Juventus have turned to a familiar figure after Kamil Grabara’s season-ending knee injury, bringing Brazilian goalkeeper Norberto Neto back to Turin to reinforce the squad behind first-choice Guglielmo Vicario.
Key takeaways
- Neto has rejoined Juventus as a free agent and has signed a deal running until 30 June 2027.
- The move follows an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Grabara in training.
- Grabara made only one Juventus appearance, in the Europa League opener against NEC, before his campaign was brought to an early end.
- The 1989-born goalkeeper previously spent two seasons with Juventus, making 22 appearances and winning five trophies.
- Neto returns with experience from Italy, Spain, England and Brazil, most recently playing for Botafogo.
A known goalkeeper returns to Turin
There is a certain logic to Juventus’ decision. The club needed an experienced deputy after losing Grabara, and Neto already knows the demands of the Juventus dressing room, the city and the expectations attached to the shirt.
He first arrived in Turin from Fiorentina in 2015, taking over the role previously held by Marco Storari and working as Gianluigi Buffon’s understudy. Massimiliano Allegri was coach during both of Neto’s earlier Juventus seasons, 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Although Buffon remained the established number one, Neto featured 22 times across all competitions. Those two years brought two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia victories and an Italian Super Cup, giving the Brazilian a place in one of Juventus’ most successful recent cycles.
His return comes in a different context: Vicario is now the goalkeeper ahead of him, while Grabara’s rupture of the cruciate ligament has removed an option from the squad after only his European appearance against NEC.
An international career before the return
After leaving Juventus, Neto moved to Valencia, where he had a more regular starting role, before joining Barcelona as a second-choice goalkeeper. His career then continued in England, with spells involving Bournemouth and Arsenal, before a return to Brazil with Botafogo last season.
Juventus have confirmed that Neto will remain with the club until the end of June 2027. The agreement gives the Bianconeri an established professional for the remainder of the campaign and beyond, while bringing a former title winner back into a group dealing with an abrupt injury setback.
