Allegri is expected to sign a contract with Juventus in the next 24 hours; Pirlo led Juve to the Coppa Italia but failed to deliver a 10th Serie A title in a row and only secured a Champions League spot on the final day of the season
Thursday 27 May 2021 14:38, UK
Juventus are close to announcing the return of Massimiliano Allegri as their head coach to replace Andrea Pirlo, according to Sky in Italy.
Allegri is expected to sign a contract with Juventus in the next 24 hours.
The 53-year-old has been out of work since May 2019 when he left the Turin club to be replaced by Maurizio Sarri.
In his first senior management role, Pirlo guided Juventus to the Champions League last season but only on the last day of the campaign when Napoli failed to beat Hellas Verona.
Pirlo led Juve to the Coppa Italia but failed to deliver a 10th Serie A title in a row, with Inter Milan claiming the Scudetto under another former Juventus coach - Antonio Conte.
Allegri initially joined Juventus in 2014, leading the club to four straight league and cup doubles before a fifth successive Serie A win in his final season in charge in 2019.
He also led the club to two Champions League finals, losing to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Sky in Italy reporter Ghilda Pensante:
"The deal is almost done, they just have to decide whether it is a three or four-year contract. We know he will sign, they just have to agree on that - it will be on Thursday night or Friday.
"The deal will be worth €9m (£7.7m) a year, only two years after he left Turin. It's a very quick time to go back, but he will be announced before the weekend.
"Juventus were quicker than Inter and Real to move and bring him in, because both of those other clubs were closely looking at Allegri after their managers left."
