It’s a question I have asked myself many times of late when feeling the urge to collect my thoughts on Juventus and try to make sense of the recently ended season and since. At some stage I seem to have given up. Accepted that there is too much wrong, too much ongoing churn and burn with the club, for me to find any confidence in what I write today fitting what could come tomorrow. And still this holds. Even after the removal of Comolli and generally well appreciated arrival of Giovanni Carnevali. For I have little idea what will happen next.
Whose head might be next found on the chopping block. Which hideous rumour of transfer targets could be proven all too substantial and not merely the idle conjecture of loose tongues that refuse to stop wagging even when there is nothing more to say.
There is simply so much turmoil at Continassa in recent times, not just months but years, that it has become difficult to maintain any semblance of accuracy or balance, let alone optimism. Regardless, this defeatist attitude is no way to begin an attempted update, henceforth I shall endeavour to at least shine my torch on the main threads, then suggest how they could be woven together.
A new Sheriff in town
Our new CEO, Carnevali, brings an impressive resume from his 13 years at Sassuolo. From working in marketing, to General Manager, to CEO, he has long proven the linchpin of a wonderful, almost fairytale-esque period of their recent history. For it is hard to not marvel at a club representing a middling sized town of 40,000 inhabitants, gaining a foothold in the top flight of italian football and spending the best part of a decade not just comfortably surviving, but often entertaining. And our new CEO is a pivotal reason why this was possible.
It is worth noting that Carnevali was a successful businessman before joining the neroverde with his Master Group company, which organises events for both domestic and international sport. He knows the commercial sporting industry inside out, has long cultivated solid relations nationwide and beyond, and whilst the Sassuolo story would never have happened without the Mapei treasure chest, it has become a celebrated paragon of sustainable and intelligent management.
Looking at some of the quotes from interviews he has given (see below) and also at the various iterations of Sassuolo seen in the top flight, it is fair to conclude he is a passionate supporter of the grass roots aspect of the game, the identity of a side and club and its connection to the local community. He oversees the construction of squads to play an entertaining form of the game, finds coaches to fit and is a long term advocate of building from within, linking the youth teams to the senior, referring to the academy as the ‘reservoir’. His blueprint is to look to the youth players expecting to see them make their first team debut in the future, not to be developed solely to be cashed in to finance the senior side recruitment. He has also repeatedly focused on creating an italian core in the club.
“Sassuolo have made it their mission to rely a lot on youngsters, on Italians, and in that time the guys you relied on at the beginning have matured, they’ve grown up. Perhaps nobody could have imagined that Italy would become European champions with four Sassuolo players in the group, and that’s part of the club’s growth path, always focussing on this way of working”
“In football, in short, there needs to be passion, ideas as well anyway, but it needs passion, it needs heart, it needs joy, a whole range of things that are slowly becoming a bit less.”
https://www.nss-sports.com/en/lifestyle/34333/giovanni-carnevali-interview-sassuolo
Sustainable growth on and off the field. A wealth of experience in the domestic game. Demonstrable industry expertise beyond the scope of running a football club. With a longstanding, and proven strategy of intelligent squad building focused on doing business smartly and quickly.
This is not a man to be found dashing around in the final hours of the mercato window.
“I don’t want to stay until the end and be forced to make decisions that are dictated by haste.”
Many positives with this move by the much maligned owner John Elkann. Who it’s fair to say has been struggling – since his cousin was forced to leave the Presidency – to get the balance right at the club on the sporting side, which to most fans is the only thing that truly matters. I will say in his defence that I believe he cares for the club. It’s more than a legacy become responsibility. As demonstrated by his investment of €1bn over the last 5 years to fill in the staggering financial black holes created by Andrea Agnelli.
Giuntoli was a strong choice, after the success he helped engineer at Napoli, yet he was given far too much autonomy. At the time his treatment of Max never sat right with me, nor did his money generation through selling off the best and brightest of our youth players. Yet I must mention that his second window mercato was impressive. Unfortunately, despite the promise, his project went terribly wrong, leaving more mistakes compounding the others of recent history still looming large today and dragging the club down when it tries to move forward.
The witch-hunt
Comolli felt a bold move last June. I researched him more thoroughly than most I suspect and came to the conclusion that despite popular opinion, he could not be easily pigeon holed as a constant failure, a brutish autocrat, a man so addicted to numbers that he resembled a basic LLM client with personality set to beastly. No…there was much more to his model and I seriously feel deflated that we never got to find out what he could do when given the time to assess and plan, and the means to implement his ideas. Which would have been this Summer. I need only point towards the stories of Brighton, Brentford, Liverpool and of late also Sunderland, for examples of how modern data modelling can prove immensely successful at high levels.
Alas, that proved impossible, after what appears to have been Luciano Spalletti’s tantrums, power games and effective manipulation. I have no firm idea how he has got his hooks into management higher up the chain than Comolli, but it feels that is what has happened given the widespread reports of unrest at the club. I will add my personal belief that a setup where the coach can get the CEO fired is unhealthy, if not broken.
Much has been bandied about in the press and connected echo chambers on social media of the Frenchman’s rap sheet. Some of which is impossible to contest, plenty though struggles when held up to any serious scrutiny.
His apparent dismantling of the scouting system looks overstated and fails to explain adequately how Spalletti’s own son Federico has remained employed at the club as a scout for most the season, along with Cristallini, Femiano and likely others. Comolli’s system of scouting never relied solely on external agents. It involved – from the man’s own words himself – watching the player on the field but also getting to know the player off the field. What are his favourite foods, and films, his character beyond football? An intriguing holistic approach.
Many clubs built upon a strong data-modelling foundation – such as the aforementioned Liverpool, Brentford, Brighton and more recently Sunderland – all use external consultants for their work. It is common practice, not some hare-brained disaster class scheme of Comolli.
None of our signings last Summer appeared ‘moneyball’ moves. The whole world was aware we were chasing Kolo, Chico and David well before Comolli joined the club. Openda seemed a backup target to bring in if Muani discussions failed, and despite the opinions to the contrary, he was no slouch elsewhere before joining us; like David he had been potent at high levels. Zhegrova felt more a reasonable roll of the dice.
The reality is that none of them have worked. Whether he picked up a mercato already long planned and underway behind the scenes does matter, as does the apparent net zero spend he oversaw but the most powerful measure is the success of the signings. Which simply hasn’t happened. He has to take responsibility for this and he did so openly in his end of season address to the media in italian.
Chico has flattered to deceive, cost a lot of money as well as losing Costa, and is on high wages. The others have been between disappointing to a complete disaster, though as I will go on to cover, some of the responsibility for this is with the coach, I believe some is also with the toxic culture within the club itself.
It was a curious aspect of Comolli’s tenure that he had by his side his wife Sélinay Gürgenç. With some suggesting even potential misuse of club funds for her employment. I am not sure if any of those making such allegations are aware of how important she was at Toulouse, working in a similar role during their period of brilliant success. It is common practice in the football business to bring to a new club those who have helped you achieve great things elsewhere.
There are more issues broached of the ill-fated story of our recently departed CEO, some seem valid many seem part of a dull witch hunt.
It is perhaps lazy yet also not far-fetched to assert that Comolli has been unfairly targeted by the media, and the institution of italian football beyond, which remains miles behind the major european leagues, stuck in its ways and often closed to innovation or any attempt to be dragged into the modern era. Roberto Baggio for one would surely attest to this, given how his immensely detailed dissection, analysis and remedy to improve the ever worsening state of affairs was discarded out of hand by the very FIGC who employed him for this very job. There is a sense of xenophobia as well as atavistic cronyism which has long been shackling Serie A, with a handful of the same circles always smiling and exchanging places in a game of musical chairs where the real losers are the fans and reputation of italian football as a whole.
I understand why Comolli was replaced. I also consider him wrongfully maligned. The experiment ended as a waste of time, not because he had nothing useful to offer, but because Juventus again changed course before any coherent project could properly breathe. On reflection, I am however quite glad to find Carnevali now with us.
Tuscan supremacy
Anyone who reads any of my often acerbic rantings on X will be aware that I am not Spalletti’s greatest fan. My perception of him was far from pleasant before he joined our club cum circus. I have long perceived in him a sense of arrogance, smarm as my fellow Brits would say, a tendency to smile in the face of opponents to mock them. Added to a demonstrable methodology for very public power games. Whether when at Roma (vs Totti) or at Inter (vs Icardi). Which is not to diminish the respect I have had for his coaching at times. I quite liked his Roma side on occasion, and very much so the scudetto winning outfit he crafted in Naples, who often played beautiful football.
There was though and remains some unease with his character, as well as that tattoo on his arm. And so it came as no real surprise when the tantrums began after the final whistle of our latest horrible season. It should have been expected.
The majority of insiders, journalists and pundits have long concluded that Spalletti and Comolli locked horns terribly. To such a degree that it was ‘him or me’. Talk has been rife of the coach going straight to Elkann bypassing his own boss – then demanding full control of all sporting matters and of generally refusing to get along with the CEO on anything. One narrative is that the owner took stock and asked them both to try bridge the divide and work together, but this proved untenable. The relationship was broken beyond repair.
One strange aspect of these stories with common thread is that Comolli signed off on the new contract for the Tuscan. Which leads to questions of his autonomy at the club even two months before the end of the season when this happened. If not his autonomy was his coach plotting around and against him and he simply couldn’t see it?
It worries me to ponder the power that some commentators suggest Spalletti has been given at the club. Rumours of his pushing to remove Darren Burgess add weight to this. An elite level, world renowned fitness specialist who appears to have had a very positive influence over squad availability in a relatively short time. Yet potentially to be kicked out because Spalletti says so? Thankfully these seem hollow whispers for now as the Australian remains in his post.
What has Spalletti done to deserve the perceived greater trust and influence at the club? I struggle to answer this nor move on fully from seeing him state clearly that our 6th place finish was a ‘great season’.
That seems the kind of coach plenty wish to see at Juve. Not me.
I suppose it’s a sign of the same mediocrity often celebrated of the current squad. Where there are no world class players, none coveted by top clubs other than Yildiz who had a rather poor final month or two of the season and has taken that form into the world cup.
Another issue I have with Spalletti is his tendency to criticise his players in public. Whether it’s David’s confidence, Openda’s lack of physicality, Thuram’s mistakes, berating Kelly constantly from the sidelines and the list goes on. If there is a fine line between constructive and counterproductive criticism, Spalletti too often tramples straight over it, ending up in the latter.
Players seem exiled, ostracised, such as Cabal, Miretti, Kostic. A bad game and that’s that, done, we won’t see them again unless all other options are exhausted. He would rather flog the same players repeatedly, which as with his tendency to criticise, likely cultivates a poor atmosphere in the dressing room. The condemnation in public and lack of regular playing time lead to rustiness and eroded confidence when the fringe players (half the squad) do get forced into action due to injuries and suspensions elsewhere.
The missing big lad up top
We are all aware of Spalletti’s demands for a CF, a physical 9. Which the management evidently did try to get in January. En-Nesyri, Mateta and Icardi were three we allegedly tried for, yet all failed. Chiellini confirmed the hunt was on and had to be done on our terms – this leans back towards the fiscal constraints and planning for the Summer.
Whilst headlines persist even now of Spalletti pushing again for Vlahovic on ridiculous money that no other decent level club on the planet seem willing to pay, my memory of the season suggests that despite the coach’s public attacks on David, when he did give him a run of games, the side and the striker found their best form of the season. This was during Dusan’s injury:
I believe the only game in that run Dusan started was the defeat to Cagliari when he went off injured. David started 10 of those, also came on and scored against Glimt. Openda also started 4 and was often playing off the bench.
You could get the impression from some of Spalletti’s comments as well as many juventini, that David has been a complete failure this season. That run suggests a different take on that story.
Let’s look at the other solid run –
David started 7 of those games, Dusan 1.
Our best runs this just closed season came with David playing regularly, often as a starter, if not with a Yildiz-Boga or even Openda infused attack. Not with Dusan.
This is no exact science, but to assert that had we had Vlahovic fit the whole season or another striker of his mould we would have fared much better is an idea not a given. The information above leads to consideration that David is not as weak and lacking determination as his coach has stated nor does it show that the availability of Dusan Vlahovic clearly tied in with our best periods of the season.
If I can see this, then why cannot Spalletti? What would motivate him to instead move to publicly scapegoat David and others?
Whilst Carnevali’s arrival brings a vague breeze of enthusiasm for a turnaround in our fortunes I cannot help but fear he will be mightily shackled in several directions.
Firstly by Spalletti. If he is capable of forcing the last CEO out of the club, why would he not repeat the trick with the new CEO if things don’t go his way?
There are also some key areas of contrast between the modus operandi of each character.
Carnevali likes to invest in lesser known names, focus firmly on youth development with the aim to create a steady flow of talent moving through the ranks into the first team. Spalletti has very little form for adopting a similar way of working. He does not have a reputation for bringing through young players.
Yildiz and Conceciao are both young, yet the Turk was already central to the project before the coach appeared, and the Portuguese had already been signed on terribly high wages and fees.
Building from within
One of the few rumours drifting through the fog which has pleased me describes Elkann tasking Carnevali with a clear focus on the Next Gen project. Ideally guided by a mission to see 2-3 players make the transition each Summer from the academy into the first team setup.
I have long followed the youth sides of Juventus to some degree.
Our U16s recently became champions of Italy, with the U17s finishing runners-up in their championship.
Add to this the prominent role played by attacking talent Thomas Corigliano in the U17 European championships recently won by Italy.
Soon we shall see the U19 Euros begin, where my own great hope for our future rearguard Francesco Verde will feature, with fellow juventini Destiny Elimoghale and Nicolo Rizzo also in the squad. Much is expected of Next Gen star Adin Licina who will turn out for the Germans in the same competition.
We have some wonderful talents coming through, such as Corigliano, Ghiotto, Pipito and still Elimoghale, despite his rather flat latter part of the last campaign.
These and more young starlets are probably not yet ready for the first team.
However, a case can be made for several players at the right age to be given opportunity at our summer camp to stake a claim.
Free scoring left midfielder David Puczka (21), Brambilla’s engine at DM Giacomo Faticanti (21), rising German dribble specialist Adan Licina (19). All operate in positions where we are in dire need of strengthening or in the least freshening up.
Cambiaso, who may be leaving, has been more poor than competent. After him at LB we have Cabal, who has already been consigned to exile by Spalletti. If the italian leaves we need 2 new left sided fullbacks. Why not include Puczka alongside a more experienced option?
One player strangely not discarded by the Tuscan is Koopmeiners, whose drop in form since moving to Juve has been nothing short of remarkable, in the worst possible ways. I do not subscribe to the theory that he is purely a ‘system player’. Plenty of the squad made successful under Gasperini at Atalanta have prospered elsewhere since – Romero, Kessie, Mancini, Cristante, Freuler. Others like Hojlund and Gosens have hardly been awful. It’s a fallacy to consider those who looked strong under Gasperini have all failed outside his ‘system’.
Teun was also impressive before moving to Italy, to the degree of being named Player of the season when at AZ(NED).
Why does Spalletti still play him when he continues the anaemic, pale imitation of his former self game after game? Is it under direction from management to attempt to recover some of the investment or a personal mission of the coach? Regardless, he has been arguably the worst signing in recent history of the club.
McKennie can be useful for a few months per season and we all value his versatility alongside getting in the goals with his late runs into and around the box. However he is not a natural DM. Nor is Thuram, who has regressed this season, drifting like a fairy around the field and not at all blossoming as hoped under this current coaching staff.
Miretti is not liked by Spalletti so he will be sold. Adzic is simply avoided, waste of time either of them remaining at the club. Which leaves solely Locatelli for the DM position.
Why not assess Faticanti as his understudy? The youngster plays the same role.
We have no reliable creative force at AM (unless Yildiz is moved there). We also look likely to lose Zhegrova. Given Licina operates in both positions, why not include him for the Summer camp, give him minutes, see what he can do?
These positions are crying out for improvement in the first team squad. We have the players to at least try and given our financial constraints, it makes sense to focus on making the most of the talents we already have in house.
There are also the two CBs to consider, Gil Puche and returning Pedro Felipe. As with elsewhere across the field our CB quality and reliability stock is low. The major obstacle to either gaining opportunity though may not be solely Spalletti, but the six players in front of them and presently fielding no offers – Gatti, Kelly, Bremer, Rugani, Cabal, Kalulu.
Between the sticks, I must mention Daffara. By far my favourite juve player of the season, despite the fact he was performing his regular miracles like a modern day saint of the goalkeeping church at plucky Avellino, as they made a mightily spirited assault on the promotion cause in the second tier, falling short at the final hurdles.
I have been singing the same song for many moons now. The 21 year old is the most special of his position I have seen in Italy since a young Buffon came into the limelight at Parma. Admittedly I am biased, because plenty will roar ‘DONNARUMMA’ and they would be right of course, but allow me to indulge myself and make one of my dreams coloured black and white feel more alive. For when we have so few reasons to be cheerful, this young shot stopper is rare and precious stardust to bring much needed marvel and hope.
He wasn’t expected to be number one for the nextgen in 24/25, yet earned the spot and kept it. He wasn’t expected to be first choice for Avellino in Serie B and yet earned the spot and kept it.
His performances have been regularly stunning throughout. Cat like reflexes, acrobatic leaps that seem to defy accepted norms of human athleticism, superb anticipation, bravery of a honey badger all aligned with that same hint of madness which all the best of his ilk have possessed.
It’s impossible for me to watch him and not get ridiculously boyish excited. It reminds me of the feeling riding my first-Gen Yamaha Mt-09 with flashed EC and full akra system. The thrilling beast is astonishing and wild, frenzied and determined, and never fails to put a huge smile on my face, often leaving me grinning like a lunatic and eager to tell the world I find when returning to terra firma how amazing it is.
Despite our confirmed interest in replacing Mattia Perin and Di Gregorio, his call-up to the U21 and even full Italy squad of late, it appears Daffara will be heading on loan to another Serie A side. Parma perhaps, which could be great for his continued development, whilst leaving me with the disappointment of not seeing him given a chance to impress in front of our crowd.
I am labouring my points here, though firmly believe they are relevant.
We have sacked a CEO before allowing the prime focus of his project to show its worth, then brought in a replacement with limited experience at the level to which we supposedly aim to return. Carnevali’s success was built on strong youth development and canny under-the-radar signings, yet he must now work alongside a coach many believe was central to the push to remove the last CEO – and one with little obvious interest in building a squad around players promoted from the youth sector.
Add to this a squad brimming to bursting point with players on high wages not many clubs seem willing to match, let alone pay decent transfer fees to procure, our continued fiscal constraint while working towards breaking even next financial year and the absence of Champions League football.
Our situation is quite dire.
It is advisable to tone down expectations to suit our circumstances. We are a Europa League side who has struggled to reach the top four of a weak Serie A the last few seasons. The league is established as perhaps the fourth most desirable across Europe, it might even be lower in the estimation of many players.
Our name and longer term history cannot replace the wages and opportunity for success at higher levels on offer at scores of other clubs, even domestically speaking.
It may be the case that we must sell before we can buy.
Club culture
There is something else I must mention, add more horror to the stew! Whilst noting, clearly, that it’s my subjective opinion/inkling and can only be backed up by the whispers of others with apparent connections close to the club.
When I see a fair number of new signings lose form, lose value and fail to bring any of their previous strong performances to Juve, I come to suspect there is much wrong off the field as well as on it. I have felt this way about the club for a few years now. And believe it got much worse under the Motta/Giuntoli regime.
Douglas Luiz was a class player in the Premier League for a few seasons prior to his transfer to Turin. Koopmeiners was superb at Atalanta. Thuram looked promising in France, fair in his first season with us then poor this campaign. Nico Gonzalez’s form before and since is clearly superior to his time at Juve. Add the hideous erosion of Di Gregorio’s confidence, the struggles faced by David, Zhegrova and Openda and the list goes on.
Rumours have long abounded of a cliquey atmosphere in the dressing room. An italian core, perhaps with a few additions, who make others feel unwelcome, behave with a sense of undue entitlement and contribute woefully to the lack of team cohesion long absent on the field.
Reports range from this group openly discussing their choice for next coach with management whilst Tudor was very much still in situ, to other examples such as club captain Locatelli refusing to shake Koopmeiners’ hand at Summer camp when they first met. The same Locatelli who was seen getting at Bremer when down injured recently on the field and who previously had a wretched fall-out with Tudor which has been suggested as leading to a dressing room mutiny.
This might be pure gossip, but I think the suggestion has teeth. Unfortunately, it ties in with the way I feel Spalletti also operates. Through division and power games. I hope and probably will be proven wrong on this, regardless I just hope it improves.
It’s imperative that this Summer the club begins to fill the squad with stronger characters. Those with hunger, determination and charisma. We lack these traits I feel. We have done for many years now. As if the management has avoided any serious survey of mentality of new recruits or by design steered clear of those with true grit or strong personalities.
My moaning aside, it appears Spalletti will stay the course. I may as well accept it, albeit with gritted fangs.
Under his haphazard guidance our form had us second in the form table since his arrival, which logically leans towards hope that with a solid preseason we should more comfortably challenge for a top four spot next term. Though Roma, Napoli and Como will have something to say about that.
Mercato mutterings
It’s hard to be optimistic. Especially with some of the transfer rumours doing the rounds.
Cambiaso for Frattesi? This was suggested long before Carnevali surfaced on the scene so would smack of him working under the coach not above.
Kolo Muani? As my friend and fellow Juve commentator Haj has rightfully questioned where few others have delved : Who wants him at Juve? And why does he keep being courted regardless of coach or SD, given Giuntoli, then Comolli and now Carnevali seek his services as well as Motta, Tudor and Spalletti. It feels weird. A complete lack of any serious scouting or effort.
Of late, only 2 of the names mentioned in the media inspire my enthusiasm.
Firstly Zaniolo, who I have been mentioning quietly for some time now. His campaign in Udine was very strong, the finest he has shown in mind and body for many years. His game has adjusted since the injuries, yet remains very physical, offering guile, vision and high level technique. I would be very pleased to find him signed alongside a nippier dribbler for our options at AM. Nicolo is also a juventino at heart.
The other is the Gila monster, yet I assume we could only bring him in if we sell Bremer. I would be fine with that swap around, the Lazio stopper is solid.
Lucumi seems possible and I like his physicality and energy, though we may need to move fast to secure him before the purchase option at €28m expires in July I believe.
Not sure on the GK front, though the Martinez saga rattles on in fits and spurts. He would improve us no doubt, though it seems plenty have little idea of his long demonstrated character as are assigning him the position of a natural leader. He can be a superb player, has won at the highest levels and would bring a wealth of experience. However he is more likely to make teammates cringe or smile than follow his trademark clown-show on the field.
The mercato window opens shortly. It would be encouraging to see us start our business early. Get a few bodies out of the building and some fresh blood heading to Continassa in their place.
All is not lost
Despite the deflating outline I have presented above, we could still see the Summer show improvement to the squad, a calmer more cohesive presence at management level and look forward to pre-season with a hint of excitement.
I remain convinced that unless we can get things right off the field we will continue to fail on the field. It is essential for the structure of the club to be improved, and quickly. If relationships are beyond saving, end them in the best possible terms and move on.
The club feels still a mess. Yet we must live in hope.
Perhaps Spalletti and Carnevali will find a much needed balance. The atmosphere around the place improves. We make some intelligent signings, mixing experience with hungry talent of younger legs. And this time next year I will be writing of not only CL qualification but a scudetto in our grasp!
Anything is possible, nothing is certain
(Find me on X here to discuss all things Juve)
