Without Serie A referees assisting, the truth about the Champions League is exposed: A comprehensive review of Juventus’ Champions League "disasters"

In the early hours of the second day of the Lunar New Year, four first-leg matches of the Champions League knockout playoffs took place. Among them, Juventus were crushed 2-5 by Turkish side Galatasaray. This game stands as the match in which Juventus conceded the most goals in the Champions League and their second-largest loss. Such a result is deeply shameful for both the Bianconeri and the whole Serie A. As a result, Transfermarkt reviewed Juventus’ ten worst "disasters" in the Champions League.

• 0-4 Chelsea, 2021-22 season
• 2-5 Galatasaray, 2025-26 season
• 1-4 Real Madrid, 2016-17 season
• 1-4 Bayern Munich, 2009-10 season
• 0-3 Villarreal, 2021-22 season
• 0-3 Real Madrid, 2017-18 season
• 0-3 Barcelona, 2017-18 season
• 0-3 Manchester United, 2002-03 season
• 2-4 Bayern Munich (playoff), 2015-16 season
• 1-3 PSV Eindhoven (playoff), 2024-25 season

Juventus is one of the biggest and wealthiest clubs in Serie A. They are used to playing in Serie A with leniency, often pulling opponents without receiving cards. However, this bad habit does not work in the Champions League, where referees are stricter—fouls get yellow cards, and repeated fouling leads to a second yellow and a red card. Juventus is like a "Trojan horse" nurtured in the Serie A greenhouse rather than a zebra roaming the open plains. Different refereeing standards have caused Juventus’ poor Champions League performances; in recent years, they have been eliminated multiple times by teams outside the top five leagues and have only suffered defeats against top-five league teams. Juventus’ Champions League failures reflect the broader struggles of the entire Serie A league.

Personal opinion:If Serie A referees do not adapt to the stricter officiating standards in European competitions, it will only harm Serie A clubs.Do you agree?