Juventus F.C. (Latin
for Youth) is one of Italy's oldest and most successful
football clubs, based in Turin. It competes in Serie A.
The team typically plays in black-and-white striped shirts
and black shorts (but for decades in white shorts), and is
nicknamed la Vecchia Signora (the Old Lady). The team gets
its black-and-white striped kits from English side Notts
County. The club's stadium is the 69,041-seat Stadio Delle
Alpi, which it currently shares with Torino Calcio. This
arrangement will end after the 2004-05 season, when Torino
will open a new ground of its own.
Juventus F.C. was founded in November 1897 by students from
Massimo D'Azeglio Lyceum, and won a previous version of the
national league titles as early as 1905, but did not win
their second until 1926. In 1923, the Agnelli family (owners
of Fiat) gained control of the club, and built a private
stadium in Villar Perosa (near Turin) and a complete series
of facilities and services.
From 1931, the club won five consecutive Italian league
championships (Italian scudetto). In 1933, they began
playing at the Stadio Comunale. Post-war the club was very
successful domestically, winning its tenth championship in
1961, but did not win any European titles until 1977 with
the UEFA Cup. The height of European success was not reached
until 1985, when they won the European Champions Cup, and
then repeated the success in 1996. Juventus also won the Cup
Winners' Cup in 1984 and two more UEFA Cup (1990, 1993).
They have won 27 Italian titles and nine Coppa Italias to
date, both national records.
Until recently, Juventus' players had to wear short (and
regular) hair; the club also provided the team with official
formal wear (made by famous tailors) and forced them to
complete their educational studies. Most of its players
remained with Juventus until the end of their careers; many
still work for it or for Fiat (or related companies).
Juventus is now a corporation, listed on Milan's stock
exchange. The sale of Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid of
Spain was the most expensive in football to date, costing
the Spanish club over $64 million (US). |