The weak start to the season has deepened the problems at Juventus and brought back one of the most talked about topics in Italy in full force – the possible return of Antonio Conte to the helm of the "Bianconeri". At the same time, Luciano Spalletti's future no longer seems guaranteed.
In Turin, they were convinced that with Spalletti they had finally found the figure capable of bringing stability and order to the totally renewed squad. However, only four rounds played in Serie A were enough for serious cracks to appear.
The publication La Gazzetta dello Sport is already talking about a clear "technical crisis" – the team suffers from a toothless attack, lacks a leader on the pitch, and the early dynamics from the first matches have been completely lost.
The situation is even more delicate because Spalletti does not have much credit for trust. He started the campaign with two wins, and the entire summer selection was subordinated to his demands. Subsequently, however, serious injuries thwarted his plans. Kenan Yildiz is out of action for a long time, and will be absent for months, and Kefren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli are added to him.
Traditionally, when Juve falls into a difficult period, one name immediately emerges - Antonio Conte. What until recently was simply a nostalgic longing of the supporters is today becoming a real topic in the Italian media. La Gazzetta dello Sport is already openly considering the option of the former captain and coach returning even this season, although it admits that such a move seems unlikely at the moment.
The separation between Conte and Juventus in the summer of 2014 was stormy, but the relationship between the two sides was never completely severed. He then led Inter, Tottenham and Napoli, but his family never left Turin. His name will forever be associated with the revival of the club after the "Calciopoli" scandal and the three consecutive titles that marked the beginning of Juve's dominance.
Although the idea sounds like a dream come true for some fans, it also hides many question marks. As La Gazzetta dello Sport recalls, Conte very rarely takes over teams during the season – it has only happened three times in his career – in Bari, Atalanta and Tottenham. His football philosophy requires a full summer of preparation to impose his characteristic intensity and discipline. For the same reason, he refused to take over Napoli after the failure of Rudi Garcia and waited until the end of the season.
However, the most serious obstacle is financial. Spalletti has a contract until 2028 with a net salary of over 5 million euros per season. Conte's last salary at Napoli was around 8 million euros net without bonuses. In the event of a shake-up, the club would have to pay over 13 million euros per year for just two coaches, not counting their staffs - an amount that directly contradicts the strategy to achieve financial balance by 2028.
For the time being, Conte's return to Juventus remains only a hypothesis, but the fact that his name dominates discussions in Turin after only four rounds speaks volumes about the depth of the crisis.