Will Juventus Replace Igor Tudor With Antonio Conte Despite UCL Berth?

Having accomplished the vital task of securing a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, it is unclear what the future holds for Juventus boss Igor Tudor ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Thanks to a final day victory over Venezia – discussed at length in this previous column – the Bianconeri finished fourth in Serie A, guaranteeing themselves the increased revenue that comes with a spot in European football’s elite competition.

The Coach deserves immense credit for that accomplishment, something that was far from a foregone conclusion when he took charge of the club following Thiago Motta’ dismissal back in March.

Igor Tudor’s impact at Juventus

Losing just one of his nine games at the helm, Tudor claimed 18 points to get Juve over the line. That equates to two points per game, where Motta averaged 1.76 points per game over the rest of the season and there is little doubt that the players have responded positively to the change.

They have repeatedly spoken of the impact made by the new boss, with Manuel Locatelli perhaps speaking out most directly. “The energy has changed,” the club Captain told Sky Italia in April. “We now approach games with a lot of positive energy and that is what we need to keep doing.”

Beyond that improvement in mentality, Tudor also appears to have a far clearer idea of what he expects from the team as a far more obvious style of play has emerged under his guidance.

Aggressively pressing opponents and then seeking to play an expansive and entertaining yet direct brand of football, they have managed to mask flaws in the squad to achieve the goal set by the club.

Juventus need more than fourth

Yet getting back into the Champions League is simply the bare minimum for a side of Juve’s stature. According to Forbes’ calculations, they currently sit outside the top 10 most lucrative clubs in the world, with a valuation of $2.05 billion and dropping five places from the 2023 list.

Their biggest issue has been revenue, currently calculated to be around $459 million which is $100 million less than any team in the top 10 and is dwarfed by leaders Real Madrid’s income of $873 million.

While responsibility for that does not rest on Tudor’s shoulders, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Bianconeri want to return to winning trophies not settling for a place in the Serie A top four.

That has led to growing rumours of a reunion with former boss Antonio Conte, who built his entire coaching reputation on the transformation of Juventus he oversaw between 2011 and 2014.

Back then, they were in even worse shape than they are today, having finished seventh in back to back seasons before he was appointed. Now, having just won the Scudetto with Napoli, DAZN journalist Orazio Accomando believes Juve will hand Conte a three-year contract with an annual salary of €8 million ($9.68 million).

This follows news Conte will leave Napoli after disagreements with owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner dropping numerous hints that a split is on the cards throughout the title celebrations.

Juventus and the Club World Cup

Things are made even more complicated by the FIFA Club World Cup, with Juve’s first game against Al-Ain scheduled for June 19. The Bianconeri have insisted that whatever decision is made about the Coach, Tudor will be at the helm for that competition only for the man himself to distance himself from that idea at the weekend.

“My future will be known before the Club World Cup, as it should be,” Tudor told Sky Italia following Sunday’s win over Venezia. “Otherwise, going there and then not being there next year would not be fair to anyone.

“I haven’t spoken to the management about it yet. It’s natural that I want to know my future, for a coach it’s logical.”

That certainly causes issues for Juventus should they decide to move on from Tudor, with transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that it would cost the club €1 million ($1.14 million) to terminate his contract.

There will undoubtedly be much more news on the futures of both Antonio Conte and Igor Tudor in the coming days, Juventus seemingly unwilling to stand still despite a successful end to the season.