Deschamps targeted by Juventus to replace struggling Spalletti

Less than two months after leaving the French national team, Didier Deschamps is being tipped to take over at Juventus Turin, according to several observers close to the Bianconeri club.

The prospect is gaining traction in a difficult context for the Old Lady. Luciano Spalletti, appointed manager in October 2025 to succeed Igor Tudor, has failed to turn things around: Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season, without qualifying for the Champions League. The start of the 2025-2026 season confirms the doubts — the club suffered a 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo on the opening day, with Frenchmen Pierre Kalulu, Khéphren Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani in the squad. Spalletti had already left the Italy bench in June 2025 after a heavy 3-0 defeat to Norway in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Deschamps, 57, is no stranger to Turin. A defensive midfielder trained at Nantes, he wore the Juventus shirt from 1994 to 1999, making 178 appearances for 4 goals. Under his leadership, the club won three Serie A titles. He also experienced two consecutive Champions League finals, lost to Dortmund in 1997 (3-1) and then to Real Madrid in 1998 (1-0), alongside notably Zinédine Zidane. He later managed Juventus in 2006-2007, bringing the club back to Serie A after the relegation linked to the Calciopoli scandal, before leaving over a disagreement with the board.

After fourteen years leading the Blues — a World Cup won in 2018, a World Cup final in 2022 and a Euro final lost at home in 2016 — Deschamps has indicated in recent months that he wants to continue his managerial career. Juventus would represent both a return to his roots and a top-level sporting challenge.