Spalletti Clear Frontrunner for the Juventus Opening | OneFootball

Juventus axed Igor Tudor without having a replacement in hand, but they have an unquestioned favorite: former Italy and Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti. The parties are discussing a contract until the end of the season with an automatic renewal in case of Champions League qualification, Gianluca Di Marzio informs.

The coach is open to such a solution. The club officials and his camp are handling the details concerning his wages and the option. The gaffer is chomping at the bit to return to the bench after his Azzurri spell ended on a sour note.

Spalletti is set to meet with Juventus head honcho Damien Comolli in the next couple of days to bring the deal home. The Bianconeri aim to install their new boss in time for Saturday’s game versus Cremonese. Instead, Next Gen boss Massimo Brambilla will lead the team versus Udinese midweek.

The Scudetto-winning manager has been pursued by Nottingham Forest, Fenerbahce, and some Qatari clubs in recent months. However, he preferred waiting for another Serie A opportunity. He had stated it would have been tough for him to coach another club after Napoli, but he evidently changed his mind.

The Old Lady has sent out feelers for Raffaele Palladino and Roberto Mancini, but they are only fallback options should they miss out on their number one target.

Our Take on Juventus and Spalletti

It’s the only choice that makes some sense, as he wasn’t available when they decided to keep Tudor. They had two shots to get the other ex-Italy gaffer. He probably would already be in their dugout if they really wanted him. Things are moving quickly, as they should, and they better not mess it up at the 11th hour.