The former CEO was close to the Napoli coach, then secured by De Laurentiis, and then to the one now at Roma, who declined because he didn’t feel Comolli was convinced. Now the two are in first place and the Tudor project has failed.

They say that the night brings good counsel, and that must have been the case at Juventus. Around noon, when training was scheduled, Igor Tudor’s dismissal was announced. The paradox is that the news of his departure came on the very day that Napoli and Roma are enjoying their lead in the standings. At the helm of the two leaders are Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini, the two coaches the club had considered bringing to Turin before opting to confirm the former Croatian defender.

Memories and regrets – inevitable – intertwine and leave room for the classic “Who knows what would have happened if…”. Ifs and buts get you nowhere, but there is no doubt that a bitter taste remains. Especially seeing how things are going for the Old Lady’s plan A and plan B, because that’s what Conte and Gasp were before the management shake-up. Let’s rewind to the spring, when Thiago Motta was already shaky but still in his position. It was during that period that Cristiano Giuntoli, then technical director of Juventus, first contacted Antonio Conte, who was in the midst of the Scudetto race with Napoli. The initial approach was positive, helped by Conte’s past achievements and the encouragement of Giorgio Chiellini, even though Giuntoli soon realized that there was no chance of reaching an agreement, because the final word would be up to president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who was unlikely to let go of the coach who was leading them to the Scudetto.

GASP’S ATTEMPT—  So Giuntoli played it safe with Gasperini, who had already told Atalanta he wanted to leave, but who at the time had not yet said yes to Roma. Gasp, a native of Turin and also with a past with Juventus (he coached the youth teams), would have gladly come on board with a good project, but everything was called into question in May when Giuntoli was dismissed and replaced by Damien Comolli. In the meantime, Juventus had taken Tudor on a part-time basis, with an ad hoc contract that allowed the club to release him by paying a penalty even if they qualified for the Champions League. Tudor, tired of the constant chatter about his successor, had threatened to resign. It was Giuntoli who convinced him to stay, perhaps the last act of his tenure.
COMOLLI’S NEW COURSE—  With Comolli’s arrival, strategies changed. With the Conte dream definitively dashed (De Laurentiis had secured him, as expected), the new general manager—who will be appointed CEO in a few days—found himself having to immediately resolve the coaching issue. He contacted Gasperini (recommended by Chiellini) but without much conviction, especially when the former Atalanta coach was already well advanced in talks with Roma. Gasp sensed coldness on the other end of the phone and politely declined, tying the knot with the Giallorossi, who are now enjoying his services. Just as Napoli is enjoying Conte’s second year and dreaming of a sensational second consecutive Scudetto. Juventus, on the other hand, decided to go ahead with Tudor, renewing his contract until 2027, but after a few months, they have already changed their minds and are now playing it by ear, eighth with 12 points and six behind the leaders, waiting to appoint a new coach just seven months after Thiago Motta’s dismissal.