Three different coaches in less than a season have not solved the Bianconeri’s problems, and for now, Spalletti has not managed to turn things around. Now Bologna, Roma, and Pafos in the Champions League: no room for error

A “Gattopardian” vortex is what is preventing Juventus from raising its head: everything changes so that nothing changes. Thiago Motta ended his adventure with the Bianconeri because of “relational” football taken to the nth degree: fluid and chameleon-like roles, variable formations, a series of draws. At the end of March, under Igor Tudor, Juventus DNA, Champions League won at the last penalty – Locatelli in Venice on May 25 – trip to the US for the Club World Cup, return confirmed, but the feeling of being a ferryman never subsided until the end of October, when Luciano da Certaldo opened the doors of Continassa.

There is a common thread linking the twists and turns on the bench to the sad night in Naples: the promised takeoff never happened. And Europe, which matters, remains a mission that is still up in the air: the championship, uncertain in its most noble parts, will end with a lower Scudetto quota but a higher Champions League quota. Juventus is now light years away from the top—eight points after fourteen games are as chilling as the cold in Bodo—and quite a distance away in terms of quality and unpredictability from the rest of the pack looking at the top four spots. After Napoli, it’s not over yet, but there is the Bologna match and the duel at the Stadium with Roma before Christmas, preceded by the Champions League match tomorrow evening against the Cypriots of Paphos: a path that, if unsuccessful, could have the effect of closing the books on this season, at least as far as the domestic league is concerned. Three coaches, three solutions in limbo, and always with the transfer market as a skewed compass. A common example? The fate of Koopmeiners: uncertain with Motta, uncertain with Tudor, and now uncertain again with Spalletti. The former Azzurri coach had started with what seemed like a winning strategy: the Dutchman playing as a ‘low’ winger to exploit his technique when the game needs to take shape from the back. One step forward, then another, then collapse as soon as the level rises and the silhouette of an unleashed Neres materializes in front: Koop, like Maradona, paid the price for something that, evidently, only partly belongs to him.
Three coaches, same problems— Three coaches in one season, a little more, same problems. We are Juventus, we play to win: Motta said this, specifying that a name alone gets you nowhere. Tudor, who has Juventus history tattooed on his skin, touched on the subject firmly at the start to then downplay its importance: you win by growing. Spalletti didn’t even have time to enter the locker room before presenting the standings: yes, we too can think about competing for the Scudetto, thus began the former coach’s first day at Continassa. From October 30 to today, the same standings have worsened, and the team has not changed except for a few moments during the game. In Naples, there was an unexpected revolution: Yildiz and Conceiçao up front, for one half and without ever entering Conte’s penalty area. In the middle, there is a lack of quality today, just like a year ago: Spalletti would like to find a playmaker on the market who suits his style, but it will not be easy given the costs and the club’s finances. Thuram risks proving to be out of his depth in a game that is more about dribbling and less about incursions. David, if he does not change his attitude, or rather his body language, will not change his fate: tomorrow he should regain his role as number nine, but the day after tomorrow, who knows. Openda is experiencing a situation of little light and credibility, Zhegrova does not have the energy to play for more than twenty minutes, as the Tuscan coach said during the night under Vesuvius.

The message—  Ball to Spalletti: Napoli has extinguished the enthusiasm that three consecutive wins had fueled. ” We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we are working hard to improve: we need your support during this process and we thank you for that,“ was Kenan Yildiz’s message to the fans. ”We don’t depend on him,” said Spalletti. In the background, a renewal, a game still open but not without difficulties: playing it without giving credit to what Yildiz does on the field could be very dangerous.