Coach Claudio Ranieri, however, seemed to encounter serious problems in motivating his troops with his constant belittling of Juventus' title chances.

This barren run of results also included a 2–1 loss at home to Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, meaning the Turin side were once more denied the chance to compete for silverware.

Juventus legend and former centre back Ciro Ferrara, who was the director of the Youth Sector at that time, was appointed the caretaker manager for the remaining two matches.

The wins over Siena and Lazio ensured a second-place finish over AC Milan (based on head-to-head record) after the Rossoneri failed to take advantage of Juve's winless streak and lost 3–2 away at Roma.

Alessandro Del Piero, who scored a brace at the Santiago Bernabéu just four days before celebrating his 34th birthday, earned himself a standing ovation from the notoriously hostile Madrid crowd.