Juventus are moving closer towards the appointment of Luciano Spalletti as head coach, with reports from Italy claiming an official announcement and presentation could be made as early as Thursday.
According to Sky Sport, Spalletti has nearly reached an agreement to take over the Bianconeri, shortly after Igor Tudor was sacked yesterday after a poor run of results.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 9: Luciano Spalletti head coach of Italy gestures during the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
After a strong start to the campaign, the Old Lady have struggled and a winless, scoreless run sped up Tudor’s exit from the club.
Spalletti set to take charge at Juventus
It will be Spalletti’s first club job since 2023, when he left Napoli after two years in charge.
For the following two years, the Italian would lead the Azzurri, taking over the Italian national team after the surprise resignation of Roberto Mancini.
AL RAYYAN, QATAR – JANUARY 25: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Saudi Arabia reacts during the AFC Asian Cup Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Thailand at Education City Stadium on January 25, 2024 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
In June, following a 3-0 loss to Norway, Spalletti was sacked by the Azzurri and led his final match in charge against Moldova.
Roma legend Francesco Totti believes Paulo Dybala can make a difference ‘consistently’ but insists the Giallorossi must score more goals to fight for the title: ‘Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk still need to get up to speed.’
Totti joined Luciano Spalletti for an event in Milan on Tuesday, where he spoke about Roma’s season so far.
The Giallorossi are the joint-table leaders alongside Napoli, so can they aim for the Scudetto?
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi (R) is congratulated by former captain Francesco Totti during his farewell to Roma after 18 years at his home-town club after the Italian Serie A football match between Roma and Parma on May 26, 2019 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s not easy because two or three better-equipped teams,” Totti said, via Corriere dello Sport.
“The main objective is the Champions League. When we won the Scudetto, we used to score three or four goals per game. This year, there are different players. Ferguson and Dovbyk still need to get up to speed, but they are great players and I hope they can make Roma great and become great themselves.”
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: Evan Ferguson of AS Roma is challenged by Mario Gila of Lazio during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Paulo Dybala scored his first Serie A goal this season on Sunday, giving Roma a 1-0 win over Sassuolo.
“Paulo is one of the best Roma players, and he has to make a difference consistently,” Totti concluded.
Only two Serie A players have been included on the 26-player shortlist for the 2025 edition of the FIFPRO World XI, as voted for by players across the globe.
The FIFPRO World XI has been running for 20 years, and acknowledges the 11 most successful players each calendar year. The nominees are voted for by players across the world.
A 26-player shortlist has been revealed, and that will be whittled down to a final 11, which will be announced on November 3.
The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers with the most votes will be included, and the remaining spot is assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes.
Which Serie A and Italy players are nominated for 2025 FIFPRO XI
CASTEL DI SANGRO, ITALY – AUGUST 09: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Napoli and Girona at Stadio Teofilo Patini on August 09, 2025 in Castel di Sangro, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
Two Serie A representatives have been included on the 26-player shortlist for 2025, namely Luka Modric of Milan and Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli.
Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma has been included among the goalkeepers, and is a strong candidate to be included in the final XI given his victory in the Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year.
2021 was the last time that either an Italian or a Serie A player was included in the final XI. That came a few months after the EURO 2020 final, which had been delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Donnarumma was included on that occasion, as was Juventus’s Leonardo Bonucci, Chelsea’s Jorginho, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still with Juve for the first half of that year.
Gianluigi Buffon (2017) is the only other Italian to have been included in the FIFPRO World XI over the last 10 years. He and Matthijs De Ligt (also 2017), Dani Alves (2017, 2016) and Paul Pogba (2015) are the only other Serie A players to have been included in the last 10 years.
2025 FIFPRO World XI Shortlist
UDINE, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Alessandro Del Piero and Beppe Bergomi got into an argument about Inter on Sunday as the Juventus legend insisted that the Nerazzurri have been ‘the best team in Serie A in the last four years.’
Juventus and Inter legends Del Piero and Bergomi showed diverging opinions on Cristian Chivu’s side on Sunday evening as Sky Sport Italia analysed the latest Serie A weekend, in which the Nerazzurri suffered a 3-1 loss at Napoli.
Inter had complained about a penalty kick that gave Napoli the lead in the first half, but Del Piero and Bergomi did not focus on referee controversies.
Del Piero: Inter the best team in Serie A
Alessandro Del Piero looks on during a press conference at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on June 03, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
“Inter have been the best team in Serie A in the last four years. Others who won instead of them were better, but Inter are the best team,” Del Piero said.
Bergomi, however, didn’t agree: “No, why do they never win games against direct rivals?”
Del Piero replied: “For other reasons, but if you look at the Inter team, it’s undoubtedly better than Napoli, Juventus, Milan and Roma.”
The argument continued with Bergomi, who hit back: “No, Ale. I’ve been saying this for four years.”
Bergomi hits back at Del Piero over Inter claims
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 01: Beppe Bergomi looks on during the Serie A match between Cagliari and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on March 1, 2019 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
The Nerazzurri legend continued: “Remember that those who shout more are not necessarily right…You can raise your voice all the time, and respect what I’m saying, too. Especially because I’ve been saying this for four years, and the results are there. But when they lose, then the others are better. So, who is better? The winners or the losers?”
The Italian World Cup winners were unable to find a common ground.
“I respect it, but what I said is the same, with different words. The better one is the one that wins, the best one is another,” argued Del Piero.
“Inter were able to do certain things and reach certain results, winning titles, cups and reaching Champions League Finals,” concluded Bergomi.
“Even beating clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who are better than Inter.”
The Nerazzurri have lost three of their opening eight Serie A matches this season and are three points below the leading pair Napoli and Roma.
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