Luciano Spalletti sets Serie A title challenge despite Juventus struggles

New Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti has set the task of winning the Scudetto this season despite the club’s poor run of form.

Spalletti was announced as Juventus new coach following the dismissal of Igor Tudor. The Croatian manager was dismissed after Juventus went winless in eight consecutive matches, a stretch that included five straight draws and three defeats.

Tudor had initially taken over last season as an interim replacement for Thiago Motta and was later made permanent when Juventus failed to secure Antonio Conte or Gian Piero Gasperini.

Spalletti will now take charge of a Juventus team who currently sit seventh in the Serie A table. The former Napoli coach is determined to guide Juve back to the pinnacle of Italian football.

Luciano Spalletti during a training session at JTC on October 31, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)

Speaking at his unveiling, Spaletti believes that Juventus must be ambitious enough to believe they can fight for the title, saying: “I hope we can get back into the title race, why not? That’s what we were talking about in the dressing room with the players. Our ambitions must be as high as possible, and the highest ambition right now is to get back into the Scudetto race.”

Using his vast wealth of coaching experience and knowledge Spaletti believes he can inspire his players to fight hard for the title and then see where they end up when he said “We’re only on the ninth matchday, even if I’m almost at the end because I’m an old man. I’ll try to put even more effort into it and then we’ll see what we’ve managed to achieve. I have absolute respect for the value of these players.”

Spalletti also addressed Juventus’ failure to score in four consecutive matches, despite boasting a star-studded attack

He said: “Goals are fundamental because they are what win matches. Attacking football is another important quality, but the essential thing is to be a team and a group that understands what we need to do on the pitch in various situations. That will benefit us in every way.”

Spalletti’s first game in charge will see Juventus travel to Cremonese, where the Italian coach will be aiming to secure his first three points.