Massimiliano Allegri: Juventus manager alerts clubs to availability after dismissing intention to take a sabbatical

Massimiliano Allegri hopes to find a new club in time to work next season after managing his fine home match at Juventus in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta.

Two days after the shock announcement of his departure, the Serie A champions claimed a point in their penultimate match thanks to Mario Mandzukic‘s late equaliser.

The Croatian levelled in the 80th minute to cancel out Josip Ilicic’s opener, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Federico Bernadeschi was shown a straight red card for a foul on Musa Barrow.

The goodbyes continued beyond Allegri, with Andrea Barzagli retiring after eight years in Turin.

And Allegri dismissed the idea he will take a break from the game, alerting clubs around Europe to his immediate availability: “I am not particularly looking for a year off.

“I’ll only take a sabbatical if I have to, but otherwise the idea is to find a project that convinces me. Life is full of surprises and you have to be ready for anything.”

Allegri is departing Juventus with the recently-secured Scudetto giving him a perfect record on that front of five triumphs in five seasons since taking charge.

His trophy haul with the club also includes four Coppa Italia titles, but no Champions League crown, with the Turin giants, beaten finalists in 2015 and 2017, having been eliminated in the last eight for a second successive year this term.

Allegri, whose contract had been set to run until the summer of 2020, said: “I spoke to the president (Andrea Agnelli) after Ajax (knocked Juventus out of the Champions League) and we had the plans to continue, but over the last six weeks or so we all came together and reached the same conclusion.

“We never got to contracts or anything like that, but I realised that for the good of Juventus, it was right to move on and change.

“Otherwise we’d run the risk of reaching September or October next season and hit problems, so it was best to leave on a high.

“I was told on Friday morning. When I left the meeting on Thursday evening, I knew that I was no longer the Juventus coach. I wasn’t told, I just knew.”

With regard to his replacement, Allegri said: “The club will certainly make the best choice to carry on this winning squad.”

Juventus, 11 points better off than second-placed Napoli, conclude their campaign at Sampdoria next Saturday.

Atalanta will look to secure a Champions League berth when they host Sassuolo, with Sunday’s result having left them third in the table, level on points with Inter Milan and one clear of AC Milan.

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini was quoted by Football Italia as telling Radio Rai: “Clearly, before the game had begun, we would’ve been more than happy with a draw, because we needed a result.

“However, at the final whistle, we feel regret, because we deserved the three points and conceded a late goal in a bit of a chaotic fashion after creating so many chances.

“The Champions League would be extraordinary, but we mustn’t think that it’s already in our grasp.”

PA contributed to this report