Gianluigi Buffon has shared his perspective on Juventus’ season and the arrival of Luciano Spalletti as head coach, speaking during Viva el Futbol. The legendary former goalkeeper and captain gave an honest assessment of the team’s start to the campaign, the dismissal of Igor Tudor, and what Spalletti’s presence could mean for the future.
“The start was good,” Buffon said, reflecting on the early part of Juventus’ season, “but I don’t know how convinced they really were about the project. Looking at the decision made a few days ago, and especially the timing of it, it makes me think there wasn’t full belief from the beginning. Then they went and made the best possible fix — the choice of Spalletti. That decision can guarantee the Juventus fans a series of results that both the supporters and the club have been waiting for.”
Buffon expressed one regret about the timing of Spalletti’s appointment. “I just feel sorry about one thing,” he confessed. “Someone like him, I would’ve liked to see from the start of the season, with his own preparation and player selections. In that case, Juventus could have been competitive until the end, though I can’t say whether they would have won or not.”
When asked about Tudor’s dismissal, Buffon hinted that the issue may have stemmed from a lack of chemistry with the club’s hierarchy. “With Tudor, it seems there were some problems with empathy toward the management — at least that’s what it looks like from reading the papers,” he said. “Of course, only those inside the club know the truth. But when I watched his last two or three interviews — like the one after the Como match — I noticed something was off. A journalist hearing that kind of tone couldn’t avoid asking follow-up questions, but somehow no one did. I thought to myself: ‘If I were a journalist, I’d dive right into that.’ Yet they didn’t catch it.”
Reflecting on Juventus’ broader situation, Buffon acknowledged that the club is entering a transitional phase after a decade of dominance. “In my opinion, this is a natural period of difficulty,” he explained. “After ten years of great success, it’s normal that time is needed to rebuild. You have to find the right people — in management, in the coaching staff, and on the pitch. We went through the same thing between 2009 and 2011.”
