Luciano Spalletti has been appointed the new manager of Juventus following Igor Tudor’s sacking, but fans have noticed that the former Italy boss has a tattoo of Napoli’s crest
Juventus fans welcomed new manager Luciano Spalletti to the club by urging him to remove his controversial tattoo. Spalletti, 66, has been appointed by the Serie A giants after they sacked Igor Tudor, who was given just 24 games.
The former Napoli boss was the outstanding homegrown candidate after he was sacked by Italy in June. His stock reached a career-high in 2023 when he led Napoli to the title.
After ending the club’s 33-year wait to win Serie A, Spalletti got their crest tattooed on his left arm. However, Juventus and Napoli share one of Italian football’s most famous rivalries and are sworn enemies.
That’s why when the 66-year-old arrived at the Continassa – Juventus’ training centre – on Thursday, a group of fans urged him to remove the tattoo and replace it with a ‘J’, according to Tuttomercatoweb. Regardless of what’s on his skin, Spalletti is committed to returning Juve to their former glories.
The Bianconeri are currently seventh in Serie A, six points behind early pacesetters Napoli and Roma, another of his old clubs. In the Champions League, Juventus are yet to win after three games and find themselves languishing in the elimination zone.
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Spalletti hasn’t got long to prove himself, as he’s only been given a contract until the end of this season. However, his deal will reportedly be renewed automatically if Juventus manage to qualify for the Champions League.
“We are delighted to welcome a coach with such expertise and experience to the Bianconeri family: welcome to Juventus and good luck, coach,” the club said in a statement.
Should Luciano Spalletti get his tattoo removed? Have your say in the comments section.
Spalletti’s first game at the helm is away to newly-promoted Cremonese, who have former England international Jamie Vardy among their squad, on Saturday. Juve then host Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League next Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Spalletti was asked about the vacancy in Turin and gave a cheeky response. “Whoever replaces Tudor will be lucky; he’ll certainly find a team he can manage,” the ex-Italy boss said, as relayed by Goal.
“Juventus is a great club with a great history. I think anyone would be happy to coach them; it could be the fortune of any coach.”
Spalletti went on to say: “If I had to say something about Juventus, I’d gladly say it in favour of Tudor. I’ve met him and he seemed like a serious, valuable person. I’ve seen him work well on the bench, and he gave me the impression of a person of substance, someone who goes straight to the heart.”
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