Around this time 12 months ago, there were two very big things hanging over Juventus — their Champions League qualification and who the heck would be their manager if they were to get into Europe’s premier club competition. They were two giant question marks even as the immediate future was still very much an unknown, with Champions League qualification going down to the final day of the 2024-25 season.
While we still await UCL qualification when it comes to this current campaign, we don’t have to wonder
about who’s coaching Juventus come next August anymore.
Not that we really did have questions about it to begin with over these past few weeks.
But on Friday, Juventus made things official — they have their manager for the 2026-27 season and beyond. Luciano Spalletti, the man who was originally brought in on a short-term contract to take over for Igor Tudor right before everybody threw on their Halloween costumes at the end of October, is sticking around for a little longer than his initial deal indicated. While we wait to see if Spalletti is able to guide Juventus into the top four and qualify for the Champions League, we now know that regardless of what European competition the Bianconeri will be in come the fall, it will be Spalletti who’s in the coaching box. The 67-year-old Tuscan has signed his contract extension through 2028 and will reportedly earn upward of €6 million per season, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in Serie A.
But that is to be expected for somebody like Spalletti, who now has a bit more job security even though it’s not like there was ever going to be somebody else to be offered the job beyond this season due to the fact that Juventus’ front office have always said it’s going to be him.
And now it’s official — and Spalletti won’t be asked about it anymore, something that is surely going to make him happy when you factor in how he responded to that line of questioning a week ago.
Here are some words from Juventus CEO Damien Comolli about the man who just signed a contract extension to stay on as rhe club’s manager:
“We are delighted to have extended Luciano’s contract for a further two seasons. Since Luciano joined our great Juventus family, he has had an immediate and very positive impact on our players, the whole Club and the entire Bianconeri community. It was immediately clear to everyone that Luciano was the right person to lead the team on a path of growth.
“His ambitious style of play reflects the expectations of our fans and the Club, and his values embody our identity. We have therefore decided to continue working together beyond the previously agreed contract term,” added Comolli, “because we believe that stability and continuity are two essential pillars for future success. Good luck, Mister! Fino alla Fine.”
So after weeks of wondering when the day would actually arrive, all we had to do is wait about 36 or so hours after reports surfaced that Spalletti “could” sign his contract extension before Juventus heads to Bergamo to face Atalanta in a key matchup in the race for the top four. Spalletti has rightfully deflected any talk about his future at the club and instead insisted that the focus be on what his team is trying to do on the field rather than what may happen ahead of next season. All the while, Juventus’ front office — be it Comolli, sporting director Marco Ottolini or chief football strategist Giorgio Chiellini — maintained that Spalletti will be the guy who leads this club into the next campaign.
Almost like they were onto something, huh?
At this point, we don’t know what European competition Juventus will be playing in next season. But now, officially, we do know who will be coaching Juventus in Europe no matter if it’s the Champions League or Europa League if they do in fact get there. Spalletti is here to stay — and that is something we couldn’t say about the status of Juventus’ managerial position entering the final month and a half of the season a year ago.
