In the late summer of 1948, Juventus acquired John Hansen, an Olympic revelation from Freni Copenhagen. Hansen recommended his compatriot Præst to President Gianni Agnelli, with whom he had impressed at the London Olympics. However, Præst was unavailable for an immediate transfer. Juventus shifted their focus but remained in the Danish market, known for its affordable and talented players.
Hansen then suggested Johannes Pløger, a quick winger of 1.72 meters with eight years of European experience with the national team. AC Milan was also interested, having already sent their secretary Giannotti to Copenhagen to secure a pre-contract. The Milan director convinced Pløger, and in late December, the Dane journeyed to Italy.
During the trip, in Domodossola, John Hansen met Pløger and informed him that Juventus was willing to offer a higher salary than Milan. Pløger hesitated, advised by his lawyer (also named Hansen, coincidentally), awaiting developments. In Milan, Pløger met Milan`s director Busini and Juventus` representative Giordanetti. A bidding war ensued. Busini offered a significant sum (25 million), and Juventus countered with 30 million. Milan, annoyed by Juventus`s legal intrusion (as no written agreement existed), withdrew, leaving Juventus to sign Pløger.
On New Year`s Day 1949, Pløger signed the contract and debuted on January 9 against Lazio, scoring a notable goal. Paolo Bertoldi of “La Stampa” commented on his performance: “He is a truly good winger, this anticipated Copenhagen player, who has caused much discussion upon his arrival. His play is efficient and fast. He avoids individualism, giving the impression of limited dribbling, but his style is mainly practical.”
Bertoldi continued, “Pløger handles the ball well with both feet and shows a sense of goal. (Besides scoring, he also hit the post). Although a winger, he is also accustomed to playing as a center forward, readily moving centrally when the opportunity arises. In short, he is a successful acquisition, and yesterday, Juventus directors, players, and coaches expressed their satisfaction with his inclusion. The public also showed their approval with repeated applause.”
Pløger`s play was direct and simple, embodying the classic winger role with dribbling and crosses from the flank. The club and fans expected goals and assists for Boniperti. However, Pløger proved somewhat fragile for an attacker and not ideally suited as a winger, especially with Muccinelli firmly established in that position. At the end of the season, his record was modest: sixteen games and only one goal. He was sold to Novara, where he adapted better, and later proved to be a good professional for Torino and Udinese.
Notably, to maintain relations with Milan, Juventus informed them of a message from Gunnar Nordahl, a striker from Norrköping and the Swedish national team, offering his services to Juventus. As a form of apology, Juventus facilitated Nordahl`s move to Italy. Milan undoubtedly benefited from this exchange, as Nordahl became one of the greatest foreign strikers to ever play in Italy.