Juventus Transfer Market: Spalletti Sees Firing on the Horizon—A Surprising Candidate Is in the Lead
Juventus’s training camp has begun ahead of Sunday’s match against Napoli: a game that Luciano Spalletti’s team cannot afford to lose. During Thursday morning’s meeting, CEO Giovanni Carnevali had some very harsh words for the players following the debacle in Genoa: an immediate response is needed.
“Such performances are unacceptable. You’re Juve—remember that!” the executive reportedly thundered in front of a silent team. Spalletti is on thin ice, and a win against Napoli won’t be enough: he’ll also be under scrutiny during the matches against AZ Alkmaar and Fiorentina. For now, the club’s leadership is standing by him, but their confidence has been severely tested, and if more negative results follow, his dismissal would be all but certain.
Fans are calling for Antonio Conte to take over, but the financial cost could be too high. According to rumors reported by Corriere dello Sport, if the crisis escalates, the leading candidate would be former Milan coach Stefano Pioli.
After the match, Spalletti apologized to the fans: “It’s a bit hard to accept the current reality of our level of pace, strength, and tackling. Sooner or later, we have to come to terms with the fact that we need to raise our physical game.” Among the most critical voices, Paolo Di Canio spoke of a team lacking “identity or soul,” while Riccardo Trevisani on Pressing called it “appalling,” pointing out that Juventus has only the 13th-ranked offense in the league. Ciro Ferrara was more cautious: “Right now, the coach, the players, and the club are all equally involved.”
Absences are also taking their toll: for the away game in Genoa, Spalletti had to do without Yildiz, Thuram, Ekhator, Locatelli, Grabara, and Conceição. Zeki Celik and Nico Gonzalez, sidelined by minor muscle injuries to the left hamstring and right soleus, respectively, will not be available before the November international break and will therefore also miss the matches against Napoli, AZ Alkmaar, and Fiorentina.
