'He goes crazy!' - Max Allegri told player to cut his long hair or he'd be dropped as ex-Juventus star opens up on relationship with AC Milan boss

Soule made his senior debut at Juventus under Allegri in 2021 but was unable to break into the coach's starting XI, making 21 appearances under him across three seasons before he was loaned to Frosinone. He has since left to join Serie A rivals Roma, but reflected on his time with the current AC Milan boss with an interesting anecdote.

In an interview with Il Messaggero, Soule recalled an anecdote where Allegri disciplined him by asking him to cut his hair after he had dyed it blonde, saying: “At Juventus I had grown my hair long and dyed it blonde. The next day he told me I had to cut it or I might not show up again. I was little, and as soon as training was over, I immediately ran to the barber.”

Soule also remembered how strongly Allegri reacted to tactical mistakes, adding: “Allegri always kept me in mind, even though I didn't play much. He gives you complete freedom in attack, but if you make tactical mistakes, he goes crazy. Di Francesco and Gasperini are similar; they pay maximum attention to defence.”

Soule joined Roma from Juventus in 2024. While he had a difficult start to his Roma career under Daniele De Rossi, he flourished under Claudio Ranieri, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the 2024-25 season. Ranieri was named caretaker manager and was the club’s third coach in the 2024-25 season following the sackings of De Rossi and Ivan Juric. Ranieri steadied a Roma side languishing in 16th place when he took over and guided them to fifth in the table by the end of the season before stepping down and moving into a role in the club’s management.

Soule praised Ranieri for instilling confidence in him after a poor start to the campaign, saying: “I feel a lot of confidence, which I started to feel with Ranieri. Thanks to him, I've regained my calm; it was crucial. He'd see me in training and when I had the ball at my feet, he'd say: 'Do another pass...' He took me aside and told me to keep it simple. He gave me peace of mind and confidence.

“Playing as a full-back has helped me understand different situations.”

The 22-year-old will hope to maintain his red-hot start to the season and help Roma secure a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League. Roma will host Inter on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash.