Tudor appeared to act as though he was safe until the international break in early November, which was because of UEFA’s investigation into Juve potentially breaching FPP and the financial implications.
There was an air of arrogance from Tudor over the past couple of weeks, which included a spat with general manager Damien Comolli and the beginning of a rift with the Juve dressing room.
It was always a question of when, rather than if, Juventus would pull the trigger on Tudor. There’s no more suffering for Juventus supporters having to watch drab games under the dour Croatian, whose tactics were only one dimensional.
A new dawn awaits Juventus, who have a sprinkling of players who are on the verge of being world class. To Tudor’s credit he did help Kenan Yildiz get his groove back, although that was only because he gave the Turkish talent freedom to roam.
Juve are seeking their fourth manager in 18 months, having sacked Max Allegri, Thiago Motta and Tudor.
Former England head coach Gareth Southgate and ex-Manchester manager Erik Ten Hag are the latest names linked to Juventus. Although the pair are long shots.
Southgate’s record for country far excelled his club statistics, so bringing him to Turin would be another roll of the dice that could backfire.
Ten Hag failed miserably at Bayern Leverkusen, fired after just three matches following his Manchester United exit, so seems improbable.
There are numerous names in the frame, although the next boss will inherit a fairly lightweight squad littered with shining stars. This could mean that the Bianconeri opt for a short-term solution before appointing a big-name manager in the summer.
Renowned troubleshooter Tudor ironically was the trouble at Juventus, following a familiar pattern that has been seen throughout his checkered coaching career.
Should the Bianconeri bank on a fix-quick manager to steer the side until the end of the season then re-appointing Motta, who they are already paying after sacking him in March, could be viable from a financial point of view.
Yet if Motta failed to reignite the spark throughout the already disheartened squad, the Juventus hierarchy would end up with egg on their face. It is probably a gamble too far for the Bianconeri.
Former Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino and Premier League flop Ange Postecoglou could be unleashed for the remainder of the season to keep the hot seat warm. High-profile managers like Roberto Mancini, Xavi or Zinedine Zidane could be unveiled in the summer if given big bucks for the transfer market.
Motta and Tudor lacked versatility
The trio of big-name bosses offer a winning mentality, which has always been part of Juve’s DNA and was lacking under both Motta and Tudor.
Two previous Juventus targets, Olympique Marseille’s Roberto De Zerbi and Fulham’s Marco Silva, remain in contracts that make them an expensive acquisition that Juve would prefer to avoid.
Juve require a new head coach that is available and willing to tackle the Champions League and Serie A so early in the season. The last time that the Bianconeri changed their manager before November was when Ercole Rabitti replaced Luis Carniglia in 1969.
Palladino being installed could end up being a long-term project if the 41-year-old can prove his worth. He’s a cheaper option than other candidates, and left La Viola by mutual consent in June having guided the club to sixth spot in Serie A to secure European soccer.
Juve explore Mancini and Spalletti
If the club want star power then former Italy bosses Mancini or Spalletti are available, and having lifted the Scudetto are both a good fit.
Mancini, who was allegedly offered the interim manager job before Juve made a U-turn and picked Tudor, may prefer to wait for a clean slate at the start of a season.
He distanced himself from the recent Nottingham Forest vacancy and last tackled club soccer seven years ago, although boasts a glittering resume that includes winning league titles in England and Italy.
Having been axed by Saudi Arabia in October 2024, his last trophy was winning Euro 2020 with Italy. Yet he managed Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Lazio that may not please many Juve fans.
Spalletti, like Mancini, cuts a commanding figure. After winning the 2022/23 Scudetto with Napoli, he scooped the coveted Serie A Coach of the Year accolade for a third time.
He was given the boot by the Azzurri in June and seems best suited to club soccer. Building a title-winning squad would be his goal if appointed head coach, as wins are always going to be the only currency for any Juventus manager.
Spalletti is a versatile tactician, who adapts his formations according to his opponents. Something that one-dimension approaches from both Motta and Tudor made Juve far too predictable.
His handful of final matches in charge of Italy saw an unsuccessful 3-5-1-1 line-up, while his 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations reaped better results.
At Napoli, he built a resilient 4-3-3 attacking formation around marksman Victor Osimhen and left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to win the Scudetto with aplomb.
New era for Vlahovic and Yildiz
Spalletti could repeat this feat by setting up a solid back four, which he would inherit as Motta set up the team for a strong defense, and by getting the best out of center forward Dusan Vlahovic and whizzy winger Yildiz.
The duo are being monitored by a handful of European giants, including Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but if Spalletti could get the pair back to winning ways then their future could lie with Juventus.
Spalletti is about to enter talks with Juve regarding a two-year deal, and would surely be a popular choice. The club only lie six points behind leaders Napoli and second-placed AS Roma, with five Champions League matches remaining to climb the league phase table.
Being Scudetto contenders and reaching the last 16 in the Champions League would be a dream come true for Juventus fans. Under Tudor that was an unrealistic goal, as his coaching skills were questionable and he was unable to get the best out of a talented squad.
A new era beckons for the Bianconeri, but so much rests on ensuring that they get their next managerial appointment right rather than try to save big bucks.