Juventus CEO Damien Comolli spoke today at the *Financial Times Business of Football Summit*, just one day after Juventus’ painful elimination from the Champions League. His remarks, reported by *Calcio e Finanza*, reflected both frustration at refereeing decisions and optimism about the club’s long-term direction.
A Frustrating Night in Europe
“I’ll try not to get myself suspended by UEFA, since I was already suspended by the FIGC after what happened with Inter, which I’m sure everyone saw,” Comolli began. “Yesterday, there was another very frustrating refereeing decision. I don’t understand how, for a game like that, they could appoint a referee who has only officiated ten matches in his Champions League career, given what was at stake. Another incredibly frustrating red card — one that was never a red — and we end up out of the Champions League. That match will hurt for many, many years, without a doubt.”
Emotional Recovery and Fan Support
“During the match yesterday, I was thinking it would take years to recover from this,” he admitted. “It’s something I learned when I worked with Wenger at Arsenal. People say you recover better as you get older, but in fact, it gets worse. I’ve been doing this for 33 years, maybe I have 20 or 25 more ahead — I don’t know — but it becomes more difficult every time.”
Comolli praised Juventus supporters and the team’s spirit at the Allianz Stadium. “Our fans were absolutely incredible, and I want to thank them for what they did yesterday. The atmosphere was fantastic, the players were superb. It’s the first time it’s ever happened to me, but after the 3–1 goal, the whole stadium stood up and applauded while we were returning to the halfway line for the kick-off. That’s what we love about football — emotion, frustration. It showed that the team is alive and fighting for the final 12 league matches, because we need to continue playing in the Champions League.”
Balancing Results and Expectations
“If you lose a match or even draw one at home, it’s considered a crisis,” Comolli observed. “We also lost on Tuesday and Saturday. Como came to the Allianz Stadium and made us run all over the pitch, destroying us. So, on Saturday evening, people said the management should be fired and that we needed to buy 11 new players during the transfer window. Then last night, after the match, we had a great, highly competitive team again and everyone was full of hope. So, you must constantly balance this.”
Vision and Alignment
“I believe the key for me is alignment — a common line between ownership, myself, the management team, the coach, and everyone in the club,” said Comolli. “When you are at Juventus on July 1, 2026 — and I said this publicly when I joined — we must be in a position to start winning again. The expectation out there, rightly so after winning 38 titles, is that you have to win. So, maintaining that alignment through difficult times is crucial.”
He continued: “One game should not change the way we think. That’s also why we use data, because data help us make rational decisions in an incredibly emotional and irrational environment — which high-level sport always is. I always tell people: we are paid to deliver emotions, to create emotions, but we are also paid not to have emotions when making decisions.”
Staying Calm After Defeat
“We constantly need to balance that,” he said. “Yesterday, we were an entertainment business, and it was the greatest emotion I’ve seen in a stadium for a very long time. However, as I drove home afterward, my impression was: we have a good team. So we stay calm and think about what we can add to that team to compete for the league title next year. Let’s just stay calm. We know we have the team, the players, the infrastructure, and everything needed to win.”
Ownership Commitment
On the club’s ownership, Comolli emphasized the strong involvement of Juventus’s investors: “Tether? Well, John has been very clear — he said he will never sell the club. He was in the locker room last night, thanking the players and the coach for their effort. He is incredibly committed — financially, emotionally, and strategically. Very, very engaged in the club’s future.”
The Path to Winning Again
“What does Juventus need to fight for trophies again? If I had to answer today, I’d say continuity,” Comolli stated. “It’s important that we keep the same coach, the same strategy, the same style of play. The club has had six, seven, maybe eight different coaches in just two or three years — including interim ones for a match here and there. So I believe continuity in our project will be essential. The team is gelling, and Luciano Spalletti has played a huge part in that since he arrived. If I had to summarize it in one word, it’s continuity — in alignment, in playing style, and in the group of players who proved their quality last night.”
The Weight of Responsibility
“What keeps me awake at night? Juventus,” he confessed. “At a club of this size, there’s so much we can do, so much to develop. There’s huge responsibility because of our fan base — 575 million fans worldwide, 200 million followers. I go to sleep thinking about Juventus, I dream Juventus, and I wake up Juventus. The scale of this club and its community is enormous. I feel a great responsibility to do things the right way. I can’t single out this or that — it’s the whole system I want to make perfect, to improve every day, and bring the club to a higher level every morning when I wake
