Maurizio Arrivabene has no doubts: he remains proud of the transfer decisions he made at Juventus, from betting big on Dusan Vlahovic to letting Paulo Dybala leave on a free. The former Ferrari team principal and ex-Juve CEO spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport and heaped praise on Luciano Spalletti’s work in Turin and revealed his dream signing: Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Pride in the Vlahovic Deal
Asked whether he still stands by the Vlahovic operation or has developed second thoughts, Arrivabene was categorical. “It was the deal to do, the investment was authorised by the board. I remain proud of Vlahovic. Dusan reminds me of Verstappen for his determination, and of Leclerc for his tenacity and humanity. I still write to Vlahovic to transmit friendship and energy. And I’m not someone who hands out many compliments.”
He even shared one of those messages. “Dusan, convince yourself that to be a big player you have to put yourself at the service of the team,” Arrivabene revealed. “Before his injury, he showed that with Spalletti. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a 30‑goal striker, but with the right support he can get close to the top.”
Between Ferrari and Juventus
Drawing on his long experience in Formula 1, Arrivabene admitted he has had some fiery exchanges with stars in both worlds. “With Raikkonen and Vettel I had heated confrontations. Kimi would put the episode behind him straight away, Sebastian wouldn’t. Footballers have a tougher path than drivers to reach the top; perhaps that’s also why some of them are more spoiled.” In F1, he added, there is often more room not to take oneself too seriously. “Raikkonen once played a crazy prank on me. Kimi loves motocross and he video‑called me showing me his leg in a cast. I had no idea who to replace him with or how to tell Marchionne. When Kimi took the cast off, a big ‘vaffa’ slipped out of me.”
By contrast, Vlahovic is not the joking type. “Dusan is Serbian, a tough guy: there’s not much joking around,” Arrivabene smiled. “McKennie makes up for it… I used to tease Weston about his outfits. One day I showed up at the training ground in an orange sleeveless puffer jacket. McKennie shot back: ‘Who’s on lifeguard duty today?’ I’m happy about his renewal, he deserves it: Weston is tough.”
Comparing pressure at Juventus and Ferrari, Arrivabene sees little difference inside Italy. “In Italy, the shirt weighs the same; abroad, the red one weighs more. Ferrari is like the national team.”
Spalletti, Champions League and Young Core
Arrivabene was not surprised to hear Vlahovic open the door to a contract extension. “Dusan is strong and his return from injury will be important for Champions League qualification. But it’s never just one player who takes you to the target. It makes me proud to see Locatelli, Bremer, Gatti starting under Spalletti: all players we signed, Cherubini and I.”
He also pointed out that Kenan Yildiz arrived in Turin under their watch, even if he refuses to take personal credit. “I have no merit. Cherubini and his staff were totally convinced. Yildiz has class and attachment to the shirt: I wish him to win at Juventus as much as Hamilton has done in his career.”
On John Elkann’s ambitions, he was diplomatic. “I hope he wins both as soon as possible, the Scudetto with Juve and the drivers’ title with Hamilton or Leclerc. Elkann guarantees all the financial resources possible; then the teams have to do the work. John will not sell Juventus, all the more so after his recent statements. For him it’s an asset that goes beyond business.”
If it were up to him, Spalletti would be tied down for the long term. “Yes, I would renew him. He is a thoughtful person, he is building Juventus and giving the players belief.”
Dybala, CR7, Pogba and Di Maria
One of his most debated decisions remains the choice not to renew Dybala’s contract, but Arrivabene has no regrets. “Zero. Once you take a decision, you never go back.” During his time in Turin he also crossed paths with Cristiano Ronaldo, without feeling overawed. “Never in my life! I was an executive of Juventus. And I’d already had a few champions in Formula 1.”
Looking back at the free transfers of Paul Pogba and Ángel Di Maria, Arrivabene insisted he would make the same call again. “Pogba was a good signing, well received by the fans: nobody could have imagined what happened. Di Maria is a talent, Allegri adored him.” He also recalled the storm caused in 2022 by one of his quips to a supporter, when he replied “Sack Allegri? You paying for the next one?” to a fan calling for the coach’s head. “Would I say it again? Of course. The first to laugh was Allegri himself. We have a good relationship, I didn’t want to sack him.”
Pressed on his ideal signing, Arrivabene didn’t hesitate. “Donnarumma to Juventus,” he said, calling it his transfer dream.
Dressing-Room Stories and Legal Battles
Arrivabene also recounted one of the more surreal scenes from his Juve years. “We provided company cars to the players. But almost all of them turned up at Continassa in sports cars: I ordered them to park on the street. The pavement looked like the Geneva Motor Show.”
Having been cleared after gruelling legal battles linked to the Juventus investigations, he admitted the toll was more emotional than anything else. “I felt more anger than fear that my honesty and work ethic were being questioned. But I always believed in justice and I was proved right.”
As for the future, his heart remains closer to the paddock than the touchline. “I’d say Formula 1. I wouldn’t go abroad even for a lot of money. Ferrari or nothing. But Ferrari have Vasseur, whom I respect, and they only need my support as a fan.”
