Luciano Spalletti Under Scrutiny After Juventus Draw Against Sassuolo

Luciano Spalletti is already under heavy scrutiny after a chaotic finale against Sassuolo, a stoppage-time collapse that saw Juventus both score and concede twice and sent sections of the fanbase straight back to a familiar refrain: bring back Antonio Conte.

The noise grew loud enough that CEO Giovanni Carnevali felt compelled to step in and draw a firm line. Speaking to Radio Anch’io Lo Sport, he backed his coach without hesitation.

“Changing the manager frequently is not in my MO. I'm not considering it at all. We must plan and build. There'll be some disappointments along the way, but also some satisfactions eventually. Spalletti is an extraordinary coach, one of the absolute best for how he works on the pitch. The evaluations are constant, but you must know what you're doing. I've been here for three months, and we tried to understand the opportunities and the possibilities. We need a bit of time. We must forge ahead without dwelling on what has been done in the past.”

That was not a lukewarm vote of confidence. It was a statement of direction.

Behind the scenes, the club and Spalletti have moved in lockstep. According to Corriere dello Sport, the coach and the new hierarchy built the squad together, signing off on every arrival with a clear tactical idea in mind: a 4-2-3-1, with two reliable options for every position. Juventus spent aggressively to shape that vision, choosing not to cash in on any major asset.

Then the injuries hit. Early, serious, and disruptive. The plan that looked coherent on paper suddenly frayed on the pitch.

Spalletti has cut a subdued figure on the touchline at times, and the ending against Sassuolo was nothing short of disastrous. Yet calling for a managerial revolution now would be drastic. They are wobbling, not imploding.

The task in front of him is unforgiving. Juventus must quickly establish new reference points, identify technical leaders in a dressing room stripped of several key pieces, and rework the structure of the side so that the 4-2-3-1 still functions despite the absences. Serie A offers no grace period while they figure it out.

Conte, by reputation and by choice, is not a man who usually walks into a job mid-season. But his name hangs over the club all the same, a constant presence in the stands and on the airwaves.

Spalletti has backing from above. The question now is whether he can quiet the calls from below before that shadow grows too long.