There is no talk yet of sacking coach Luciano Spalletti in Juventus's ranks. However, the numbers are against him: the coach is doing worse than Igor Tudor, who was sacked in the eighth week of the championship a year ago. Meanwhile, in the background is the name that fans would like to see back in Turin: Antonio Conte.
Numbers rarely lie and Juventus's under coach Spalletti are very poor. After seven weeks, the Bianconeri have collected only 11 points, with only three wins and two losses already. They have conceded eight goals, but the biggest concern is that they have scored only nine, with an offensive unit that is facing great difficulties and a coach who is unable to find a solution to get out of this situation.
So, after the heavy defeat in front of his own fans against Lazio, the most worrying shadow for the coming days appears: the possibility of dismissal. The figures show that Spalletti is doing worse than his predecessor, Igor Tudor. The Croatian was dismissed in the eighth week and for him too, the defeat in the direct confrontation with Lazio proved fatal.
History risks repeating itself just a year later. Once again, the numbers seem like an inevitable doom. After seven weeks of Serie A, Tudor's Juventus had 12 points, four less than the leaders. This balance was considered unsatisfactory by the then directors, led by Cobolli, who decided to change the coach, choosing Spalletti instead of Palladino. Today, after the same number of matches, the situation is even worse, as Juventus is eight points behind the leading duo Inter-Lazio.
Juventus in confusion, the coach's delicate position
At the moment, there is no talk of dismissal or change in the bench at Continassa. The leaders are analyzing the situation, but the calendar does not allow for rest. In three days there is the match with Rennes in the Europa League, then come two very difficult transfers against Lecce and Genoa, before the super challenge on November 1, again at home, against Napoli.
However, the atmosphere around the team and the coach remains very tense, while the situation after the match was not at all calm. Bremer clearly expressed his opinion, while Spalletti responded by contradicting the captain's analysis point by point. In between stand the directors and owners of the club, who are maintaining silence and taking time to reflect. This process cannot exclude the consideration of possible alternatives, if the results continue to be unsatisfactory.
Spalletti and the shadow of dismissal: the numbers are against him
Just last April, the coach agreed to a contract extension until June 2028, with a salary of 5.5 million euros per season. He had earned the club's trust, despite a disappointing end to the championship, which left Juventus on the fringes of European competitions.
Meanwhile, the club has undergone a management revolution and has conducted a transfer market oriented towards rebuilding the sports project, with new players and new faces. But the trend has remained the same: the team continues to be far from the leading teams, both in terms of play and results.
Today, unlike what happened with Tudor, Luciano Spalletti has not been left alone by the club. However, it seems that the credits of trust are running out. For his future at Juventus, only one thing will matter: results.
The solution could be Antonio Conte: possible return to Juventus
But who could replace Spalletti if he is sacked? There is only one name that stands out above the rest: Antonio Conte. The former Napoli coach, who left the Neapolitan club in the summer, leaving Allegri in charge, is the leading candidate for the Juventus bench. There is no need to recall the strong bond that unites him with a club where he has written history as a footballer and as a coach. It is easy to understand why thoughts, not only of the fans, have immediately turned to him as the right man at the right time to get the team back on track, before it is too late.
During the summer, Conte reached an agreement to terminate his contract with Napoli by mutual consent, waiving a €7-8 million release clause. The possibility of him taking over as Italy coach after Gattuso was also left open. For now, he is free to observe the developments of the season, which, although still in its early stages, seems to be increasingly calling him to Turin.
