Giuntoli was poached by Juventus on a lucrative five-year deal, after helping Napoli secure the Scudetto, but his stint with the Italian giants could be cut short.
The contract agreement includes a clause for the deal to end after two seasons, if either party is unhappy.
He has been under intense scrutiny since the start of the calendar year, when everything started to go pear-shaped under the then head coach Thiago Motta.
Shenanigans at Juve
Giuntoli had hand-picked Motta while still Bologna boss, despite Max Allegri being in charge of the Bianconeri. A verbal agreement was made by Motta to take over the reins last summer.
Allegri made an unceremonious exit from Juventus, axed following an uncharacteristic outburst towards match officials, despite just clinching the 2023/24 Coppa Italia trophy.
This opened the door for Motta to switch teams. When he arrived, Giuntoli took his word as gospel about transfers. The squad was overhauled at great expense, with numerous flops that the club now want to offload.
Splashing the cash last summer, and bringing in players that were rejected at their clubs during the January transfer window showed little acumen with finances.
To add insult to injury, a plethora of players were released and have since proved that Motta was wrong to be so dismissive about their ability.
Various reports across Italian media have reported that under the club’s imminent restructuring plans, Giuntoli is expected to be axed.
Two sets of targets
Giuntoli has been compiling two ever-increasing lists of summer targets. One list is brimming with names of proven talent, but would be expensive acquisitions. The other comprises potential future stars, and are also wanted by rival Serie A sides, which is more realistic.
The Bianconeri stuttered their way through the season under Motta, dumped out of the Champions League and Coppa Italia in quick succession. A pair of hefty league defeats proved too much for the club, who axed Motta and left Giuntoli in a perilous situation.
Giuntoli had a choice about who to replace Motta, with ex-Italy manager Roberto Mancini allegedly offered the role. Yet the cheaper option was to bring in Igor Tudor, a former player at the club and previous assistant manager to Andrea Pirlo.
Tudor, despite having been sacked at the end of the 2020/21 season, answered Giuntoli’s SOS call and signed a nine-game Serie A contract.
Constant insipid displays
Giuntoli’s choice was questionable at the time. Tudor and his tactics did not set the Italian top tier alight with eye-catching displays, he just oversaw dreary contests as Juve limped into fourth place last season.
Rival teams slipped up to hand Juventus the initiative, while Tudor collected 18 of a possible 27 points at the helm. With Giuntoli his biggest fan, Tudor’s time could be up too.
Tudor’s deal includes a clause that should he achieve a top four finish, talks will take place with the club hierarchy about being appointed permanent head coach for one season.
Although discussions are a reward for earning the financial riches of Champions League soccer next term, there’s no obligation for the Turin titans to keep Tudor.
Upset club owner
Club owner John Elkann, heir to the Agnelli fortune, is widely reported across the Italian media to be disappointed at Juventus’ current predicament.
There was heavy investment last summer with the promise of being in with a shot of winning the Scudetto. Apart from their impressive opening half-a-dozen matches, Juventus were out of the chase for the coveted Serie A title.
A complete revamp in the club boardroom and with the playing squad is anticipated, which means a head coach appointment also needs to be determined.
Damien Comolli and Matteo Tognozzi are expected to join Juve. Comolli resigned as president of French outfit Toulouse, while Tognozzi is expected to return to Juventus for their scouting network.
Shift for Chiellini
Former defender and club legend Giorgio Chiellini is expected to be promoted from his role of head of football institutional relations.
Tudor wants the job permanently and made an outburst after the last day victory, which sent Venezia tumbling to Serie B and earned Juve a top four finish. It was another stuttering display on the pitch, and not the standard expected from Juventus.
The club will tackle the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals in the United States, which kicks off on 14 July. Tudor is meant to be taking charge, but a shake-up involving the exit of Giuntoli may alter that scenario.
Mancini is favorite
Mancini is the most likely figure to step into Tudor’s shoes, either at the Club World Cup or for the 2025/26 campaign.
Should Giuntoli go, his exhaustive list of targets will be severely trimmed and a second opinion will surely be required.
Yet players could easily be deterred from signing for Juve as there’s no specific manager confirmed for the Serie A season. Joining a club without a boss is risky, because the tactics and formation are unknown. The goal for all players is to play regularly and chase trophies.
Without Giuntoli the list of summer signings could prove futile, and surely leaves Tudor wondering whether he has a future with Juve.