Juventus’ latest difficult spell has again placed the coach at the centre of the discussion, with Luciano Spalletti’s visible frustration becoming part of the story. Yet the more pressing question around the club is whether his temperament is being mistaken for the underlying problem.
Spalletti has brought intensity and authority to a side still searching for the level that once made Juventus the reference point in Italy. His edge on the touchline reflects a squad whose distance from the club’s strongest recent teams is increasingly hard to ignore.
Quick facts
- Juventus are being urged to judge their squad rather than repeatedly change coaches.
- Antonio Conte’s name has returned to discussion because of his record and Juventus links.
- Kenan Yildiz and Bremer are viewed as the clearest high-level assets in the current group.
- Chief executive Cristiano Carnevali has set Champions League qualification as the target.
- Spalletti is seen as a possible route out of the club’s current cycle, not its cause.
The club have moved through several managers in recent seasons. Massimiliano Allegri was scrutinised first, followed by Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor; now Spalletti faces the same examination. Each coach may have had shortcomings, but the recurring pattern points beyond the dugout.
Conte’s return has been discussed over the past month, understandably given his Juventus history and major achievements. But even a coach of his standing would be likely to ask for substantial backing and a broad reconstruction, with perhaps seven or eight departures matched by players capable of restoring genuine competitiveness.
The comparison with Inter and Roma is uncomfortable for Juventus. With Yildiz excluded from the conversation because of his exceptional potential, Bremer stands out as the obvious player who would command a place at the highest level. Beyond him, the argument becomes far less straightforward.
That concern is sharpened by the quality available elsewhere. Inter’s Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny are not regular starters, yet they are presented as players who could improve Juventus. The same applies to Petar Susic, Carlos Augusto, Benjamin Pavard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Andy Diouf.
Other names from rival squads underline the point: Leonardo Balerdi, Niccolò Pisilli, Marten de Roon, Santiago Castro and Matias Soulé. The examples are not meant to dismiss Juventus players individually, but to show the scale of work required if the club are to close the gap with their intended competitors.
There is also a warning over Yildiz. Juventus cannot afford to place the full burden of the project on a player of his talent while the team around him remains incomplete. The same caution applies to young prospects such as Mora and Alajbegovic: investments worth protecting, rather than players expected to resolve structural weaknesses alone.
The present leadership cannot be held solely responsible for a decline shaped across several seasons. The new board has effectively been in place for only four months, while the current imbalance has roots in earlier recruitment decisions and changing plans.
Still, accepting the scale of the problem is the first stage of fixing it. Juventus have travelled from a forward line featuring Mario Mandzukic, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo to a period in which Dusan Vlahovic represented the major purchase, followed by the deadline-day arrival of Nick Woltemade after a summer-long request for a finishing presence.
Spalletti’s irritation should therefore be read in context. A coach with his experience may still lift the side beyond its apparent limits and keep it in the fight for the Champions League places, the objective identified by Carnevali. Juventus need stability in that effort, as well as a clearer idea of the players required for the next version of the club.
The focus, then, should not remain on an angry gesture after a match or another debate about the man on the bench. Juventus’ recovery will depend on whether the club can rebuild a squad worthy of the expectations carried by its supporters.
