Act one is over at Juve for Tudor, having achieved his set task of scoring Champions League soccer next term.
The curtains will soon be drawn back for act two, as Tudor’s tenure continues at the cash-rich 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals in the United States.
He requires a much stronger showing that the performances, and indeed results, were in the Italian top tier if he wishes to fully convince the club hierarchy to appoint him as permanent manager.
Having scraped into the top four at the end of their rollercoaster season, pipping AS Roma by one point, Tudor automatically triggered talks with the club about being promoted from interim head coach.
The no nonsense Croatian, who had been sacked as Juve assistant manager at the end of the 2020/21 season, recently had discussions with the club owner but was not handed a new contract.
Tudor, brought in as a stop-gap troubleshooter, was fully aware that other candidates were being approached while he was tackling the Serie A campaign. These included former Juve boss Antonio Conte, Gian Piero Gasperini and Simone Inzaghi.
Forceful feedback
The 47-year-old made an uncharacteristic outburst after their nervous win at Venezia on the last day of the season, as he desperately wanted to net the job as permanent manager.
Tudor played hard ball, making a veiled threat that he wouldn’t stay at the club for the Club World Cup unless he was offered the permanent job. His agent intervened to smooth things over.
Now Tudor has to prove his worth at the prestigious 32-club competition, which offers lucrative rewards for being successful. There are other managerial candidates waiting in the wings for the ex-Juve player to fail, but some decided not to play the waiting game.
There will be six South American sides, four from Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, plus North America respectively. The United States will have two teams, with only one from Oceania. Europe is the best represented continent, with a dozen clubs at the revamped tournament.
Tricky trio
The Bianconeri will kick-off their Club World Cup campaign Al-Ain FC on 18 June. Al-Ain FC qualified by winning the AFC Champions League, and boast 14 UAE Pro League titles.
Moroccan side Wydad AC, the CAF Champions League winners, are Juve’s next opponents on 22 June. With mighty Manchester City, who stuttered last season, their final group phase game on 26 June.
On top of the generous appearance fee, Juventus can pick up €1.85m ($2m) for each round-robin victory, €0.92m ($1m) for a draw but zilch for a defeat. If Juve get through the group phase and win their last 16 encounter, they will secure a further €6.6m (US$7.5m).
If the Bianconeri top their group they will play the runner-up from group H on 30 June, and finishing second in group G will earn a match against the group H winner.
Group H comprises Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal, Mexico club CF Pachuca, FC Salzburg and Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Big bucks
A quarter-final triumph will yield an additional €11.6m (US$13.125m), while a semi-final success will result in an extra €18.5m (US$21m).
The Club World Cup final, to be held at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York, on July 13 offers the winning team €37m (US$40m) and the runner-up €26.4m (US$30m).
As Juventus pursue the Club World Cup bounty, this tournament has become Tudor’s audition to bag the Juve job on a permanent basis.
Tudor succeeded with Juve’s rescue mission, but the lucrative competition is a recovery mission for Juventus.
Failed project
After Thiago Motta was sacked, nine months into the ambitious three-year Project Motta that was instigated by the then Juve sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, Tudor was appointed.
Tudor was selected by Giuntoli, and picked over former Italy manager Roberto Mancini for a plethora of reasons. Mancini remains on the club’s wanted list should Tudor depart after the Club World Cup finals.
Just like Motta, who was plagued by injuries to pivotal players, Tudor never got the opportunity to fully implement last summer’s big signings of Teun Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz.
Tudor made Juventus defensively sound during his tenure, only conceding more than one goal once. His tactical formation and pressing style of play resulted in slightly improved team performances than under Motta this calendar year.
Dull draws
Motta had turned Juve into draw specialists, and Tudor followed suit by allowing stalemates from winning positions against AS Roma, Bologna and Lazio.
Despite just one defeat, a slip-up at relegation-threatened Parma, Tudor ground out the results to complete the objective that he was brought in to do.
He has won over numerous players in the dressing room and constantly picked out his favorites to tackle the chase for a top four finish.
Those who fell down the pecking order were only utilized when Tudor was ravaged by injuries and suspensions. For his initial seven games in charge he stuck to his guns with three at the back and one target man to deliver dreary performances.
Thrills 'n' spills
With the free-flowing, attack-minded energy associated with Juventus clearly absent all season, Tudor opted to inject more thrills ‘n’ spills for the final two games of the season.
This gamble paid off, with high-pressing wingers and a center-forward resulting in back-to-back wins that catapulted Juve into Europe’s leading club competition.
It was touch and go at Venezia on the last day of the season, but a second-half spot-kick was enough to edge a 3-2 success and send the hosts tumbling into Serie B.
Tudor’s next task is to not only avoid a catastrophe in the US, but to carve out results with stylish performances if he wants to win over the club hierarchy.
Escape route
The Club World Cup puts players under the spotlight, which is perfect for such players as striker Dusan Vlahovic. He has only one season remaining on his contract, so Juve would love to cash in before he becomes a free agent.
This scenario will help Tudor, as players looking for an escape route should be pushing themselves at the tournament in a bid to impress potential suitors.
Tudor needs polished displays and for Juve to navigate their way out of the initial four-team group to stand any chance of persuading the board that he is their best bet.
Juventus won’t want to gamble again, following the Motta debacle, with a safe pair of hands urgently required to bring back the glory days to Turin.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup schedule
Club World Cup group games (14 June-26 June)
14 June
Group A | Al -Ahly vs. Inter Miami, 8pm ET (Miami)
15 June
Group C | Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group B | Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid, 3pm ET (Pasadena, California)
Group A | SE Palmeiras vs. FC Porto, 6pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group B | Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10pm ET (Seattle)
16 June
Group D | Chelsea vs. Club America or LAFC, 3pm ET (Atlanta)
Group C | Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6pm ET (Miami)
Group D | Flamengo vs. Esperance de Tunis, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
17 June
Group F | Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group E | River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group F | Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6pm ET (Orlando, Florida)
Group E | Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
18 June
Group G | Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group H | Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal, 3pm ET (Miami)
Group H | Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group G | Al-Ain vs. Juventus, 9pm (Washington, D.C.)
19 June
Group A | Palmeiras vs. Al-Ahly, 12pm ET, (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group A | Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3pm ET, (Atlanta)
Group B | Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid, 6pm ET (Seattle)
Group B | Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
20 June
Group C | Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12pm ET (Orlando, Florida)
Group D | Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group D | Club America or LAFC vs. Esperance de Tunis, 6pm ET (Nashville, Tennessee)
Group C | Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, 9pm ET (Miami)
21 June
Group F | Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group E | Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group F | Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group E | River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
22 June
Group G | Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group H | Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3pm ET (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Group H | FC Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal, 6pm ET (Washington, D.C.)
Group G | Manchester City vs. Al-Ain, 9pm ET (Atlanta)
23 June
Group B | Atletico Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3pm ET (Pasadena, California)
Group B | Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group A | Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9pm ET (Miami)
Group A | Porto vs. Al-Ahly, 9pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
24 June
Group C | Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3pm ET (Charlotte)
Group C | Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3pm ET (Nashville)
Group D | Esperance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group D | Club America or LAFC vs. Flamengo, 9pm ET (Orlando)
25 June
Group F | Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group F | Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3pm ET (Miami)
Group E | Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9pm ET (Seattle)
Group E | Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9pm ET (Pasadena)
26 June
Group G | Wydad AC vs. Al-Ain, 3pm ET (Washington)
Group G | Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3pm ET (Orlando)
Group H | Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca, 9pm ET (Nashville)
Group H | FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
Club World Cup Round of 16 (28 June-1 July)
28 June
Match 49 | Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Philadelphia)
Match 50 | Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Charlotte)
29 June
Match 51 | Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Atlanta)
Match 52 | Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Miami)
30 June
Match 53 | Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Charlotte)
Match 54 | Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Orlando)
1 July
Match 55 | Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Atlanta)
Match 56 | Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up (Miami)
Club World Cup quarter-finals (4-5 July)
4 July
Match 57 | Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Philadelphia)
Match 58 | Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Orlando)
5 July
Match 59 | Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Atlanta)
Match 60 | Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner (East Rutherford)
Club World Cup semi-finals (8-9 July)
8 July
Match 61 | Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (East Rutherford)
9 July
Match 62 | Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner (East Rutherford)
Club World Cup final (13 July)
13 July
Match 63 | Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner (East Rutherford)