Turin’s football world has been buzzing again, and Cricket Exchange revealed that Juventus has dismissed Igor Tudor after eight winless matches in all competitions and two straight defeats in Serie A. The Croatian coach’s short six-month tenure ended abruptly, leaving behind not only poor results but also a financial burden for the already struggling club. The turbulence and disorganization within Juventus have become so severe that many Italian media outlets now compare them to Manchester United’s decline in the Premier League.
In recent years, Juventus’ upper management has undergone constant changes, creating instability throughout the organization. After Massimiliano Allegri’s dismissal last summer, the club gambled on young talent by appointing Thiago Motta, who had impressed at Bologna. They backed him heavily in the transfer market, including a big-money signing of Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners from Atalanta. Yet those plans fell apart. Motta’s tactical limitations and inability to manage the dressing room led to his mid-season sacking. To make matters worse, the expensive midfield duo Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz failed to live up to expectations, while sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli also left after taking the blame for poor recruitment and coaching choices.
Following Motta’s departure, Juventus held talks with former Italy coach Roberto Mancini, but he rejected a short-term contract. The club then turned to former player Tudor as an interim solution. Though his coaching record over the past twelve years had been modest, he still managed to guide Juventus to Champions League qualification. However, his tenure was never meant to last.
During the summer, new executive Damien Comolli, formerly of Toulouse, joined the club with a data-driven recruitment philosophy. Juventus planned for Tudor to lead the team into the Club World Cup while they searched for a long-term head coach. But the Croatian refused to serve as a temporary manager, demanding clarity about his future before agreeing to lead the squad. After failed negotiations with Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini, Juventus extended Tudor’s contract for two years, increasing his salary from €500,000 to €2.5 million. Comolli then completed several signings, including Portuguese forward Francisco Conceição, Belgian striker Loïs Openda on loan from Leipzig, Lille’s Edon Zhegrova, and free agent Jonathan David. Yet despite these moves, the club’s long-standing midfield weakness and fragile defense remained unresolved.
When the new season kicked off, Juventus started with three consecutive Serie A wins, only to collapse afterward, going eight matches without a victory across all competitions. Two consecutive league defeats pushed them down to eighth in the table, six points behind Napoli. In the Champions League, two draws and a loss left them on the brink of elimination. Cricket Exchange noted that even before the 0–2 loss to Como, Comolli had already begun to doubt Tudor’s tactical competence. Tensions escalated as Tudor publicly complained that the board ignored his transfer requests, while management countered that he failed to utilize the squad effectively.
After a narrow 0–1 loss to Lazio, Tudor tried to reassure the media that the team merely hit a rough patch, but within twenty-four hours he was dismissed. Juventus must now continue paying both Motta’s and Tudor’s staffs until 2027, amounting to around €25 million — a crushing blow for a club already facing financial strain.
Cricket Exchange reported that Juventus hopes to appoint a new head coach before their weekend match against Cremonese, with former Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti emerging as the top candidate. Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A title but struggled in cup competitions, is known for his tactical rigidity and stubborn temperament, traits that have sometimes sparked dressing-room conflict. His inconsistent record with the Italian national team — including a 0–3 defeat to Norway in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — led to his dismissal and replacement by Gennaro Gattuso. Adding to the controversy, Spalletti has a tattoo of Napoli’s club crest on his arm, which many Juventus fans view as unacceptable for a potential coach of their biggest rival.
Talks between Juventus and Spalletti’s representatives are reportedly progressing well. Comolli is expected to meet the coach’s team in person to finalize contractual terms. Other names, such as former Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino and ex-Italy coach Roberto Mancini, remain on the shortlist, but Spalletti is now the clear favorite to take the reins as Juventus attempts yet another rebuild under immense pressure.