The institutional position is clear — for now. Juventus are not changing manager, they are not placing Spalletti under any form of supervision, and they still have confidence in the man from Certaldo. But time is conditional, and the conditional nature of that trust is now publicly documented from multiple directions. La Repubblica goes a step further than Tuttosport’s reporting from earlier in the day: they map the specific hierarchy of scenarios if the crisis deepens.
The Conte Question — Supporters Demanding, Directors Not Considering, but Elkann Has a Different Power
The key distinction in La Repubblica’s reporting is structural. Conte is not being considered by the directors for an in-season solution. The supporters are calling for him loudly. Corriere della Sera has separately reported that Conte would say yes to Juventus if the call came, even at this point in the season. The circuit is incomplete. But the report adds one specific and significant variable: if the results over the next three matches — Rennes, Lecce, Genoa — were to deteriorate to the level of catastrophe, “the popular pressure for Conte’s recall would become enormous, and at that point John Elkann could impose it on the club’s leadership.” The verb is “imporlo” — impose. The ownership level sits above the management level, and if Elkann decided that the situation required Conte, the directors’ current position would not be the final word.
Conte, meanwhile, is keeping one eye on Manchester United’s turbulent situation — a club that is also generating serious managerial speculation around him. Two possible destinations, a man watching both from his home. The Juventus board, for now, is not calling.
The Emergency Option — Pioli
If a short-term caretaker were required — a bridging manager rather than a long-term appointment — La Repubblica’s reporting points clearly to Stefano Pioli. The connection to Massara is the specific logic: the pair shared their most significant professional achievement together at Milan, the 2021-22 Scudetto. Massara arrived at Juventus as CFO this summer and is one of the central figures in the club’s current direction. A Pioli appointment would be partly a Massara appointment.
For the Future — Simone Inzaghi at Al-Hilal, Francesco Farioli at Porto
The longer-term planning — if the question shifts from “should we keep Spalletti?” to “who comes next?” — points to two specific names. Simone Inzaghi, currently at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, where his contract situation and his availability for a return to European football are both under consideration. Francesco Farioli, currently at Porto, whose work in the Netherlands at Ajax and now in Portugal has made him one of the most closely watched young coaches in Europe. Two very different profiles — Inzaghi the experienced Serie A title-winner, Farioli the project-builder — united by availability and by the specific moment each has reached in their career.
The 3-5-2, January Needs, and the Immediate Picture
On the tactical shift: Spalletti is ready to move to a 3-5-2, with González operating as a wing-back across the full flank — a role he has played before and one that his combination of attacking instinct and defensive willingness makes viable. Cambiaso, Çelik, Kalulu and McKennie can all cover the same positions in that system. McKennie is expected to fill the midfield alongside Sarr and Douglas Luiz, with the striking partnership of Woltemade and Kolo Muani leading the attack.
On January: La Repubblica’s reporting confirms the three positions Tuttosport and Gazzetta have also identified. A left-back. A central midfielder. A centre-forward. The minimum structural requirements for a club trying to avoid catastrophic distance from the Champions League positions and to arrive at the winter window still in a situation that the market can meaningfully address.
