MAURIZIO SARRI blamed Juventus’ Champions League exit on ‘the curse of Turin’ – before being sacked.
The Italian fears the club are jinxed after yet another failure to win the top prize in European football.
Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri believes his side are ‘cursed’ after another Champions League exitCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
The Serie A champions reached the final in 2015 but have not won the Champions League since their triumph over Ajax in 1996.
Sarri’s side bowed out to Lyon on Friday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Co failed to overturn their first-leg deficit in the last-16 clash.
They have only ever won the competition twice in either this format or as the European Cup.
The former Juventus boss said: “We are out of a competition where we won six out of eight games we played, we drew one and lost one.
“That means that in eight matches we got 19 points.
“If there were a Champions League table we would be first or second.
“Instead, we are out. That’s why I feel incredibly sad. It makes me understand that in this competition Juventus are cursed.
“If I weren’t so bitter, I would get out of this match with a smile on my face, because I saw the lads in good shape again, they gave all they had, they fought until the end, they put their heart and soul into the match. I appreciated it.”
The ex-Chelsea boss felt the French side gained a “crazy” penalty, converted by Memphis Depay, as they went through on the away goals rule despite losing 2-1 in Turin.
He said: “We played a good match. In a match where we had to come from behind, we found ourselves one goal down because of a crazy penalty, because in my opinion it shouldn’t even have arrived to the box because I think there was a clear enough foul on Gonzalo Higuain. And the penalty itself I think it is debatable.
“The referee was clearly unfit for a situation like this, because for us to concede that goal was like to concede two goals.
“We were good because we stayed into the game and turned the match around, but we spent a lot of energy.
“We had two or three chances to score towards the end with headers from Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain and I think Leonardo Bonucci, so I think we were close to the qualification.
“If we have to have a regret it has to be for our performance in the first half at Lyon. At these levels, it is something you pay for.”
Ronaldo got both the Juve goals to break the club record for the most goals scored in a single season.
His tally of 37 broke a record that stood for nearly 90 years.
Club legend Felice Borel, part of the 1934 Italy World Cup-winning team, netted 36 goals in 1933-34.
Inside Juventus’ title celebrations as Sarri smokes a cigarette and swigs magnum of champagne while Ronaldo and Co party
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
