“They say that they keep winning in Italy,” Arrigo Sacchi told La Presse back in March, the retired Coach going on to deliver a cruel jibe at one of his long-time foes. “But I would reply by saying that Rosenburg always win the league title in Norway, but what counts is the Champions League and Juventus struggle in Europe.”
While the former Milan boss may have made some ill-advised comments in recent years, his assessment of the Bianconeri would sting even more a few days later, the Turin giants crashing out of UEFA's elite competition at the hands of Bayern Munich. While there was no shame in being outclassed by Pep Guardiola's slick Bavarian machine, there is no denying that Sacchi is ultimately correct. Juventus have historically underperformed outside of Serie A.
As Italy’s most successful club, La Vecchia Signora has had more opportunities than most to claim the continent's most prestigious honour, yet 34 domestic titles have yielded only two European Cup victories, the same as Nottingham Forest and Porto.
That is hardly the most illustrious company, but does she truly fail to deliver on the international stage, or is it simply a matter of perspective?
What certainly weighs heavily for the club and her fans is the unconvincing manner of those two aforementioned victories, with the 1985 win particularly contentious. That came in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster which left 39 Juventini dead, the game only going ahead to prevent further trouble on the terraces.
No other club’s first European Cup victory could ever be so tragically overshadowed, Liverpool captain Phil Neal and Juve legend Gaetano Scirea forced to addressed the crowd to appeal for calm before eventually starting the game. The Bianconeri would seal a 1-0 win courtesy of a Michel Platini penalty, celebrating the tainted win on the field and in front of their fans, the "lap of honour" looking incredibly crass with the benefit of hindsight.
Many players have denied having knowledge of exactly what happened in that moment, but the events prior to kick-off will forever be rightly remembered ahead of the most hollow of victories. Eleven years later, Juventus again reached the Final and enjoyed a much more meaningful triumph at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, despite Ajax striker Jari Litmanen cancelling out Fabrizio Ravanelli's 12th minute opener.
The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 throughout extra-time and the match was eventually won on penalties by the Bianconeri, former Coach Ciro Ferrara and current technical director Gianluca Pessotto among the successful spot-kick takers as Captain Gianluca Vialli lifted the trophy.
Despite continually dominating Serie A in the two decades since that famous night, they have yet to clinch another winners medal, failing to seal the fairytale ending that fans and players alike dream of when hearing the Champions League anthem ring out at Juventus Stadium.
However, a closer look indicates that what appears to be chronic underachievement is actually masking a record that many clubs would be proud to match. The Old Lady have been runners up on no fewer than six occasions, with three coming courtesy of narrow 1-0 defeats, while their 2003 heartbreak came via a penalty shoot-out loss to Milan.
Were just two of those results reversed, the club's place in the pantheon of European champions would be viewed in a vastly different light. It must also be noted that the Bianconeri are also three-time winners of the UEFA Cup – more than any other team – and are the only club in the world to have won all continental club competitions and the World Club Championship.
Indeed, back in 1988, Juventus were awarded the UEFA Plaque in recognition of being the first side in Europe to win all three major trophies, having also claimed the now defunct Cup Winners Cup four years earlier. The trophy room in the club museum also hosts the Intertoto Cup from their 1999 campaign, two UEFA Super Cups (1984 and 1996) as well as two World Club Championships (1985 and 1996).
Overall, their haul of 11 trophies sees them rank fourth in Europe behind only Real Madrid, Milan and Barcelona, a position much more in line with expectations when considering Juve's domestic dominance. As Barça – who had only won the European Cup once before 2005, yet are now rightly regarded as one of Europe’s best and most prestigious clubs – have proven, it only takes a brief period of success to change the perception of a wider audience.
Having reached the Final against the Catalan side two seasons ago, Juventus have made no secret of their desire to claim ultimate glory this term and – while Sacchi was right in saying their famous black and white shirts loom largest at home – La Madama is still feared and respected across Europe. Fans, players, owners and staff all yearn for success and recognition on the Champions League stage, two things that go hand in hand with "the cup with big ears."
It appears she has gambled heavily on doing so this summer, betting that the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic will be enough to clinch a much-sought third victory on the grandest stage of all.
That quest begins on Wednesday night as Sevilla visit Turin, the Bianconeri hoping to stand tall as that famous anthem once again rings out. “These are the Champions” sing the choir, and it's time Juventus showed Sacchi and the football world that they can once again reign supreme.
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