Did Gasperini really reject Juventus in the summer? | OneFootball

Juventus explored several managerial options during the summer as they planned for life after Igor Tudor, despite his role in securing a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. The club’s hierarchy had decided not to continue with Tudor and instead pursued what they viewed as a more ambitious appointment to lead the next phase of their project. This search placed Gian Piero Gasperini among the names under consideration.

Juventus Search for a New Direction

Juventus’ preferred candidate was Antonio Conte, whom they hoped would leave Napoli after guiding them to the league crown. Conte was widely seen as the ideal choice and would have been welcomed back enthusiastically. However, he chose to remain at Napoli for another season, forcing Juventus to reassess their options. Gasperini appeared to be a logical alternative, particularly as he had informed Atalanta of his intention to leave after a decade at the club.

At the same time, AS Roma were also interested in appointing Gasperini and ultimately succeeded in securing his services. The prevailing belief was that he had rejected Juventus in favour of a more appealing opportunity in the capital. Gasperini later suggested that he opted for a more challenging project when questioned during a recent pre-match press conference, reinforcing that perception.

(Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Clarifying the Summer Approach

Further clarity has now emerged regarding Juventus’ interest in Gasperini. According to Il Bianconero, the situation was more nuanced than initially believed. The report states that Damien Comolli did make contact with Gasperini during the summer, but the conversation did not constitute a formal job offer. Instead, the call was made to include him on a broader list of potential managerial targets being evaluated by the club.

As a result, Gasperini was never officially offered the Juventus role and therefore could not have rejected it. This revelation challenges the assumption that he actively turned down the Bianconeri, suggesting instead that Juventus never progressed their interest to an advanced stage. The episode highlights the complexity of high-profile managerial searches and underlines how narratives can form without the full context being known.

In the end, Juventus moved in a different direction, while Gasperini embarked on a new chapter elsewhere, leaving questions about what might have been had circumstances unfolded differently.