Midfielder Donned the Captain's Armband in the Champions League Defeat
On Wednesday, Weston McKennie reached a significant milestone in his Juventus career. In his 159th appearance for the Italian giants, he wore the captain's armband for the first time. The honor came in Juventus's Champions League group stage finale against Benfica, though the occasion was somewhat dampened by a 2-0 home defeat. McKennie, who has previously captained the U.S. men's national team three times, was deployed at left-back due to the defensive selection crisis.
The captaincy represents a remarkable turnaround for McKennie, who has repeatedly fought his way back from the brink at Juventus. Over the past two seasons, he was seemingly surplus to requirements under both Max Allegri and current manager Thiago Motta. Last year, the club went as far as to give away his locker and parking spot, yet McKennie responded by leading the team in assists and becoming one of their most-used players. This season began similarly, with Motta publicly suggesting McKennie should find a new club, only for the American to earn a contract extension and become an integral part of the squad, making 24 appearances and scoring four goals while displaying his versatility across multiple positions.
Despite the disappointing result against Benfica, Juventus's Champions League journey will continue in the knockout stages, where they face an intriguing matchup against PSV Eindhoven. The tie will be a rematch of their September encounter, which saw McKennie score in a 3-1 Juventus victory. The two-legged series is scheduled for February, with McKennie hoping to lead his team to the quarter-finals while continuing his remarkable renaissance in Turin.
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