Tim Weah clearly didn’t want to see Max Allegri make his Juventus exit.
The U.S. men’s national team regular saluted his former manager on Friday, hours after Juve confirmed that Allegri had been sacked over a series of fiery arguments during and after the club’s Coppa Italia victory.
“[Sad] day in Turin!” began Weah’s Instagram story, with text over a photo of Allegri.
“Dear Mister Allegri, As you step away from Juventus, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the dedication and passion you brought to our club,” continued Weah, referring to his former coach with the affectionate Italian slang for a manager.
“Thank you for believing in me and thank you for changing my life. I will forever be in debt!!!!”
Weah joined Juventus last summer in a $13 million transfer from Lille, and was in and out of Allegri’s starting 11. Despite playing as a right winger for the USMNT and at Lille, Weah was more or less exclusively deployed as a right wingback in Allegri’s 3-5-2 formation.
The 24-year-old appeared in 33 of a possible 41 matches, missing six games through injury or suspension. However, Weah ended up starting just 12 times, with Allegri toggling between him, Andrea Cambiaso, and Weston McKennie.
Still, Weah’s statement points to the USMNT attacker feeling that his time under Allegri was clearly beneficial.
Weah’s status, like that of most players at Juve, is up in the air going into the offseason. Rumors this winter hinted at a possible departure, and a new coach will present a major variable in Turin.
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