Deschamps in contact with Juventus to replace Spalletti amid crisis

Didier Deschamps could return to a dugout sooner than expected: according to La Stampa and La Repubblica, initial contacts have been established between the entourage of the former French manager and Juventus Turin’s board, via intermediary agents.

The Old Lady is going through one of the worst season starts in its recent history. Eighth in Serie A after nine matches, the Turin club suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Genoa midweek, before drawing in the Europa League against Rennes. These results seriously undermine Luciano Spalletti’s position, who has been in charge for barely a year. The Italian press is talking about an ejector seat, and the clash against Naples this weekend could prove decisive for his future.

Deschamps, meanwhile, has been a free agent since summer. After fourteen years leading the Blues — crowned by a World Cup title in 2018, a Nations League and two major competition finals — he handed over to Zinédine Zidane. His standing on the international scene remains intact, and his name has been circulating for several weeks: Real Madrid, Manchester United and Turkish clubs have all been mentioned.

But it is Turin that seems most concrete today. The link between Deschamps and Juventus runs deep: a player at the club between 1994 and 1999, he won the Champions League there in 1996, and he led the team back to Serie A promotion during the 2006-2007 season as manager. Twenty years later, his standing in Piedmont remains intact.

Other names are also being studied by the Bianconeri board, notably Stefano Pioli and Antonio Conte, the latter being more oriented towards the Premier League. The coming weeks, before the international break, should clarify whether Juventus takes the plunge and if Deschamps is ready to take on this challenge.