Former Juventus winger Emanuele Giaccherini has expressed his thoughts on the current state of the Bianconeri, disagreeing with Luciano Spalletti’s recent comments and advocating for Antonio Conte as the ideal candidate for the Italy national team position.
Following Juventus’ 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina, which has put their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy with only one match remaining, Giaccherini highlighted a perceived lack of leadership within the team.
Speaking to La Stampa via TMW, Giaccherini stated, “Spalletti was good at conveying a playing style, but they lacked the ability to win games, even when their quality of play was lacking. You also need personality.” He further elaborated on Spalletti’s critique of Juventus’ performance against Fiorentina, which jeopardized their top-four standing, and his suggestion that the team could have fallen even further down the league.
“Discordant words, I don’t agree with them,” Giaccherini declared. “The ambition at Juventus must always be to look up; it’s not possible to settle. Somebody like Chiellini is enough; he knows what to tell the team. Spalletti can’t be questioned, but Juventus need leaders.”
Giaccherini, who played under Antonio Conte at both Juventus and the Italian national team, was also asked about the possibility of Conte returning to manage the Azzurri, with a decision expected after the FIGC Presidential election on June 22, 2026.
The ex-Azzurri winger emphasized the need for a shift in mentality, stating, “It’s necessary to change our mentality and invest in our lads with more confidence and patience, rather than signing foreign players to satisfy speculation between agents and directors.”
“I don’t know what Conte will do, but he’d be ideal,” Giaccherini concluded.
Reports in Italy suggest that Conte is set to depart Napoli after two seasons. He previously managed the Italian national team from 2014 to 2016 and has publicly expressed his openness to a return to the Azzurri bench.
