Alajbegović and the Faint Whisper from Juventus's Academy

When the Ballon d'Or nomination list was released, the entire Serie A commentary room turned toward Inter. Lautaro Martinez, a Serie A champion and a World Cup winner, was the obvious name. But when I scrolled to the final line of the Kopa Trophy category for the best young player, I heard the faint whisper of Kerim Alajbegović. A Bosnian name. A Juventus player. And what made me pause was not his nomination, but the fact that he was Juventus's only representative across the entire nomination system.

Eleven years ago, Juventus still had names competing for the Ballon d'Or. Now, the Turin club has only a young player who has yet to secure a first-team spot. That is the greatest paradox of this season, and it does not lie with Inter, nor with Napoli. It lies where people look least.

Context: a league down to two names

Across the entire system of football's most prestigious awards, Serie A contributed only two faces. Lautaro Martinez, who has won every club and international honor. And Kerim Alajbegović, a Juventus player whose position is still undefined. That is a telling number. The Premier League has a spread of nominations across categories, La Liga still retains its pull, while Serie A — a league that once dominated Europe — is shrinking into a handful of names.

For Juventus, the problem is even more serious. This club was once a symbol of strength and stability. It once boasted stars that forced all of Europe to mention their names at every award ceremony. After the Cristiano Ronaldo era, Juventus entered a prolonged rebuilding phase, struggling with financial pressure and an aging squad. That only Alajbegović appears on the nomination list is no longer an isolated phenomenon. I read it as a report on the health of the system.

I have followed Juventus for many years, through old footage and live matches on a screen in Shanghai. The old tapes sit there, and I put on my glasses, and I see the future. And that future, sadly, contains only one name. When a big club has only one representative in the award system, the problem is not that player. The problem is the system behind him.

Analysis: the gap is in the academy, not in the trophies

This is the point I want to dwell on longest. If Juventus had a star in his prime being nominated, the story would be different. If they had a blockbuster signing at the peak of his form, everything would be understandable. But the truth is that their only name is a young player. That says Juventus is neither producing nor retaining world-class stars, and is left relying on unproven potential.

Look at Atalanta and Roma, two youth academies doing better than Juventus at promoting young players to the first team. Meanwhile, Juventus — with its history and resources — is falling behind in the race to produce talent. This is the paradox of a big club: the bigger it is, the higher the pressure for results, and the less it dares to give young players a chance. I see this pattern repeated across many football nations, and it always ends the same way — a generation of talent wasted because people fear risk.

Alajbegović's case thus becomes the only bright spot in a bleak picture. He was nominated for his performances at the World Cup in a Bosnia shirt — a tournament where he left enough of a mark to force the media to mention his name. But that is also when the question arises: will Juventus dare to place full trust in him? Because a nomination does not tell a club where that player plays on the pitch, how many kilometers he runs per match, or how he reacts when tightly marked. A nomination only says he has potential. Turning potential into a starting spot is the story of an entire season.

Here, I note the detail about sporting director Frederic Massara. Sources say Massara is not at all doubtful about Alajbegović. He rates the young player highly. But a sporting director's trust does not automatically equal a starting spot. Between the boardroom and coach Luciano Spalletti's tactical board, there is always a gap. The board thinks about asset value and resale potential. The coach thinks about three points this weekend. Those two ways of thinking rarely meet immediately.

I have witnessed many young players lavished with praise by the board yet left to rot on the bench, because the coach dares not take the risk. Juventus today may fall into exactly that trap. If Spalletti wants to be safe, he will choose experienced names. If he wants to build the future, he will give Alajbegović a chance. And that choice will shape the club's entire season.

Contrarian angle: don't let a nomination fool you

And this is where I raise the uncomfortable question. When the entire commentary room says Alajbegović is Juventus's "only ray of hope," that the club must "bet on him without hesitation," I heard a faint whisper of doubt. Because there is something no one dares to say: a nomination does not mean he is ready.

A nomination list recognizes potential, not confirms stability. The World Cup is a tournament of emotion and moments, where a few good games can put a young name on the world map. The regular season is a different story. There, players are judged across dozens of matches, through cold rainy nights away from home, through weeks when fitness and psychology are worn down. A player can shine across seven games of a World Cup, but cannot live forever on those seven games.

I once made a contrarian prediction and was right — but I have also been wrong. And I learned that a responsible hot take must dare to admit the possibility of being wrong. It may be that Alajbegović will succeed brilliantly. It may also be that he becomes a name crushed by the pressure of a nomination. If Juventus pushes him too fast, the risk is great. If they keep him on the bench too long, he will want to leave.

The most worrying thing is that Juventus is placing all its international expectations on the shoulders of a young player. That is a sign of poverty in depth, not of wealth in talent. And if Alajbegović is loaned out or not given consistent minutes, this nomination will be just a footnote in the club's history — a reminder that talent does not automatically become achievement.

What to watch

Three signals will decide this story in the coming months. First, Alajbegović's actual minutes. If he plays fewer than 500 minutes next season, his development will stall. Second, the number of other Juventus youngsters given opportunities. If no more U21 faces break into the first team, the academy gap remains intact. Third, news of a contract extension. If Juventus announces a long-term deal soon, that is a sign of genuine trust.

I do not believe a nomination alone makes a career. I believe in whether a club dares to go against its usual instincts. This club does not need more money, it needs someone willing to think in reverse.

At 55, after all these years of watching football, I still believe the best things in this sport do not come from the league table, but from a young player given a chance at the right time. If Juventus does it right, Alajbegović will not just be their only name on a nomination list. He will be the beginning of something bigger — a generation, a way of thinking, a belief that football still has room for young people who dare to dream.