Tudor and Guardiola, the challenge of the green line

SENT TO PHILADELPHIA. Five goals from Juve against Al Ain, “only” two from Manchester City against Wydad. And tomorrow the opponents will be reversed, barring any sensational surprises, the possibility of playing for first place in Group G in the direct clash on Wednesday in Orlando will be measured on the goal difference with two results out of three. Not a detail also because, at least on paper, winning the group could mean avoiding Real Madrid in the round of 16. Juve and City are racing, even if with completely different philosophies and availability: the work that will have to make results and sustainability coexist continues in the black and white club, while in the extraordinary transfer window alone City spent 150 million which are added to the 200 invested in January. But they have one thing in common: they focus on young people with facts. The first full round of the Club World Cup, in fact, featured only one team with the lowest average age of Juve and City, Salzburg, who for years have been pursuing a structural green line within the Red Bull project: 22.7 years for the Austrians, 24.3 for Guardiola's group and 24.5 for Tudor's.

No longer a novelty at Juve, the path traced in the last two years will be the same one that the director general Comolli will continue to work on in the transfer campaign while waiting to see who the next talents promoted by the Next Gen could be . In the United States, meanwhile, Yildiz has attracted attention, the youngest player is also the most representative and sought after, number 10 on the shirt and in fact for Juve. Who has discovered all the potential of Alberto Costa, among the best on the pitch even in his debut against Al Ain and among the most interesting novelties of the last period under Tudor, just to mention the youngest of the starting eleven together with Savona, just secured until 2030. And among the oldest? There is still Inter, the arrival of Christian Chivu alone or the Esposito gamble are not enough, the Nerazzurri always remain over 30 years of average age.