Juventus complete their remarkable turnaround in Serie A, so what's next?

They blew it; they knew they did. Pitted against a Barcelona side dubbed the greatest in history, Juventus had their chances to win and lift the Champions League trophy but couldn't. That plane ride home from Berlin after the 2015 final provoked a thousand emotions and a time for introspection.

One player aboard that very plane sat observing. Surrounded by disconsolate champions, he was trying to make sense of what happened, attempting to familiarise himself with the behaviour of those within a big club. Claudio Marchisio walked up to him, held out his hand and introduced himself. "Prepare well, we have to win everything next year." Wide-eyed and intrigued, Paulo Dybala swallowed and nodded. He quickly realised where he was: a club where not even a painful defeat could demoralise a squad so desperate for total glory.

Welcome to Juventus son, the home of never-ending desire.

Starting the season in horrendous fashion, the club quickly recognised the errors they'd made over the summer. The personal lives of the Directors were plastered all over the tabloids. The departures of three stars (Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal) not only unhinged the side tactically but stripped the dressing room of leaders, while Massimiliano Allegri struggled to find the right style of play to suit all his new arrivals, many of whom (like Dybala) needed time to prepare for the ongoing battle for greatness.

To make matters worse, the side missed Marchisio in those starting few weeks, possessed a star in Paul Pogba who struggled with the weight of the No. 10 jersey and an attacking line-up that seemed inexperienced and impotent.

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You can have the world's greatest players but if a club is not well-run, it will suffer; players will sense the chaos and surrender to indifference. The difference with Juventus and every other side in Italy is that while mistakes were made, they were acknowledged and accepted and the men in charge went back to doing what they do best, running this extraordinary club perfectly.

It meant producing a united front. The directors stayed close to the team while the leaders made their voices heard both on and off the pitch. The newcomers had to learn what it meant to play in the fabled Bianconeri colours. Players who arrive at the club are not simply asked to perform; they are taught to be better players, think like winners and fulfil their true potential. At Juventus, footballers are there to receive an education and much like Dybala, and many who came before him, they develop into stars.

Deployed closer to goal at Palermo, Dybala and his nimble body could rely on intelligence and technique to score. At Juventus, Allegri and his staff recognised the depth of his talent and agreed that the player needed to get into shape to play the role made for his unique skills, one that beautifully links the midfield and the attack. Focusing on improving his endurance and strength, Juve wanted a forward who could suffer, cope with the work load and who produce the intensity required to lead them to victories.

Today Dybala is arguably a €100 million player, like his best friend and Serie A's top assist maker, Pogba. Each player in Juve develops, each player's value rises and each member of the squad is prepared for the endless fight for trophies.

Unity, personality and hard work ultimately allowed the Old Lady to change her season around and commit to the task at hand, winning every match if not by playing beautifully then by being the most dedicated. For a side that had picked up only 12 points from their opening 10 fixtures, scoring only 11 goals (14 less than Roma), it was difficult to remain optimistic. Yet one should never doubt the ability of a well-run and well-managed club, one that invests in success and is in a perpetual state of planning.

Juve's incredible spirit pulled them back to win Serie A again and this time, they seem well-set to keep winning.

From the bottom, they saw their way to the top and Juventus never looked back, collecting 73 points from their next 25 matches. They dribbled their way to perfection and blocked the most threatening of opponents and relied on one another and their extraordinary sacrificial nature to reach their objective. Boasting unity as well as the players whose individual brilliance can resolve certain matches, Juve's versatility, squad depth and mental fortitude ensured another title.

Their one failure? The Champions League. Yet they acknowledge that, especially as the teams that have made it to the semifinals of the competition this year are not unbeatable. In fact, the Bianconeri already defeated Manchester City twice in the group stage and knocked Real Madrid out of the tournament last season.

Next year, Europe will be where they focus all their energies and if, like Allegri asked, the club directors can confirm the squad and once again bring in the players who can be moulded into future stars, glory will be theirs. Congratulations to the Serie A Champions. Let's hope for another three league wins.

Source : ESPN