Juventus has decided to protect coach Andrea Spalletti, but the management has asked for an immediate and concrete reaction to reverse the negative spiral that has hit the team. After the defeat against Lazio, Spalletti locked himself in the dressing room and started individual and group talks with the players. The usually distant management intervened yesterday, highlighting the need for tangible results and a change in mentality.
Administrator Giovanni Carnevali held a "very direct" meeting with the team, reiterating trust in the working group and asking for collective responsibility. He stressed that current performance was not acceptable and called for immediate improvement. All the players were recalled and faced with the disappointment of the Juventus public and the owners, who continue to invest and have allocated another 250 million in capital increases. Carnevali expressed his desire not to allow the team to "move forward" in a situation of agony, especially in view of the upcoming matches against Napoli, AZ Alkmaar and Fiorentina.
Spalletti has already apologized to Marassi and indicated the need for "shock therapy", with the possibility of an early retirement. The team will return to Continassa for training in the late morning and will remain at the JHotel to rest. Two days of retreat are planned to recover from the fatigue, compare and prepare for the match against Napoli. The hard line suggested by the coach was shared by the club, which at the moment does not question his position.
The coach's future remains open. If the crisis were to explode, the first replacement proposals include Stefano Pioli, with whom Juventus already had a successful past, or Paulo Sousa, a Portuguese with international experience. Other names mentioned are Deschamps, former Juventus player, and Antonio Conte, but the company seems to prefer more realistic solutions, taking into account the budget and the restrictions imposed by the "settlement agreement". Lucio, the current technical chief, signed a two-year contract on April 10 with a net salary of 6 million, approved by John Elkann and the owners, and has demonstrated that he knows the origins of the crisis.
In summary, Juventus has decided to protect Spalletti but requires immediate results. The management asked for a fierce and concrete reaction, with a two-day retreat to recover from the fatigue and prepare for the next matches. If the situation does not improve, the company is evaluating candidates such as Pioli or Sousa, but has not yet made a final decision. The future of the team will depend on the performance in the next matches and the group's ability to recover.