The latest — and arguably most consequential — piece of Juventus’s management rebuild has clicked into place. Frederic Massara has been officially confirmed as the club’s new Chief Football Officer, completing the leadership structure that new chief executive Giovanni Carnevali has been quietly assembling since his arrival at the Continassa less than a month ago.
A Familiar Name at the Highest Level of Italian Football
Massara is, by any measure, one of the most experienced football directors in Italian football. His career has taken him from Lazio to Roma to AC Milan — where, alongside Paolo Maldini, he was the architect of one of the most celebrated periods of recruitment in the club’s recent history, bringing players such as Theo Hernández, Rafael Leão, Sandro Tonali, Mike Maignan, and Olivier Giroud to the San Siro during a period of sustained renewal that culminated in the Scudetto victory of 2021-22.
His dismissal from Milan in the summer of 2023 — alongside Maldini, in a decision that generated widespread criticism across Italian football — left one of the country’s most respected directors unexpectedly available. That period away from the top level is now over.
The Role and the Relationship with Carnevali
Massara joins as Chief Football Officer — a title that places him at the very centre of Juventus’s technical football operations, working in close alignment with Carnevali and alongside sporting director Marco Ottolini. The two men are understood to know each other well from years of dealing across the transfer market, and the working dynamic between them is expected to be smooth and complementary.
Carnevali’s statement on the appointment was characteristically measured but meaningful: “We are building a solid, competent, and cohesive structure.” It is the language of a man who understands that no single individual can run a club of Juventus’s complexity alone — and who has moved quickly and decisively to surround himself with people of genuine quality and experience.
What Massara Brings That Was Missing
The specific value of Massara’s appointment lies in his exceptional relationship network across European football — the agents, the clubs, and the players who respect and trust him from years of honest, professional dealing. At Milan, he demonstrated a consistent ability to identify the right players at the right prices and to close deals cleanly and efficiently. That is precisely the skill set Juventus need in a summer defined by the necessity of buying smart under financial constraints.
His arrival also sends a signal to the wider market: that Juventus’s new administration is serious, experienced, and backed by a quality of football leadership not seen at the club for some considerable time. The structure Carnevali promised is no longer a promise. It is beginning to take shape — and today, it took a very significant step forward.
