Spalletti, who won the Serie A Coach of the Year accolade for a third time in 2023, was after a three-year deal to be the Bianconeri boss. Yet Juventus have only committed to the 66-year-old until the end of the season.
Juventus have had their fingers burned by luring Thiago Motta from Bologna to replace axed manager Max Allegri, then went for arguably their most uninspiring managerial appointment with the return of one-time Juve defender Igor Tudor.
There were striking similarities between the two coaches. They were both dismissive of a plethora of Juventus Next Gen players, stuck to a one-dimensional tactical formation, rotated the squad too much, could not determine the leadership from their starting line-up and in the end lost the faith from their dressing room as they only wanted to avoid defeat rather than win matches.
Motta lasted nine months into the ambitious three-year Project Motta with some eye-catching performances. Once the squad appeared to down tools and stop playing for the former Italy international it was curtains.
Tudor was a short-term troubleshooter last March for Juve, but as a cheaper option to managers with a solid track record in the summer landed the coveted role. He got too big for his boots, so it was a question of when the club would pull the trigger. He was dismissed after producing drab displays for seven months.
Although there were numerous names in the frame to lead Juventus, the club preferred not to take another risk and opt for an Italian tactician. This narrowed their initial shortlist, which included Ange Postecoglou, Gareth Southgate and Xavi, down to a quartet.
Chelsea's Enzo Maresca, former Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino and well as ex-Italy bosses Roberto Mancini and Spalletti, Maresca, under a bit of pressure with the cash-rich Premier League giants, would have been an expensive acquisition and there were only courtesy chats with Palladino.
Narrowed down to a two-man race of Mancini and Spalletti, two commanding figures who have each lifted the prized Scudetto, was down to the demands. Spalletti accepted a deal until the end of June, and if truly successful will no doubt extend his contract.
Spalletti may be a Juventus quick-fix
There is speculation that Spalletti is simply keeping the hot-seat warm until the club appoint a manager who is given the freedom to select his own squad. Mancini and ex-Barcelona boss Xavi are known to avoid taking a club mid-season. There are others in the frame, including long-term target Roberto De Zerbi, who could be tempted next summer.
Spalletti cuts a commanding figure and joins Juve, who under Juventus Next Gen manager registered their first win in nine matches and ended their goal drought of four matches by beating Udinese 3-1 inside the Allianz Stadium.
The battling Bianconeri hit the reset button with dour Tudor gone, Brambilla setting up his team to attack and entertain. Dusan Vlahovic was back to his best, with Turkish talent Kenan Yildiz given some freedom. The dynamic duo, who have caused contract chaos, both slotted home a spot-kick against Udinese.
Matches will come thick and fast for Spalletti before the international break, with a couple of Serie A games and a Champions League tie against Sporting Lisbon. Spalletti's mission is to salvage the damage caused by Tudor's tactics and dismal results.
Spalletti cuts a commanding figure and proved that tactics can win the Scudetto, surprising Serie A sides by scooping the 2022/23 title with Napoli to stun overwhelming favorites Inter Milan.
Juve's plans for Vlahovic and Yildiz
He built a resilient 4-3-3 attacking formation around marksman Victor Osimhen and left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli. So Spalletti should be able to get the best out of center forward Vlahovic and whizzy winger Yildiz in similar fashion to his Napoli feats.
The duo are being monitored by a handful of European giants, including Barcelona and Bayern Munich. If Spalletti can help steer the side to become genuine contenders to win silverware, then the future of the club's best players could lie with Juventus.
Spalletti was given the boot by the Azzurri in June, and it appears that he is best suited to club soccer. His handful of final matches in charge of Italy saw him revert to an unsuccessful 3-5-1-1 line-up, while his 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations reaped much better results.
Versatile tactician Spalletti, who sports a Napoli tattoo on his arm, is aware that wins are always going to be the only currency for any Juventus manager. His approach is a breath of fresh air from the one-dimensional approach that both Motta and Tudor relied on, as he is wily enough to set up his sides for each opponent.
After two coach crashes at Juventus, Spalletti is argubly a safe pair of hands at the wheel and should soon be able to make the Bianconeri fiercely competitive again.
The squad may be lightweight overall, but there are enough talented individuals for the former Azzurri boss to ensure the Turin titans are on the right journey to success. The fallen Italian giants may have struck gold with picking Spalletti, and he will be chasing silverware from the off.