Juventus boss Allegri 'ruining a champion' by benching Dybala

Dybala, known as the Jewel at his previous club Palermo, was seen as the natural replacement for last season's top scorer Carlos Tevez when his fellow Argentine moved to Boca Juniors in the close season.

But, although he has managed three Serie A goals since his arrival, Dybala made only late substitute appearances in Juve's last two games, at Inter Milan and at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Both of those games ended 0-0, leading critics to question Allegri's judgement especially given the lack of cohesion between forwards Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic on Wednesday.

Maurizio Zamparini, Palermo president during Dybala's time there, was among the most outspoken.

"I'm really annoyed with Allegri because he's ruining a champion," he told Italian radio.

"He has to be free to play and express himself, like the great talents such as Lionel Messi.

"I've written to Paulo telling him to ask Juve to send him somewhere else," added Zamparini. "I told him to make friends with the older players who seem to be jealous of him.

"Dybala deserves a different coach -- in seven minutes against Gladbach, he showed the difference."

Allegri himself came out firing, however.

"Dybala is young and has quality, but needs to mature," Allegri said after the Champions League game. "He will become a great player, but in a different role to the one he had last season at Palermo."

Those words failed to placate Allegri's critics who pointed out that Dybala had livened up the Juve attack when he came on late in Wednesday's game.

Dybala's previous club president Maurizio Zamparini of Palermo led the criticism.

Juventus, Serie A champions for the last four years, host Atalanta on Sunday.

The fixture would normally be considered little more than a formality but this season has taken on a different complexion with Juve lying a modest 14th with nine points from eight games, five behind the Bergamo side who are joint seventh.

Their performances have even prompted some rare criticism from club president Andrea Agnelli.

"We were aware that the process of renewing the Juventus squad could create some difficulties, but it is not a justification for being 14th in the standings," he told a shareholders' meeting on Friday.

The weekend also features a top-of-the-table clash as leaders Fiorentina (18 points) host AS Roma who are one behind them in joint second alongside Inter Milan on Sunday afternoon.

You'd think that in some ways Zamparini would be pleased to have got top money for a player who has since failed to justify his transfer fee, but it's lovely to hear a former supporter of Dybala come out in strong support of him. Heartwarming, even, showing that there is loyalty left in football.

While it'll be great for Dybala to hear in some senses, there is a danger that such a public row over a real potential superstar could end up having a negative effect. Remember Wilfried Zaha's career almost being ended by first being bought, then being benched permanently by Manchester United? It's taken over a year for the Londoner to get his career back on track. And United don't seem to have learnt by their treatment of the English winger, because Memphis Depay seems on his way to being discarded in similar fashion just a few months after being hailed as the new Ronaldo.

The pressure for young players to thrive immediately after career-defining moves is an absolute disgrace, and something that wouldn't happen in any other business. While Chelsea and Real Madrid are often criticised for failing to give young players a chance in the first XI, these cautionary tales suggest that there is some good sense in taking a softly-softly approach with the stars of tomorrow.