After missing out on the Champions League, Juventus ownership moves quickly to stabilize tensions and launch a new long-term project around Luciano Spalletti.
Juventus FC is wasting no time preparing for its next chapter.
Following the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League, John Elkann has stepped directly into the rebuilding process, organizing a major internal summit with key figures across the Juventus structure.
The Exor CEO is expected to meet club employees and senior decision-makers in Turin as he begins reshaping the sporting and organizational direction of the Bianconeri after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory.
At the center of the discussions will be coach Luciano Spalletti, CEO Damien Comolli, and director of football strategy Giorgio Chiellini.
According to reports in Italy, Elkann’s primary objective is not to completely destroy another project after less than a year, but rather to find a workable balance between the club’s key power centers and avoid starting over entirely once again.
That approach represents a significant shift after months of internal tension.
Both Spalletti and Comolli reportedly reiterated after the Derby della Mole draw against Torino FC that they remain committed to building a competitive Juventus capable of winning again quickly.
But behind the scenes, disagreements — especially regarding January transfer decisions and squad planning — created growing friction throughout the season.
Elkann now appears determined to act as mediator.
One of the key themes of the upcoming meetings will reportedly involve Comolli’s influence over transfer operations.
Sources suggest Elkann may ask the Juventus executive to adopt a less interventionist approach in the market, encouraging greater collaboration with the coaching staff and more flexibility regarding player profiles.
Spalletti, for his part, has never hidden his desire to have a stronger voice in sporting decisions.
The Juventus coach still enjoys enormous trust from Elkann personally, with direct communication between the two remaining frequent even during the club’s difficult final stretch.
That relationship remains one of the strongest pillars supporting Spalletti’s position despite missing the Champions League.
Still, Elkann is also expected to ask the coach for more flexibility moving forward, especially considering Juventus will now operate without the financial boost normally guaranteed by Europe’s top competition.
In practical terms, ownership wants both Spalletti and Comolli to take “half a step back” from their respective positions in order to prioritize the collective interests of the club.
Caught between those two figures is Chiellini.
The former Juventus captain has steadily increased his influence inside the organization over recent months and is now widely viewed internally as the symbolic guardian of “Juventus identity” within the leadership structure.
Although Chiellini does not directly manage technical operations, his role in supporting Spalletti’s appointment after Igor Tudor, helping facilitate Kenan Yıldız’s contract renewal, and backing the coach’s extension before qualification objectives were secured has significantly strengthened his position.
Many within Juventus now believe Chiellini must be given even greater authority to help unify the sporting area moving forward.
Meanwhile, Spalletti himself publicly addressed one of the major issues he believes damaged Juventus this season: character.
After the dramatic 2-2 draw against Torino, the coach openly criticized parts of the squad for lacking the mentality required to succeed at Juventus.
“If you constantly doubt yourself, then you do not have character,” Spalletti said after the match. “And without character, you cannot play for Juventus.”
The coach specifically praised players like Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, and Yıldız for showing the mentality he expects, while implying that several others failed to handle pressure throughout the season.
Among the players reportedly struggling most under the weight of expectations were Teun Koopmeiners, Jonathan David, Edon Zhegrova, goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, and defender Lloyd Kelly.
For Spalletti, technical quality alone is not enough.
And as Juventus begins yet another rebuild, Elkann appears convinced that restoring the club’s mentality may be just as important as signing new players.
