Everybody expects Luciano Spalletti to be Juventus’ manager beyond the completion of the 2025-26 season even without his contract extension officially signed just yet. And if that is the case, then we are about to see what a man very much known for his fashion will do halfway across the world when the weather is a lot nicer than it currently is in Italy.
Although, it will still technically be winter where Juve are headed for their preseason tour.
That is because Juventus announced on Wednesday that
they are headed to Australia. That’s right, Spalletti and the boys are going Down Under for a pair of friendlies against arch-rival Inter Milan and old friends Palermo, who we haven’t seen in quite some time since they got relegated a decade ago. Both games will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth, with Juve to play Inter on Saturday, Aug. 8, and then line up against Palermo three days later on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
This is all part of a larger Calcio Italiano festival in which some of Italy’s biggest names will be in Australia to play preseason friendlies. Inter will also face AC Milan during their time in Australia. It could very well end up with Juventus facing two Serie A opponents ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season. With Palermo — which is part of the City Football Group — under the direction of promotion specialist Filippo Inzaghi, they are currently in fourth place in Serie B and just four points off the second of the two automatic promotion spots.
Here is a portion of the announcement, courtesy of Juventus’ official website:
The Jeep Summer Tour is a powerful platform to deepen engagement with Juventus’ growing fan base while accelerating the Club’s commercial momentum in the region. With increased visibility and tailor-made partner activations, the tour will create premium brand moment and will support the growth and regional presence of the Club’s global partners, including Jeep, adidas, Cygames, EA Sports and WhiteBit.
Ultimately, Perth is set to deliver more than two matches: it will be a celebration of the Juventus community in Australia. From matchday atmospheres to dedicated fan initiatives, the Club will keep bringing the Bianconeri spirit closer to supporters across the region, building connections that last well beyond the final whistle.
It was reported late last month that Juventus could also end up playing games in Hong Kong along with their stay in Australia. That could very well still be the case. You have to imagine Juventus aren’t going to do all of that traveling — especially after some of their most important players have just come back from their summer vacations and/or World Cup duty — just to play a couple of games within the span of four days all less than three weeks before the 2026-27 season kicks off in Italy.
For now, though, we will have to wait if there are any other games attached to Juventus’ trip to Australia or elsewhere. It certainly will be a good measuring stick for Spalletti to face a club in Inter that (unfortunately) will be crowned Serie A champions in the coming weeks. And maybe, if something good happens, it can be a sign of things to come when things actually count in the standings a few weeks later.
