Should the captain’s armband be given on the basis of hierarchy or leadership skills ?

Massimiliano Allegri after his recent press conference stirred a debate in the Juventus fanbase over his comments. The former italian player who made a return to the club as manager after two years said in his statement –

“Dybala vice-captain? Captain and vice-captain are decided according to years at the club. Chiellini is the oldest, Bonucci has left, so it resets, if he wants the armband he will need to buy one and go and play on the streets, but Leo knows that.”

This leads us to the question of the hour – Should the armband be given on the basis of hierarchy or leadership skills ?

Seniority

Chiellini has been at Juventus for 17 seasons. The 2021 season is going to be 11th for Bonucci at Juventus since signing in 2010 and his 4th season since his return from Milan. While Dybala , Sandro and Cuadrado have been at the club for 7 seasons.

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Dybala as Vice Captain

In no way , can someone question Dybala’s ability to be the vice captain or captain (in case Chiellini doesn’t start). But the fact that he is getting the armband based on his years at Juventus is questionable.

Leadership

If the criteria of selection was merit instead of seniority, there would have been other potential candidates besides the above mentioned names.
De ligt who was the captain of the Ajax side that reched the 2019 UCL semifinal after knocking us out of the competition by his header in the quarterfinal, would have been a promising prospect. The player who signed for Juventus in 2019 , has unmatchable leadership qualities at such a young age.
Cristiano Ronaldo , the star player of Bianconeri is one of the prominent names in the list. The Portugese who captained his national team to European glory in 2016 is not shy of the duty of a captain. He is a born leader on and off the pitch with the strongest mentality.

Fan’s reaction

The fanbase is quite divided on this topic. One half is not particularly pleased with Allegri’s remarks and believes that Captaincy isn’t really about seniority but about leadership.
While the other half holds hierarchy as the most important criteria for the Captaincy.

Conclusion :

While the armband is a legacy to be maintained , In my opinion at the end of the day it doesn’t matter who wears the captain’s armband. The true leader will always be the player who leads the team by setting an example on and off the field. Each and every Juventus player is an amalgamation of determination and courage. The young ones who have the guidance of our veterans have shown perseverance and ambition. No matter who is appointed as the next captain , the future of Juventus is in safe hands.