Juventus change the rules of the traditional match
One of Juventus' best-known summer traditions should look completely different from next season. After the events that marked this year's match between the first team and Juventus Next Gen, the club plans to introduce significantly stricter security measures.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus intend to organise this traditional fixture in future under security standards similar to those applied to official competitive matches.
The most important change concerns the very thing that made this event recognisable for years: the traditional fan pitch invasion will no longer be allowed.
The decision comes after this year's edition, when supporters streamed onto the pitch practically at the moment the second half was due to begin. There were more than 23,500 spectators at the stadium, and the match ended after just one half with the first team leading 2-0.
The Federico Gatti incident
The most serious incident involved Federico Gatti.
As fans ran towards the Juventus players, one of them slipped and caught Gatti from behind around the ankle, almost like a football tackle. It all looked unintentional, but the Juventus defender ended up on the ground after the contact.
Gatti then missed the following training session because of the ankle issue, which forced Juventus to monitor his condition closely ahead of the new season. According to available information, the injury did not appear serious.
The incident also showed how quickly things can spiral out of control when a huge number of fans surround the players on the pitch at the same time.
Damage to the pitch and the stadium
Juventus' problems did not end with Gatti's knock. The mass pitch invasion also caused material damage at the stadium.
The freshly relaid turf was damaged, along with parts of the football equipment, including the goals and the nets. The damage required work to get the pitch ready for Juventus' next home match.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the total damage was estimated at roughly 50,000 euros.
Footage taken after the invasion even showed some fans taking pieces of the turf as souvenirs. Protecting the pitch, the players and the rest of the infrastructure is precisely one of the reasons Juventus no longer want to allow an uncontrolled run onto the field.
Spalletti lost his planned second half
The pitch invasion also had direct sporting consequences for Juventus.
Luciano Spalletti wanted to use the second half to give his players extra minutes just before the start of the competitive season. However, the fans entered the pitch so early that the match effectively could not continue. Juventus beat the Next Gen side 2-0 through goals from Francisco Conceicao and Weston McKennie, but the result itself quickly became a side note.
The tradition stays, but without the pitch invasion
According to available information, Juventus do not intend to abolish the traditional first team vs Next Gen match itself. The goal is for the event that connects the players, the young footballers and the fans to continue, but under more controlled conditions. From next season the security rules should be considerably stricter, while the traditional mass pitch invasion would no longer be allowed.
This year's events were a serious warning for the club. Federico Gatti's knock, the abandoned match and the damage to the stadium showed Juventus that the way this traditional event has been ending carries too much risk.
The tradition stays, then, but the way it ends will have to change.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport / Corriere della Sera / ANSA
