From Totti to Icardi – Recalling Spalletti’s famous quarrels with his players | OneFootball

After appointing Luciano Spalletti as the new head coach, Juventus have now launched a new chapter, but will it be a peaceful reign?

The 66-year-old’s resume includes two tenures at Roma, in addition to a stint at Inter, while his most memorable spell was certainly at Napoli, when he led the club towards their first Scudetto title since Diego Armando Maradona’s days.

Nevertheless, Spalletti’s coaching spells have occasionally been blemished by heated quarrels with some of the biggest stars at the club.

Luciano Spalletti’s history of arguments with players

During his first reign as Roma manager, Spalletti shared a vastly prosperous collaboration with Francesco Totti, whom he had transformed into a false 9, in what was a revolutionary tactic at the time.

However, their second partnership was far less enchanting, as the manager was accused of ending the ageing icon’s career when he refused to play him. The two men have recently made amends and even starred in a light-hearted video commercial together.

Spalletti also had a spat with Cristian Panucci during his original Roma tenure, and then clashed heads with Zenit legends Igor Denisov and Roman Shirokov, who were both shown the door, recalls IlBianconero.

Luciano Spalletti (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Nevertheless, the most bizarre episode in the 66-year-old’s managerial career was arguably his argument with former Inter captain Mauro Icardi.

The Argentine’s former wife and agent, Wanda Nara, had caused a stir by suggesting that the striker would score more goals if paired with better teammates.

These statements surely didn’t sit out well with the locker-room, but Icardi refused to apologise to the group, which forced Spalletti to strip him of the captain’s armband, and subsequently banish him from the squad when the argument escalated.

Spalletti & Manuel Locatelli set for awkward reunion?

While Spalletti has often been described as a frank but fair individual, it remains to be seen whether this approach will be appreciated by the Juventus locker-room.

Interestingly, Manuel Locatelli found himself on the outs when the Tuscan boss was in charge of the Italian national team, so mending the fences with the club captain could be one of his first acts in Turin.