The Girlfriend of Italy

A group of students from Turin came together in 1897 to start the Juventus Football Club, originally named Sport-Club Juventus, a club that dealt with athletics before expanding its views onto football. 121 years later, we can witness the greatness of the biggest club Italy has to offer.

If you’ve been following Serie A, then you probably use promo codes for Ladbrokes and you know that Juventus is, currently, at the top of the league. This achievement is further emphasized when you consider that Juventus was a recognizable brand and football force in the 1930s and one of the most valuable brands and financially stable clubs since the 90s. Is the fact that the team is managed by the Agnelli family responsible for their success? Or is it the coaching of Maurizio Sarri? Maybe it is simply the hearts of the players in the club. Regardless of what it is that makes this team unique, here are a few bits of information a football fan like yourself might find useful.

From Turin to Stardom

A school in Turin founded the team that was first oriented towards athletics and later football sometime around 1900. Marco Ajmone-Marsan provided the team with the finances to make their training more presentable and successful. The stadium at which they played their matches was Velodrome Umberto I and the team won the 1905 Prima Categoria.

There were soon conflicts within the club. There were those that felt the club would be more successful if it moved. Disgruntled by this way of thinking, several members of the team left for good, including the president of the club at the time Alfred Dick. Dick created FBC Torino in the same city.

During the 1920s, the Juventus won its second Scudetto and a few years later became the first club whose fan base was not constricted by a single region or city – they were the Italian team. The 40s were not kind to the club, but after the Second World War, during the season of 1957-58 the club was granted the honour of wearing the Golden Star for Sports Excellence. The gift was not chosen randomly, it was an act of admiration towards the team that won ten league titles.

The Scandal

In 2006, there was a stain on the otherwise impeccable reputation of the club. The scandal, known as Calciopoli saw Juventus, A.C. Milan, Lazio, and other teams involved in an attempt to select referees that were favorable. Obviously, this would grant certain teams an unfair advantage. This was the first time the team was relegated to Serie B and they were stripped of their 2005 title.

Considering the offense, Juventus was given the opportunity to remedy the situation in the future. The initial punishment that was suggested was also financial, meaning that the team would lose € 75,000.

Rivals

Turin Club Torino owes its existence to Juventus and it is the difference between their mindsets that makes their competition all the more interesting. The two teams constantly battle for the top of the table.

The second, though mot less significant, adversary of The Girlfriend of Italy is A.C. Milan. The rivalry between these two is based on the number of titles. It is worth noting, though, that this is not a matter of animosity, but of bringing out the best in one another.

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