After an abysmal series of results in all competitions, Juventus sacked manager Igor Tudor and appointed Luciano Spalleti as successor, who was manager of Italian national team until last June, when he was fired. And Spalleti, a veteran with more than 30 years as a a manager, was given a surprisingly short contract: eight months, meaning, only a season.
Naturally, he was asked about the unusual contract, as one could think that it shows that the club does not have much faith in him, so Spalleti responded: "I have no problem accepting an eight-month contract. If I were Juventus, I would have done the same.
"As I told the players, I hope to get back into the Scudetto race. Ambitions must be at their highest. There are still 29 games to go, and I've seen it all in my thirty-year career", Spalleti said (via La Gazzeta Dello Sport).
Spalleti is the third manager for Juventus in a year and a half (after Tudor, Thiago Motta also lasted less than a year). "No one has a magic wand, the pitch will determine my future. I don't need to be assured of a written contract for the future. The situation is simple and honest, but if I accepted it's because I see significant potential".
Spalletti's mission now is to at least qualify for Champions League (they still haven't won a league phase match) and bounce back in Serie A to secure a finish in the European spots (the top six). Currently, they are seventh in the table.