Juventus appoint former Italy manager Spalletti as head coach

Juventus have appointed former Italy manager Luciano Spalletti as head coach until the end of the season, the Serie A club said on Thursday, following the sacking of Igor Tudor.

Juventus turned to the former Italy, Inter Milan and Napoli manager after parting ways with Tudor following an eight-match winless run in all competitions. They sit seventh in the standings after nine games.

"Luciano Spalletti is the new head coach of Juventus, signing an agreement with the club until June 30, 2026," Juventus said in a statement.

"We are delighted to welcome a coach with such expertise and experience to the Bianconeri family: welcome to Juventus and good luck, coach!"

Croatian Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, was the first foreign manager appointed by Juventus since Frenchman Didier Deschamps in 2006-07.

He guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and secured qualification for the Champions League.

However, they had not won a game since mid-September with five draws followed by three straight losses in all competitions before Tudor was sacked.

Massimo Brambilla took interim charge and Juve won their next game, beating Udinese 3-1.

Spalletti, 66, led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, after a long club management career that has included spells at AS Roma, Inter, and a five-year stint with Russian club Zenit St Petersburg.

He was appointed Italy head coach in 2023 and led them to Euro 2024, where they exited in the last 16 after a 2-0 loss to Switzerland.

Spalletti also oversaw an uninspiring World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, leading to his sacking in June, after less than two years in the job.