Turin – Luciano Spalletti's era as Juventus coach has officially begun. The former Italy and Napoli coach, who won their third Scudetto, and coming off a brief stint with the national team, is the third Juventus coach in eight months, called upon to bring about a change in management following the tenures of Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor.
"A highly skilled and experienced player whom we are delighted to welcome into the Juventus family," read the club's statement, which arrived late in the afternoon, capping a long day at Continassa. Spalletti, who won a Scudetto with Napoli in 2023, entered the gates of Juventus headquarters shortly before 11:00 a.m.
The Certaldo coach met with club officials to iron out the final details: the agreement includes an eight-month contract, expiring in June 2026. The objective is clear and unequivocal: to secure a Champions League spot. Only after that goal is achieved will he sit down to discuss a contract extension.
At his side is a trusted staff. In addition to longtime assistant Marco Domenichini, Giovanni Martusciello, Sarri's assistant for the 2020 Scudetto, returns to the Bianconeri. This team of "brains" has already begun exploring solutions to turn around a team that "seems to have lost its identity," as the dressing room itself admitted.
First Hug and the "Tattoo Case"
Before heading to J Medical for his fitness tests, Spalletti had his first contact with the Juventus fans. A crowd of fans, many of them children, welcomed him warmly. "Come on, coach, bring honor and respect to the jersey: we deserve it," was the peremptory request of one supporter, who the coach lent a hand for photos and autographs.
There was also a playful but meaningful dig at his famous tattoo.
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Spalletti inherits a team galvanized by their victory over Udinese, but one that needs to regain stability and, above all, its lost identity. Today's training session was once again led by Massimo Brambilla, pending tomorrow's official presentation, but the tactical revolution is already underway.
The starting formation will almost certainly be 4-2-3-1, a system that has brought great satisfaction to Spalletti throughout his career and which envisions a crucial role for the "separated at home." Among the top priorities is the revitalization of strikers David and Openda and, above all, Teun Koopmeiners, the €60 million investment that has disappointed expectations in 14 months.
In defense, pending Bremer's return, a back four is expected, with Gatti and Kelly in the center and Kalulu and Cambiaso on the wings. In attack, Dušan Vlahović—the prospective leader ("It's everyone's fault," the Serbian said)—is expected to revitalize himself and is confident he can become the ideal attacking partner for the Tuscan.
The real wildcard, however, is Kenan Yildiz. Having returned to scoring against Udinese, Juventus's number 10 could function as a true attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, offering a solution for the present and the future.
Spalletti will have just one full training session to shape the team ahead of the away match against Cremonese. It's a fresh start for everyone: for Juventus, determined to put yet another technical failure behind them, and for Spalletti, ready to relaunch himself after the Azzurri disappointment.
Comments (1)
It's an interesting change for Juventus under Spalletti. We hope he can perform well and lead the team back to the top. But there are many unknowns to address, and the team must rediscover its lost identity.