The real hero of Juventus's transfer window It's time for you to know Matteo Fabris

The final hours of the transfer window have brought Juventus back to the centre of the stage. First came Pape Matar Sarr from Tottenham on loan, followed by an agreement for Nick Woltemade from Newcastle, while on the way out, Jonathan David completed his move to Atlético Madrid. A double signing which, together with the departure of the Canadian striker, has once again sparked enthusiasm among Juventus fans at the most frantic point of the summer transfer window. A joy fuelled by the anticipation of seeing their idol back in action. And we are not talking about the players.

The transfer window is a ritual that is itself made up of smaller rituals. For days, a deal exists only within a cloud of tweets, rumours, behind-the-scenes stories and articles chasing one another, often copying each other while adding one more detail every time. Then comes the moment when a transfer stops being a story told by others and becomes something physical. A plane lands. A car door opens. Someone is waiting. For Juventus fans, the definitive sign that a deal has truly reached its final chapter – medical tests permitting – is the sight of Matteo Fabris outside Caselle Airport.

He has been Juventus’ Team Manager since June 2010. A role that, by definition, exists behind the scenes: organising, accompanying, coordinating, being there. A position that does not seek attention and which, precisely for that reason, has developed its own small aura in an era where even presence has become a form of communication. Because when Matteo Fabris moves, something is about to happen. Or rather, something has happened.

The first Juventus staff member a new player encounters upon arriving in Turin is him. The scene repeats itself with an almost reassuring regularity. This summer alone, it has played out for Jeff Ekhator, Zeki Celik, Kerim Alajbegovic, Randal Kolo Muani, Guglielmo Vicario, Kamil Grabara and Jhon Lucumi. Round-lensed glasses worthy of an accountant, the club’s official suit trousers and jacket, a shirt, the Jeep provided by the club. He escorts the player out of the airport before taking a seat up front next to the driver.

A predetermined ceremony, a photograph that Juventus fans have learned to recognise and savour every time. In a world built around the speed of information, the need to know everything before everyone else and an obsession with constant updates, the most authentic confirmation can still be a man standing outside an airport.