The club’s former midfielder insists that the Argentina international should be granted a more forward-thinking role by Massimiliano Allegri
Claudio Marchisio wants to see Juventus star Paulo Dybala played further forward, suggesting that Massimiliano Allegri isn’t getting the most out of the Argentine.
The 25-year-old contributed 22 goals and five assists in 33 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri last season, helping the club secure a fourth consecutive Italian double.
However, the 2018-19 campaign has been a different story for Dybala, who has been forced to play in a deeper role to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese striker arrived from Real Madrid last summer and since then he has taken over as Juve’s focal point going forward, scoring 24 goals in 36 games in all competitions.
Marchisio, who played for Juventus for 25 years in total before moving to Zenit Saint Petersburg back in September, says it is a “shame” to see his old team-mate having to play further away from goal.
He told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Paulo has an innate gift, it’s a shame to see him playing so far from the goal.
“I remember his first match with Juventus; Super Cup v Lazio, he came in and I said ‘stay in the opponent’s area’, and he scored goals.”
Dybala has once again been an essential cog in Allegri’s starting XI this term, but his overall record of nine goals in 35 appearances across all competitions represents a modest return when compared to his exploits the previous season.
Juventus are on course to win another double come May, with the Serie A title all but wrapped up and a quarter-final Champions League tie against Ajax to look forward to in April.
Marchisio went on to admit that he regrets how his time in Turin ultimately ended, revealing his original desire was to remain with the club for at least one more year.
“August 17, the adventure came to an end, but the market was closing and I thought I would stay,” he added. “The club decided to terminate the contract, for me it wasn’t easy. With hindsight we could say there have been so many injuries in midfield, maybe I would have had room [to play]. But it would have been wrong to stay, I would not have managed another year like the last one. I was hoping for some more opportunities, but I always put the group in front of the individual.
“I gave so much but Juventus also gave me so much. I’ve no regrets. In football, as in life and in love, there are so many ways to end stories. In the end, I consider myself lucky for what I had. I lost two Champions League finals but I’m happy to have won seven Scudettos.”
Marchisio also revealed he rejected two offers from AC Milan during his career, while he was full of praise for Ronaldo and the impact he’s had in Turin.
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“I have twice rejected offers from Milan,” he added. “So many offers have always arrived, both from abroad and from Italy. For me, the most important team in Italy, besides Juve, has always been Milan. But I would never have gone to another Italian club.
“He [Ronaldo] works a lot, he takes care of every aspect of preparation. He is an example. He has an atypical physique for a soccer player, he looks more like a sprinter!”
Juventus return to Serie A action after the international break, with a home clash against Empoli to negotiate on March 30 before a trip to Cagliari three days later.