 146/ 158 |
Blaise Matuidi | 30 | DM M (C) | Box To Box Midfielder/ Carrilero | Support | 3 star | 156/ 158 |
Federico Bernardeschi | 23 | M (RL) AM (RLC) | Advanced Playmaker | Support | 3 star | 152/ 172 |
Mario Mandzukic | 31 | AM (L) ST (C) | Defensive Forward | Support/ Defend | 3 star | 161/ 166 |
Reserves | ||||||
Carlo Pinsoglio | 27 | GK | Goalkeeper | Defend | 2 star | 114/ 120 |
Daniele Rugani | 23 | D (C) | Ball Playing Defender | Defend | 2.5 star | 150/ 170 |
Benedikt Howedes | 29 | D (RC) | Central Defender | Defend | 2.5 star | 150/ 154 |
Stefano Sturaro | 24 | DM M (C) | Ball Winning Midfielder | Support | 2.5 star | 142/ 151 |
Rodrigo Bentancur | 20 | M (RLC) | Advanced Playmaker | Support | 2.5 star | 138/ 165 |
Injured | ||||||
Claudio Marchisio | 31 | DM M (C) | Deep Lying Playmaker | Defend | 3.5 star | 163/ 172 |
Marko Pjaca | 22 | AM (RL) ST (C) | Inside Forward/ Winger | Attack/ Support | 2.5 star | 147/ 169 |
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