Luciano Spalletti was one of a quartet of Italian managers considered for the prestigious role at the fallen Italian giants, and recently turned down a lucrative approach from a Saudi Pro League side.
The 66-year-old tactician is back in Serie A for the first time since sensationally guiding Napoli to the 2022/23 Scudetto, when he pipped overwhelming favorites Inter Milan.
That campaign was built around a bustling centre forward and a pacy left winger, two positions that Juventus have with their leading lights of striker Dusan Vlahovic and Turkish talent Kenan Yildiz. The pair have been contract rebels, having experienced a hat-trick of sacked managers over the past 18 months, as they understandably want to win silverware.
There is serious interest in the pair from European giants in England, Germany and Spain with Barcelona eager to secure the dynamic duo next summer. Should Spalletti get the best out of both Vlahovic and Yildiz then they could commit their future to the Turin titans.
Spalletti inherits a lightweight squad overall but has a plethora of talented individuals, including a handful of signings under axed bosses Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor who have surprisingly been flops.
His stint as Azzurri head coach was impressive when he fielded attacking formations, especially 4-3-3 tactics, but failed miserably when he opted for a lone target man. He will have learned his lesson from this, and witnessed Tudor's one-dimensional tactics of playing just a single striker from the start resulting in drab displays and a poor run.
Leader Locatteli back in business
Manuel Locatelli, the Juve skipper, is the only remaining player that featured for Italy during Spalletti's stint. He remains a regular international and excelled in his role as sweeper during the 3-1 success over Udinese.
Despite the comfortable triumph, when Juventus could have netted five or six goals had it not been for brilliant shotstopping from Maduka Okoye. The team's confidence sapped under Tudor has been partially restored.
Juventus Next Gen manager Massimo Brambilla stepped in as interim boss to tackle Udinese in Turin. His refreshing formation with a two-pronged attack worked wonders, although as usual Juve conceded.
A priority for Spalletti will be to shore up a leaky defense, something that Tudor failed to sort out during his seven months in charge. The dreary displays from Tudor's troops, aside from back-to-back victories over relative minnows in the Club World Cup last summer, were uninspiring.
Spalletti's versatile tactics
Full flowing soccer returned under Brambilla, with Spalletti renowned for entertaining and effective versatile tactics often reverting to a 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 formation to overwhelm opponents.
Between the sticks both Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin have made mistakes this term, so Spalletti is likely to rotate his shotstoppers more than Tudor ever did.
Former Italy defender Daniele Rugani has shone in his handful of appearances this term, so the veteran could be given the nod. Especially as both Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal are sidelined by injury.
Midfielders Teun Koopmeiners and Joao Mario have yet to impress in a Juve jersey, but will not be completely overlooked as they both offer pace and the ability to create scoring chances.
There are a trio of exciting talents who can add bite in the middle for the Bianconeri. Vasilije Adzic needs a coach of Spalletti's calibre to hone his skills. Juventus Next Gen graduate Fabio Miretti was on the verge of joining Napoli before an injury ended their interest, and Filip Kostic is a handful for any opponent.
As well as Yildiz, both Francisco Conceico and rejuvenated Weston McKennie, can race down the flanks to support the strikers. They are all fearless, only struggling when man-marked out of matches.
Striking a balance at the Bianconeri
With a quartet of marksmen at his disposal, Spalletti will undoubtedly rely on Serbia star Vlahovic who is a traditional no9. He just needs service, and has been prolific in Serie A at both Fiorentina and Juventus.
Poland international Arkadiusz Milik failed to play last term because of injury and remains on the treatment table. Once he finally returns then he could be unleashed under Spalletti.
Summer signings Jonathan David and Lois Openda have been toothless, managing just one goal between them for Juventus. Canada international David is simply a goal poacher who lacks pace but can spring a surprise when in tight space, so is best played as a second striker against weak opponents.
Unorthodox Openda was given minutes under Brambilla, starting alongside Vlahovic, but still did not manage to break his duck for the Bianconeri. Spalletti should be able to hone the Belgium ace's scoring skills in due course.
Surprisingly, Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on David, Openda and Vlahovic to replenish their attack with the possibility of a move in the winter or summer transfer windows.
There's plenty of work for Spalletti to undertake to get the side competitive enough to be serious Scudetto challengers, plus he will be able to dip into January's transfer market should Juve need to bolster the squad.
Great feeling about Juventus
Spalletti enthused: “It’s a great feeling right now [being Juventus manager]. We all know the history of this glorious club and how it is organised, but when you are inside it, you really feel its greatness.
"I am sure that I will find a well-balanced team, and we will fight to achieve our goals.
I don't know how much of an impact I will have. I told Mattia [Perin] that it will depend on them, because their qualities will determine my future.
"I find it a very simple, honest and clear situation. We'll start working by trying to collaborate with all the staff. I had no difficulty in accepting a contract of this type [until the end of June].
"I am convinced that this team has potential, and I am convinced that I can do a good job with these lads. It will be essential to roll up our sleeves, because our opponents ahead of us are playing well.
"I have brought three coaches and a fitness coach with me, because we all know each other in the world of football. Those who have accompanied me on this adventure are [Marco] Domenichini, [Giovanni] Martusciello, [Salvatore] Russo and [Francesco] Sinatti.
"There are players in the squad who would prefer to play in different positions, perhaps, but I will have to talk to them before making any decisions. At the moment we could continue with the formation we have used at the start of the season.
"As far as Dusan [Vlahovic] is concerned, I have not received any instructions from the club to treat him or any other players in the squad differently. Consequently, he will speak for himself on the pitch, as he should. Against Udinese, Vlahovic clearly demonstrated his intentions with a great performance.
Spalletti embraces Juve challenge
"Goals are essential because you have to score to win games. Attacking football is another important quality, but the essential thing is to be a team, to be a group that knows how to move on the pitch. This is a very exciting challenge for me.
“The priority remains qualifying for the Champions League, but I hope to be back in the Scudetto race too. These must be our intentions, because only nine games have been played and there are still 29 to go.
“We are not in a position to be presumptuous about any opponent. We must let the pitch do the talking, not slogans.
"When I left Naples [in 2023] I said that I would not wear another team's kit, but that statement was for that single season. I am a professional, so my career path has now brought me here to Juventus, and I will give my all for this club."