When Juventus won the Champions League 25 years ago

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Juventus have lost five Champions League finals but everything clicked for them in the 1995-96 season

By Emmet Gates for The Gentleman Ultra

Teams do not usually sell their best player and go on to win the Champions League, but that’s exactly what Juventus did in the 1995-96 season. Roberto Baggio, perhaps the best player in the world at the time, was told in no uncertain terms that his salary was to be reduced by 50% if he were to remain at Juventus. Baggio’s contract had actually expired but, this being months before Marc-Jean Bosman’s landmark ruling, he could not join another club until a fee was agreed.

Juve’s derisory offer was more a message than a proposal: it was time to go. Marcello Lippi and the club’s infamous triad of directors – Luciano Moggi, Roberto Bettega and Antonio Giraudo – believed they had an in-house replacement in the form of the bushy-haired 20-year-old Alessandro Del Piero. Baggio, knowing his worth, was not prepared to take a drastic wage reduction, so a £6.8m deal was agreed with Milan. He would go on to win another Serie A title that season, but he would never be a European champion.

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-gentleman-ultra/2021/may/29/juventus-won-champions-league-25-years-ago

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