Spalletti Takes the Reins: Juventus’s Bold Reboot in Turin

Spalletti arrives amid a winless run

In a move that felt both surprising and overdue after a string of disappointing results, Juventus appointed veteran coach Luciano Spalletti as the club’s new head coach, replacing Croatian Igor Tudor, who was dismissed following a sharp drop in form.

The decision came after eight winless league games, a stretch that included five draws and three losses, a run the club’s board deemed unacceptable for the Old Lady given its history and ambitions in Serie A and the Champions League.

Tudor had taken charge at the end of last season on a temporary basis after Thiago Motta, and was later confirmed in the role after the club failed to reach agreements with Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini, who were among the leading candidates to lead the team.

Although Tudor started the 2025-26 campaign with solid signs—three league wins, including a dramatic 4-3 derby victory over Inter Milan—form soon deteriorated, leaving Juve far from the top of the table.

Financial constraints also weighed in the decision, with Juventus still paying compensation to Motta; bringing in a new coach would add to the financial load under UEFA’s financial fair play rules, complicating a quick managerial shake-up.

Ultimately, a mix of mounting results pressure and fan frustration made the change inevitable as Juventus formally announced Spalletti’s appointment to steer the team back on track, especially with the club currently sitting outside the top four in Serie A.

Spalletti is regarded as one of Italy’s most accomplished coaches in recent decades, having guided Napoli to the Serie A title in 2022-23, ending a 33-year domestic drought for the southern club. His return to a big club in Turin signals a bold bid to restore Juve’s status among Europe’s elite.

During his official presentation in Turin, Spalletti expressed genuine enthusiasm for taking the Juventus job and urged the club to maintain big ambitions despite current challenges. He stressed the need for a flexible, ambitious approach and a clear plan to return to the top of Italian football.

In his remarks, he emphasized that the squad must embrace responsibility and that the players matter just as much as the coach. He acknowledged the weight of the task but spoke confidently about the quality of Juve’s playing group and its potential when aligned with a shared plan. He also jotted a reminder that age is just a number, adding humor about being in round nine of a tough season and promising to give his best to extract better results from the roster.

One of the major reasons given for Tudor’s dismissal, according to Italian outlets, was the team’s inability to score during a four-match spell, despite possessing a potent attacking lineup. Spalletti addressed this by highlighting the need for better collective organization rather than relying on individuals, insisting that goals are the foundation of success and that the team must understand its responsibilities in every moment on the pitch.

Meanwhile, striker Dusan Vlahovic had previously urged his teammates to shoulder responsibility rather than blame coaches, and Spalletti publicly praised his attitude, underscoring that player awareness is crucial to rising again as a team.

Spalletti is set to begin his Juventus tenure with a match against Cremonese, aiming for a first win that could restore confidence and reaffirm Juventus’s place among Europe’s elite after a rough patch. The road back to the top will demand discipline, collective effort, and a touch of that familiar Old Lady resilience.

Punchline time: If Spalletti can reboot this squad, Juventus might finally stop asking time for a miracle and start asking the scoreboard for mercy. And if not, at least the press conferences will be entertaining enough to score some points on the entertainment front.

Punchline two: In Turin, even the pasta believes in a comeback more than Juve’s attack—and it is al dente optimism that will garnish the longer run toward the title.