Juventus has been waiting for its next championship title since 2020 and has gone through several coaches during that time. Now, as expected, Luciano Spalletti is set to stabilize the Italian record champions and lead them to new heights.
Juventus Turin last won the Scudetto under Maurizio Sarri, who nevertheless only remained in office between 2019 and 2020. Since then, the 36-time Italian champions have only managed two triumphs in the Coppa Italia.
The sad side effect on the coaching bench: Neither the attempt with World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo, the return of Massimiliano Allegri (championship winner from 2015 to 2019) between 2021 and 2024, nor the appointments of Thiago Motta and, most recently, Igor Tudor have really borne fruit.
Italy commitment most recently
Now it’s up to Luciano Spalletti to fix things. The 66-year-old was presented as the new Juve coach on Thursday, as expected, succeeding former player Tudor, who was recently dismissed after eight winless competitive games.
The common thread between the two parties involved: both the Old Lady, who returned to winning ways this week with a 3-1 victory over Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla, and Spalletti want and need to prove themselves.
After all, the new coach also has his sights set on a turnaround following successful years at Zenit St. Petersburg (2009 to 2014), AS Roma (2016 to 2017), Inter Milan (2017 to 2019) and, above all, Napoli (2021 to 2023).
Contract extension if they finish fourth?
According to Italian media reports, the contract, which is valid until the end of the season, contains a clause stipulating that it will be extended by two years if the club finishes at least fourth this season and qualifies for the Champions League. His salary for the entire season is reported to be three million euros plus bonuses.
Spalletti, who hails from Tuscany, took over the Italian national team at the end of the 2022/23 season after a short break following his famous championship title with the Neapolitans.
The sad result: At the 2024 European Championship, the Squadra Azzurra, as reigning champions, were knocked out of the round of 16 by Switzerland without a fight, and most recently, the team failed to make it past Germany in the quarterfinals of the Nations League. At the beginning of June 2025, Spalletti announced his own dismissal. As is well known, Gennaro Gattuso will now lead the Italians at the 2026 World Cup.
And Spalletti? He brings with him to his new job in Turin a tattoo that is certainly not welcome to some Bianconeri fans. After winning the Scudetto with Juventus’ southern rivals Napoli, who had won the title for the first time in 33 long years, the coach had the logo tattooed on his left forearm.