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History

Juventus F.C.

As history goes, Juventus began on November 1, 1897 when a group of high school students from the D'Azeglio High School in Turin, decided to put together a football club. They named the club "Juventus" which means youthfulness.

Juventus began playing in the Piazza d'Armi in pink uniforms which is the reason why their centennial jerseys are pink. They made their debut in the Italian championship in 1900 wearing these jerseys.

The black and white jerseys came in 1903 when a member made a trip to Nottingham, England. Rumor has it that he saw Notts County FC (the oldest professional team - est. 1862) playing in black and white jerseys and liked the jerseys so much that he had some jerseys like theirs shipped to Italy for Juventus to wear. There are many other stories on how Juventus actually began wearing the black and white, but either way, the black and white has stuck, and it is hear to stay!

Juventus won their first National Championship under the leadership of Swiss president Alfredo Dick. He soon left the club, however, and founded his own team called Turin, taking several players with him.

During the years up to World War I, Pro Vercelli and Casale dominated Italian soccer. However, Juventus' luck changed soon after the war when Giampiero Combi, on of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, debuted for Juventus in 1923. Soon after, Edoardo Agnelli, son of the founder of Fiat, was elected club president. The club now had its own soccer field in Corso Marsiglia.

In the 1930s, under coach Carlo Carcano, and with stars like Orsi, Caligaris, Monti, Cesarini, Varglien I and II, Bertolini, Ferrari, and Borel II, Juventus won five consecutive scudettos. Juventus players also made up a very large part of the 1934 World Cup champion national team.

Juventus once again became a superpower beginning in the late 1940s under the guidance of Giovanni Agnelli. Players like Carlo Parola, John Hansen, Praest, and the amazing Giampiero Boniperti who became the club's highest scorer (177 goals), brought Juventus back to the limelight with National championships in 1950 and 1952.

Giovanni Agnelli was succeeded in 1953 as club president by his brother in 1953. Under Umberto, Juventus won a string of national championships in 1958, 1960, and 1961. The championship in 1958 made Juventus the first club in Italy to win ten national championships. Juventus also boasted a roster of such fine players as John Charles and Omar Sivori.

In 1967, under Vittore Catella, Juventus achieved an awesome nine national championships in fifteen years. (1972-73, 75, 77-78, 81-82, 84, 86) Juventus also secured the UEFA Cup, Cup Winner's Cup, European Cup, Supercup, and World Club Championship. These victories came under the wonderful coaching of Vycpalek, Parola, and Giovanni Trapattoni. These years also are known for the great Italian champions: Zoff, Scirea, Tardelli, Causio, Rossi, Cabrini, Gentile, Furino, Bettega, Anastasi, and Platini (in only five season of play for Juventus, Platini participated in two national championships, two European Cups, one World Club championship, and won top scorer of the year and golden ball trophies thrice.)

And now, in the 1990's Juventus has started a new chapter in its history. Starting in 1990 with a UEFA and Italian Cup, the team has once again made its presence felt in Europe. In 1997 and 1998 , Juventus won almost everything there was to win, with the exception of the Champions Cup. Juventus has a strong history in the Italian and European arenas and will continue to be champions for much longer.

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