Spalletti returns to football with Juventus after Italy flop / Photo: Odd ANDERSEN - AFP/File
-
RSC’s ‘Julius Caesar’ Reimagined in Women’s Prison Setting for School Tour
-
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced; Attendance List Shrinks
-
Thomson Reuters Integrates CUBE Regulatory Intelligence into CoCounsel Legal
-
Below Deck alumnus João Franco and brother arrested after fatal Turkey fight
-
Ole Miss inquiry expands after video and monkey-noise allegations
-
Thousands of Urban Homes Left Without High-Speed Internet Due to Broadband Blackspots
-
General Hospital actor Randall England dies at 75
-
Bunnie XO artwork taken down from Jelly Roll’s Nashville bar
-
London museum removes Russell Brand hair exhibit after rape conviction
-
Arlington sentinel rebukes Pete Hegseth entourage for laughter near memorial
-
Yella Beezy sentenced to life for arranging rapper Mo3’s murder
-
Kylie Jenner employee describes closet ordeal and pepper-spray incident
-
Authorities to identify Montauk Mary and five other Long Island cold-case victims
-
Davante Adams injury deepens Los Angeles Rams receiver shortage
-
Barbie sequel negotiations stall over reported $25 million pay packages
-
João Franco’s earlier post draws attention after arrest over fatal Turkey brawl
-
Bath & Body Works launches buy-one-get-one-free candle offer
-
Alberta Launches $5M Fund for Women’s Neurology Research to Address Gender Gaps
-
Itlu Arjuna receives U/A certificate ahead of theatrical release
-
Dhananjaya de Silva guides Sri Lanka to 221-4 against Pakistan
-
Niraj Kumar earns Los Angeles Olympic quota with 50m rifle bronze
-
Delhi gold loses Rs 800 while silver falls Rs 5,000
-
India extends micro-credit guarantee plan for five years
-
Madlanga Commission Deadline Extended to 2027 Amid Calls for Structural Justice Reform
-
Pradeep Antony, Smeha Manimegalai portray secret spouses in Mr & Mrs Office
-
Zelenskyy arrives in Dublin for meetings on Ukraine and peace efforts
-
Woman barred from every Greggs outlet after series of offences
-
Jury hears social-media image helped identify teen in Scarlett Faulkner case
-
Ketchup packets link suspect to break-in at Eddie Rocket’s restaurant
-
American Airlines passenger falls ill and vomits on three travellers
-
OPEC Says Oil Output Is Near Prewar Levels Despite Shipping Disruptions
-
US Inflation Broadens as Fed Officials Consider Faster Rate Hikes
-
China's Singles' Day Exposes Persistent Consumer Caution
-
China's Trade Surplus Passes $1 Trillion as Technology Exports Surge
-
Energy Costs Push OECD Inflation Up to 4.5%
-
Bank of England Raises Interest Rate to 4% as Energy Risks Intensify
-
US Adds 165,000 Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 4.1%
-
China's Factory Inflation Accelerates While Consumer Demand Stays Weak
-
Euro-Area Inflation Reaches 4% as Energy Prices Jump
-
Spain's General Strike Links Housing Crisis to Lost Purchasing Power
-
Irish police prepare for further hoax bomb threats after hundreds of schools targeted
-
Korea, Singapore and New Zealand Advance Green Trade Pact Talks
-
RBA Inflation Target Origins: Why Australia Chose a Range Over Zero
-
Ireland and Ukraine consider drone cooperation memorandum after Dublin talks
-
Sister recounts fatal machete attack as Irish murder trial continues
-
Georgia refrigeration company sues EPA after five-year HFC reprieve
-
HoloCoder technology promises brighter smartphone images and 3D depth data
-
EU proposes broad consumer safeguards for apps, subscriptions and ticketing
Spalletti returns to football with Juventus after Italy flop
Luciano Spalletti made his return to football on Thursday after being hired by Juventus to replace the sacked Igor Tudor.
Juventus have given Spalletti until the end of the season in the hope that the 66-year-old can ensure qualification for next season's Champions League, with his contract running until June 30 next year.
Should he achieve that Spalletti will be given more time to help put Juve back at the top of the pile in Italy after being surpassed by fierce rivals Inter Milan and Napoli in recent seasons.
Spalletti was the man behind Napoli's historic Serie A title in 2023 and has been one of the country's most influential coaches over the past two decades, also performing way above expectations at Roma and Inter Milan.
His success in Naples led to Spalletti tattooing Napoli's crest on his arm and saying he wouldn't manage another club in Italy after ending a 33-year wait for the Scudetto.
But he comes back into club football -- on what would have been Diego Maradona's 65th birthday -- after a dreadful time as Italy coach, a job which was supposed to be the crowning glory of a long and eventful career.
Spalletti's Italy reign ended in ignomy in June after a disastrous title defence at Euro 2024 and a thumping at the hands of Norway in the opening match of the Azzurri's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Juventus also find themselves at a crossroads and in search of an identity after a tumultuous last few years which have been dominated by below-par results on the pitch and scandal off it.
Tudor was himself brought in to save Juve last season after the sacking in March of Thiago Motta, who was supposed to herald a new era of free-flowing and successful football when he replaced Massimiliano Allegri.
Spalletti will take charge of a club which posted losses of 58 million euros last season and has been searching for the right formula behind the scenes since mass boardroom resignations at the end of 2022 that prefaced a financial scandal which would cost Juve a 10-point deduction the following year.
Former chairman Andrea Agnelli was subsequently given two hefty bans by the Italian Football Federation and last month was handed a suspended prison sentence of 20 months after a plea bargain.
Wednesday's 3-1 win over Udinese was a first victory since mid-September for Juve who sit seventh in Serie A, six points behind leaders Napoli and Roma.
Spalletti's first match will be at surprise package Cremonese, who were promoted from Serie B last season but are just one point and place behind Italy's most successful club after nine matches.
L.Durand--AMWN
