Marotta on Juventus exit, Cristiano Ronaldo, Conte, Chivu and almost Allegri at Inter

Beppe Marotta reveals why his Juventus exit was not about Cristiano Ronaldo, choosing Antonio Conte and Cristian Chivu for Inter, but also that he approached Max Allegri before hiring Simone Inzaghi.

The chief has a long history in Italian football, unusually at three different clubs, as he started out at an impressive Sampdoria side that punched above their weight.

He came to Juventus as director general from 2010 to 2018, then was surprisingly dismissed in October 2018.

Just a few weeks later, he was snapped up by their bitter rivals Inter, promoted to the role of President in 2024.

“It was clear that the owner and President wanted to change the managerial structure,” explained Marotta to DAZN of that Juventus break.

“Andrea Agnelli had gained experience and legitimately wanted a role as protagonist. With great respect and friendship, we took different paths.”

There were reports at the time and for many years later that the split was caused because Marotta was against the idea of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, a move pushed by Agnelli and Fabio Paratici.

“That has become an urban legend now. It’s true I didn’t agree with that move, but it was never an argument. The President made his choice, I accepted it.

“The day of my departure was sad after eight years, but I was sure that when one door closed, another would open, and it happened within 24 hours. I was so shocked by the call from Inter President Steven Zhang that I thought it was a prank.”

Marotta has overseen great success at Inter, including three Serie A titles and two Champions League Finals.

He made some bold decisions at the club, especially when it came to picking their coaches.

“When I arrived at Inter, Luciano Spalletti was part of the past, so with all due respect we needed a change and we went for Conte. Motivation is his greatest strength, he is very intuitive, knows when to raise his voice at the right moments. Conversations with him could be exhausting, but it’s more relaxed away from football.”

What few know is that Marotta and Inter met with Allegri before picking Simone Inzaghi as the Conte replacement in 2021.

“I won’t deny that we met with Allegri before hiring Inzaghi, as he had exchanged quite a few words with Juve after rejecting Real Madrid. Apart from that, our discussion showed that his plans and ours were totally irreconcilable.”