Juventus ultras rage at captain Bonucci: 'Never been a leader and never will be!'

• Juve recently beaten by newly-promoted Monza
• Currently sit eighth in Serie A and pointless in UCL
• Manager Max Allegri under serious scrutiny

WHAT HAPPENED? Juve are in torrid form, without a win in five games in all competitions. That run culminated in a dismal 1-0 defeat at bottom club Monza on Sunday - and the fans aren't happy.

WHAT THEY SAID: Having been irked by Bonucci - who was an unused substitute - and his teammates' attempts to apologise for that humiliating result, Juventus' ultras released a statement on social media.

"Bonucci has never been a leader and never will be: not at Treviso, nor Pisa, nor Bari, nor Milan and certainly not at Juventus. In this moment of general confusion there is total anarchy and whoever feels like it declares themselves an expert, a leader, a chief. A good soldier does not necessarily make a good general."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Juve are winless since August and have lost consecutive Champions League group stage games to PSG and Benfica respectively. Indeed, Corriere della Sera has reported that vice-president Pavel Nedved wants manager Allegri sacked, but he has been overruled by president Andrea Agnelli.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

DID YOU KNOW? A study by the CIES Football Observatory has revealed that Juventus have been the second biggest over-spenders on new signings in the last decade, shelling out €233m (£204m/$231m) more than the value of new arrivals since 2012.

WHAT NEXT FOR BONUCCI? Despite his club's poor form, Bonucci is on international duty with Italy for upcoming Nations League matches against England and Hungary.