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Serie A: 'Ace Ventura' helps Torino break 20-year old Juventus hoodoo

Torino ended 20 years of Juventus dominance as they beat their city neighbours 2-1 on Sunday, crowning a remarkable four years under the leadership of journeyman coach Giampiero Ventura.

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Torino won for the first time against Juventus in 20 years
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Torino ended 20 years of Juventus dominance as they beat their city neighbours 2-1 on Sunday, crowning a remarkable four years under the leadership of journeyman coach Giampiero Ventura.

"We have broken many taboos and we hadn't won the derby since the dawn of time," Ventura, who took over at Torino in 2011 and led them out of Serie B in his first season, told Sky Sport Italia.

"Over the last four years we built from nothing to create a great team and this was the cherry on the cake," he added. "It has given me great satisfaction to finally manage this win and to see the stadium full," he added. Torino last beat their more glamorous Turin rivals on April 9, 1995, before beginning a run of 17 matches without a win in the fixture, including 10 games in a row in which they failed to score a goal.

Ventura is one of Italy's most well-travelled coaches, working at 16 clubs before moving to Torino although he never stayed for more than two seasons at any of them and has never been in charge at any of the major clubs.

Last year he led Torino to a seventh-place finish and the Europa League, and they are again chasing Europe this season, having rebuilt following the departures of forwards Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile. "The desire to raise the bar is always there but it is difficult to keep players who receive significant offers," said Ventura. 

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"The club has no need to sell but the player must be happy to stay because motivation in football is everything," he added. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said his league leaders made life unnecessarily hard for themselves when they kept attacking after taking a first-half lead, instead of sitting back.

"All we needed to do was keep the ball among our defenders. Pushing for the 2-0 made no sense at all," he told reporters.

"There are certain phases in the game in which you also need to wait and be patient, leaving those who find themselves a goal behind to dictate the play. You have to know how to read the game and handle the result," added Allegri, whose side have virtually wrapped up a fourth straight Serie A title with six games to play despite the defeat.

"I defy anyone to play for the whole 90 minutes with all the players attacking in midfield," he concluded.

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