Is Luciano Spalletti’s mission at Juventus achievable?

01/11/2025 07:58:00 soccer

Luciano Spalletti did not show up in the Allianz stands during the Juventus versus Udinese game as the press had reported, but that does not affect the fact that he is already a Juve man.

Spalletti has signed a contract running until June 2026, with the goal of leading Juventus into the top 4. If he succeeds, the contract will automatically renew until June 2028. Part of this task was supported by interim coach Massimo Brambilla when they defeated Udinese 3-1 in Serie A Round 9, in a match where the players demonstrated a strong desire to win to break an 8-match streak of draws and losses.

Rescuing a project

What will await Spalletti on his official debut against Cremonese this weekend? Will it be applause, welcoming songs, or silence, since many demanding Juve supporters have opposed him due to his history against the club they love? One thing is certain: there will be doubt. Looking at the reality that Juventus has had 5 coaches in just 18 months, it is shocking: Juve is no different from relegation fighters, constantly changing coaches to avoid "death".

Spalletti will be the 6th coach of Juve since April 2024. The 5 who came and went before him in such a short period are evidence of the patchwork and failure of an ambitious project after President Andrea Agnelli resigned at the end of November 2022, resulting in all decision-making power, from technical direction to finances, being handed to Agnelli’s cousin John Elkann. Elkann’s ambitious "shopping frenzy" began in the 2023/24 season by bringing in Napoli’s sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, hoping to replicate Napoli’s success at Juve.

However, nearly three years have been a "festival of mistakes," with 380 million euros spent mostly on failed transfers, such as Teun Koopmeiners (53.4 million euros transfer fee, 11.8 million salary) and Douglas Luiz (49.3 million cost and 9.3 million salary), while no world-class player has been acquired, only creating chaos. Many Juventus fans are puzzled as Juve discarded great talents like Dean Huijsen while bringing in mediocre defenders like Lloyd Kelly (23.5 million euros, 4.5 million salary). This is not only proof of failure but also shows they are completely lost.

Can Spalletti restore Juventus to their rightful status?

“The Wizard” Spalletti and his skillful management

Spalletti arrived at Juventus amid a tangle of the club’s problems, with the newcomer having to solve many issues that his predecessors couldn’t handle.

With nearly 600 Serie A games under his belt, Spalletti obviously has more experience than Thiago Motta and Tudor. At Allianz, expectations are not only for positive results but also for success where his two predecessors failed: turning Koopmeiners into a running and goal-scoring machine as he did at Atalanta, elevating Kenan Yildiz by giving him a suitable position, and unlocking the potential of Dusan Vlahovic, Lois Openda, and Jonathan David. Creating a dynamic and attractive attacking machine like his Napoli side within just 8 months at Juve is very challenging, but Spalletti, known for his tactical flexibility, could be a wizard for Juve.

Nearly 20 years ago at Roma, he transformed Francesco Totti into a false nine and Simone Perrotta into one of the most effective box-to-box midfielders. At Inter, he turned Marcelo Brozovic into a top defensive midfielder. At Napoli, he created the so-called "three-and-a-half-man defense," the solid foundation for a magical 2022/23 Scudetto. The only place he was powerless, where he felt the most embarrassed and frustrated, was with the Italian national team, where he couldn’t translate 20 years of club coaching experience into success.

Now, Spalletti is the third coach currently on Juventus’ payroll (ironically, both Motta and Tudor are still being paid after dismissal), and Juve have "married" him in a dual mission: to rediscover themselves, return to the top, and dispel the dark and gloomy clouds hanging over them.

Spalletti believes he has come not only to salvage Elkann’s failed ambitious project but also to elevate Juve to new heights. He will not be here just for 8 months, but much longer, returning under the sunshine…

02:45 on 2/11: Cremonese – Juventus: Cremonese is no pushover!

The cleansing victory over Udinese greatly boosted Juventus players’ morale before officially entering Luciano Spalletti’s era. They desperately need this kind of boost as they face Cremonese away, a newly promoted team playing excellently, sitting just behind Juve in 8th place with 14 points after 9 rounds.

Cremonese shocked everyone in the opening round by beating AC Milan 2-1 at San Siro and just last night continued their form by winning 2-1 against Genoa away. After 9 rounds, they have 3 wins, 5 draws, and only 1 loss, fewer defeats than big clubs Napoli, Roma, Inter, and even Juve. The only team to beat Cremonese is Inter, with a 4-1 win on 4/10.

Clearly, they are not an easy opponent, especially at home. Spalletti’s debut will surely not be an easy day.

V.N

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