Juventus
Juventus

Juventus starlet Nicolo Fagioli broke down in tears on the bench after he was taken off immediately as a result of his error against Sassuolo. Fagioli’s error led to Sassuolo taking the lead in the 64th minute, which also turned to be the only goal of the game and a subsequent winner for the hosts.

Fans were divided with manager Max Allegri’s “too ruthless” treatment of the Italy midfielder as teammates attempted to comfort him. The 22-year-old’s poor clearance led to Sassuolo substitute Gregoire Defrel swivel and score the game-winning goal just after the hour mark.

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Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli shed tears on the bench after being taken off for his costly error against Sassuolo. Credits: Twitter

Fans left heartbroken by Allegri’s treatment of the Juventus starlet

As a result of the defeat in Sassuolo, Juventus are now four points behind the top six, which is also due to the 15-point penalty they received for illegal transfer activities. The Sassuolo defeat turns out to be Juventus’ seventh loss in the league this season, which has put their hopes of qualifying for Europe in jeopardy.

However, they still have the chance to play in the Champions League next season despite their woes with the points deduction, as they are alive and kicking in the Europa League. Juventus lead Sporting CP 1-0 on aggregate in the quarterfinals of the second-tier European competition after the first leg in Turin.

Should Juventus lift the Europa League, they are guaranteed automatic qualification to the Champions League next season. However, Allegri still wasn’t happy with his side’s display in Sassuolo, and took-off Fagioli following his costly error. The youngster had his head in his hands and was reduced to tears on the bench. Here’s how heartbroken fans reacted:

However, some agreed with Allegri for his decision to sub Fagioli after he committed an error. A huge section of the fans called for the 22-year-old to learn from his experience.

In an unsuccessful attempt to salvage at least a point, Allegri substituted Fabio Miretti and Federico Chiesa for Filip Kostic and Fagiolo. While hauled Fagioli off, he refused to blame the midfielder for the loss. The Juventus manager speaking about Fagioli’s reaction on the bench, said after the game:

“His tears mean he is a responsible boy. He made a mistake but he is not guilty of the loss, we are all responsible. Everyone makes mistakes, it was an error, but he is not responsible for the defeat. The whole team didn’t play up to the right standard.”