Football Manager 2019: Juventus Team Guide, Player Ratings & Tactics

This is the season for Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived at the club in search of a sixth and perhaps final Champions League title, and to stake his claim as the greatest player of all time by dominating another division. Juventus are without a European crown since 1996, something that is unacceptable given they have lifted the Serie A title seven seasons in a row. 

Your goal on Football Manager 2019 is clear, take Juventus all the way to the top of Europe. RealSport is here to help as we give you all you need to manage Juve on FM 19. 

Philosophies

You have no philosophies to follow as Juventus manager, so you have free rein to play how you want and bring in any personnel into the club. 

Expectations

With the Old Lady a cut above the rest of the crop in Italy, your expectations are high. In Serie A, you will need to win the division and reach the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup. For the Italian Cup you need to reach the final, with the Italian Super Cup marked as not important. If you target the final in Europe, you will be granted an extra £1 million for your transfer budget, with an aim for an Italian Cup allowing you an additional £800,000.

Tactical style

With no playing philosophy to follow, it is completely up to you for which tactical style to employ at the Allianz Stadium. Your best option may be to go with control possession due to the amount of weak sides in the league, but against greater opponents you could go for fluid counter-attack, wing play or vertical tiki-taka. 

Formation

Juventus have implemented a 4-3-3 this season with a solid midfield. We are going to tweak this to bring the enigmatic Paulo Dybala into play and go for a 4-2-3-1 formation to play the Argentine behind the striker. 

Wojciech Szczesny is in goal with the solid back four made up by new signing Joao Cancelo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro.

Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi are in central midfield, with Paulo Dybala in the number 10 role. Douglas Costa provides the width on the right-hand side with the wide target man of Mario Mandzukic on the left. Cristiano Ronaldo plays as the striker, but you could easily switch him with Mandzukic if you want the Portuguese running at defenders. 

With a maximum of 12 subs on the bench in Serie A, you can have all of Mattia Perin, Daniele Rugani, Andrea Barzagli, Martin Caceres, Mattia De Sciglio, Sami Khedira, Emre Can, Rodrigo Bentancur, Juan Cuadrado, Federico Bernardeschi, Moise Kean and Benjamin Mokulu. 

Key players

Juventus are among the top clubs in the world, meaning they have some outrageous talent on their books. Look after these top players and you can watch the results roll in at Juve. 

Cristiano Ronaldo – CA 4.5 star (195), PA 4.5 star (196)

Where else to start than with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese may be 33 as you start the season, but with five league titles, five Champions Leagues, a European Championship and 682 career goals to his name, you know he is going to bring plenty of quality to this Juventus side. 

On FM, former Real Madrid man Ronaldo has stats of 20 determination, 20 penalty taking and 19 finishing to take his CA to 195. This is just one shy of his 196 potential, which sees him valued at £64 million with whopping wages of £1 million a week. 

Paulo Dybala – CA 4 star (172), PA 4.5 star (185)

Paulo Dybala has immense amounts of talent, but fans outside of Italy are yet to see the Argentine explode into the world class bracket of players. The 24-year-old has 77 goals in three and a half season for Juve, but just one goal in 19 caps for his country is a concern.

Dybala’s 172 Current Ability rating can improve to a superb potential of 185, so his 19 technique, 18 dribbling and 18 first touch could still increase. The attacking midfielder or striker has a value of £67 million with wages of £225,000 a week. 

Giorgio Chiellini – CA 4 star (171), PA 4 star (171)

Juventus always have a solid defence, and that is in part down to Giorgio Chiellini being at the club for 14 seasons. Whether it be in a back four or five, the Italian is a sentinel for club or country, but aged 33, time is running out to grab that elusive Champions League title.

Chiellini’s 171 CA is at its peak, with his best stats being 20 bravery, 20 work rate and 19 determination. The centre back is valued at £23.5 million and has wages of £130,000 a week. 

Young talent

Juventus are not regarded for having a strong academy, with the only notable players coming through their youth ranks being Claudio Marchisio, Sebastian Giovinco and Ciro Immobile. What names at the club are looking to change that?

Moise Kean – CA 2 star (120), PA 3.5-4.5 star (150-180)

Moise Kean isn’t even in the senior squad as you start your FM save with Juventus, but the winger or striker has become an Italy international this season, scoring twice in three games for the Azzurri. The 18-year-old’s 120 CA can improve to a potential between 150 and 180, seeing him valued at £2.5 million and with a wage of £17,500 a week. 

Elia Petrelli – CA 1 star (82), PA 3-4 star (130-160)

Elia Petrelli is still some way off the first team picture at Juventus, but there is plenty of noise around the 16-year-old after netting 23 goals in 26 games for the U17 side in 2017/18. The Italian U19 international’s 82 CA can improve to a potential between 130 and 160, valuing the striker at £60,000 with wages of just £230 a week. 

Manolo Portanova – CA 1.5 star (94), PA 2-3 star (120-150)

Central midfielder Manolo Portanova is still among the youth squads, but with 56 appearances and 14 assists now for Juventus Primavera, he may not be far away from a senior call up. On FM, his 94 CA can improve to a potential between 120 and 150 which sees him valued at £115,000 with a wage of £230 a week. 

Team report

Dynamics

Team Leaders - Giorgio Chiellini (C), Andrea Barzagli (VC), Cristiano Ronaldo

Highly influential - Mario Mandzukic, Leonardo Bonucci, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira, Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado, Blaise Matuidi, Martin Caceres, Daniele Rugani, Federico Bernardeschi, Douglas Costa

The Transfer Market

Starting transfer budget: £18 million

Remaining wage budget: £20,000 a week

Players to sell

With not much room in the budget after the £99 million arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, you will need to sell to buy at Juventus this season. You could easily continue the season with the same squad, but with just one conventional left back in the squad, you may want to bring in a more natural replacement for Leonardo Spinazzola. The 25-year-old has only made the breakthrough to the first team after eight seasons out on loan, but is more of a winger or wing-back than a full back. Sell the Italian international for around £10 million to free up £48,000 a week in your wage budget.

The only other man who can be shown the door is reserve goalkeeper Timothy Nocchi, who should be solid for £120,000, saving you just the £700 a week in your wages. 

Next season, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey will join the club, so you will need to make room in midfield for the Welsh international in midfield. Expect Sami Khedira to be the man to make way. 

Transfer Targets

New transfer budget: £28 million

New remaining wage budget: £69,000 a week

Backup left back

So a new left back is on the agenda, but with still not a substantial budget, you will have to go for a younger defender with a bright future. What is paramount is that they are a natural in the left back position, and can be relied upon to step in for Alex Sandro if he is injured or rested. 

Sevilla defender Guilherme Arana can be picked up for a bargain of around £8 million, with the Brazilian able to improve from a 134 CA to a potential of 158. The 21-year-old has stats of 14 composure, 14 technique and 14 agility on the game, earning him wages of £25,000 a week. 

Alternative options

Contracts

Just the one man has a contract running out at the end of the season, with the 37-year-old Andrea Barzagli likely to retire. Even if he isn’t, there is no need to keep him on next year. Next season, you are in jeopardy of losing Mario Mandzukic, Giorgio Chiellini, Blaise Matuidi, Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado. 

Finances

A club of Juventus’s stature should not run into financial difficulties, and for now, there is not much to worry about in Turin. The overall balance of the club will dramatically increase after the end of the season, but there are still areas of concern. The club's profits look set to decrease with a number of debts to pay off, and compared to Europe’s other top clubs you don’t get a massive transfer budget, with under £55 million expected for next season. The big move for Cristiano Ronaldo looks to have had a knock-on effect for the next two campaigns. 

Break the European duck

Even with the lack of big budget, it perhaps underlies how crucial this season is for Juventus. If they don’t lift the Champions League this season, you wonder when the Old Lady will, as this is likely to be the final campaign Cristiano Ronaldo is able to fire a club to the European crown. That said, there is a blend of youth and experience with the likes of Paulo Dybala and Joao Cancelo in the starting lineup, so expect the club to be there or thereabouts for the foreseeable future.

Full Juventus player ratings