Spalletti and his racing adventures: when he takes over he doesn’t make mistakes. Precedents and Champions

Seven times he started a season from the beginning, twice he was recalled to the same bench after a dismissal (and in the same year) and on four occasions he came on as a running substitute. Clear objectives to be achieved at all costs, not too much time available and a team that is not strictly his, or rather not one of those built together and for him. Luciano Spalletti in his 32-year coaching career has proven to be a coach for all occasions, one of those who is not afraid to take on the role of the man of providence. Translated: the one who straightens out a complex situation moments before the definitive collapse. Spalletti was savior And resuscitator together, one to start again from.

In short, he won’t have to do anything new with Juve. The elements of films already seen are all there: the current difficulties and the future objective. There is a team that was in a crisis of results with the old coach, a Champions League in which to continue playing for as long as possible and next year’s to be achieved at all costs. Spalletti’s fifth wedding with his replacement dress will have an album of black and white photos plus the many memories of the old years in which he took the lead in the race. All stories of happy precedents.

departures, run-ups, goals

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Empoli 1994: the first time. From player to coach, an almost natural evolution given his nature; an unsolvable knee problem did the rest. And this is how Spalletti moved from the field to the bench in April of that year: 8 games were enough for him to avoid the risk of relegation to C2. Playout won, team saved. The following year he had to ‘go down’ to coach the Allievi because he didn’t have a license but the following season (95/96) he returned to the first team and in three seasons he led Empoli to Serie A. Fast forward then to March 2001: the first black and white nuance of his coaching career, the call from Udinese. Via De Canio, inside Spalletti. Here too there was salvation to be achieved and the stay in Serie A came down to the penultimate day. Goal achieved again. In June he said goodbye to Udine but 2001, however eventful, was the year that gave him another moving train. In December it was striker Max Vieri’s Ancona that needed him. Another region and above all another championship: Serie B. How did that season end? With eighth place keeping the specter of C. Mission accomplished at a distance. The last adventure as a substitute – before this Juventus player – was also the most rewarding of his very personal poker. January 2016: Spalletti returned to Rome after 7 years. Having said goodbye to Rudi Garcia, the Tuscan from Certaldo took control of the fortunes of the team with which he had won two Italian Cups and a Super Cup and with an average of 2.19 he made them finish that season in third place, qualifying them for the Champions League preliminaries. Finish line reached (as with Inter, after 6 years, in 2018 and then again with Napoli in 2022, the year before the scudetto), the minimum objective to be achieved with which the big teams can save a season. That place in the sun where Spalletti now wants to bring Juve. He knows how to do it.