Luciano Spalletti is the new Juventus manager: he has signed a contract binding him to the club. The announcement was made in a statement from the club.

For a while, the Certaldo-born coach will have less time to dedicate to his beloved La Rimessa estate, a farm and agritourism in Tuscany, his refuge after the great disappointment with the Azzurri . On June 9th, a unique case in the history of the national team, in Reggio Emilia, he sat down—although already fired—on the bench of the Italy team that went on to beat Moldova 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, compromised by the disastrous defeat away to Norway a few days earlier.

That sad victory was his farewell after a spell that lasted less than 24 months, with a record of 12 wins, six draws, and as many defeats. A departure from the Azzurri that Spalletti is still struggling to process. It could have been the pinnacle of a career that included over 1,000 appearances, but instead: "What I wasn't able to achieve remains an immense pain, but I have to endure it. I don't want any discounts," he said just a week ago, "I'll inject the poison myself, if necessary. No one has contacted me, but I'm available to talk to anyone."

And the first to turn to him was Juventus, struggling with poor results and in need of a man with proven experience, both in Italy and abroad, who was both charismatic and successful. The unexpected Scudetto win against Napoli is just the latest fruit of his labors. Having turned sixty-six in March, Spalletti favors deploying his teams in a 4-3-3 formation, which often transitions into a 4-2-3-1. However, the formation isn't a dogma. He prefers to base his game on tactical principles, favoring dynamic football with plenty of forward momentum, high pressing, and ball possession.

A midfielder who trained in the Fiorentina and Cuoiopelli youth teams, he joined the amateur ranks at Castelfiorentino in 1982. His professional career began in 1985 with Entella Bacezza, followed by spells at Spezia and Viareggio. His final stint at Empoli was in 1993. His first coaching experience was with the Tuscan club's youth teams, where he remained until 1998, leading them from Serie C to Serie A. He then moved to Sampdoria, but things didn't go as well in Liguria, resulting in relegation to Serie B. Venezia, Ancona, and Udinese followed—with mixed success. After three years in Friuli, Roma called in 2005. His calling card was 11 consecutive league victories. The Giallorossi reached the Coppa Italia final, where they were defeated by Inter. They got their revenge the following season. It was Spalletti's first trophy. His second came, again against the Nerazzurri, with the Italian Super Cup. He resigned from Roma in September 2009. He joined Zenit St. Petersburg, where, in five seasons, he won two league titles, a Russian Cup, and a Super Cup.

In January 2016, he returned to Rome, replacing the sacked Rudi Garcia. His experience was marred by friction with Francesco Totti, despite a third- and second-place finish in the league. Then came Inter, leading him back to the Champions League after seven years. In Milan, he achieved two fourth-place finishes. After two sabbaticals, it was time to embrace Napoli and the splendid run of the 2022-23 season. "I'm leaving not because I've stopped loving, but because I've given everything," he said as he bid farewell to the Neapolitans. The same commitment that Juventus is now asking of him.

(Unioneonline)

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