Club World Cup, Igor Tugor's New Page with Juventus

As Juventus confirmed the future of interim coach Igor Tudor, he reconnected with the club a few months ago and is now set to embark on a new chapter. Juventus's participation in the 2026 Club World Cup marks the beginning of Tudor's tenure while allowing Juventus to move on from the results of the 2024-2025 season, which ended without any championship titles.

The Group G match against the representative of the United Arab Emirates, Al-Ain, at Audi Field, Washington DC, United States, on Thursday (19/6/2025), not only marks Juventus' debut in the 2025 Club World Cup. In this tournament, the story of Tudor, after receiving confirmation to lead the club until 2027, will also begin.

At the announcement of Tudor's contract on June 13, Juventus had already stated that the Club World Cup was the next challenge for the Croatian coach. There is no time for Tudor to relax.

"I am happy to be able to coach Juve. I feel like I am home. After signing the new contract, of course, I am pleased. But that happiness is only temporary, as the next moment I am immediately thinking about the next match," Tudor stated on the official Juventus website.

The appointment of Igor Tudor is a continuation of Juventus' efforts to rise after finishing the 2024-2025 season without a championship title. They began this with a revolution in management, starting with the appointment of Damien Comolli as General Manager. Comolli then undertook his first task, which was to appoint a coach.

Tudor was previously appointed as interim coach until the end of the season after Juventus dismissed Thiago Motta last March. Juventus appears to be satisfied with Tudor's performance, especially in securing a place for the club in next season's UEFA Champions League.

We know that the Club World Cup features the best teams in the world, but we did not come here just to participate.

Tudor began his interim coaching career with a win over Genoa and ended it with a win over Venezia. Juventus said the bond between Tudor, who was a former player of the "Old Lady" during the glory days of the late 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s after the calciopoli scandal, is getting stronger.

Now, Tudor needs a victory against Al-Ain for Juventus to make a significant stride in the Club World Cup. Moreover, in addition to Al-Ain, Juventus is in Group G with Manchester City and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco). Manchester City is likely to be Juventus's strongest opponent.

Not only that, Manchester City also has the opportunity to become one of the teams advancing to the knockout stage. Only the top two teams from each group can progress to the next phase. Therefore, a victory in the opening match will be a valuable asset for Juve to maintain their chances of being one of the top two teams in Group G.

"There is excitement because this is the first time we are participating in this competition. Juventus has always had the same ambition—to win—and that is what we aim to do, while always maintaining humility," said Tudor.

"We know that the Club World Cup features the best teams in the world, but we did not come here just to participate," he said afterwards.

Juventus is favored on paper, but Al-Ain is not an easy opponent to conquer. Moreover, the champion of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League is not a stranger to the FIFA Club World Cup. In the 2018 edition, Al-Ain managed to reach the finals, although they ultimately lost to Real Madrid 1-4.

Although they did not bring home the championship title, Al-Ain's journey to the final was remarkable. Al-Ain thwarted the ideal final between representatives from Europe and Latin America after defeating the Libertadores champion, River Plate, in the semifinals.

In their last seven matches across all competitions, Al-Ain remains unbeaten. Juventus is also in good form, having secured two consecutive victories and remaining unbeaten in their last five matches.

Tudor does not want to focus too much on the opponent. According to the 47-year-old coach, although he has also analyzed all the teams, his main focus is on his own team. "Everyone must still be respected. Our main focus remains on our own team, because our fate is determined by ourselves," he stated.

Al-Ain is determined not to be intimidated when facing the renowned Juventus. Al-Ain's wingback, Facundo Zabala, stated that there is only a sense of respect, not fear, when preparing to confront Juve.

"We are talking about (facing) world-class players. In this type of game, concentration must always be at its maximum, regardless of the opponent. On the field, we are all human beings trying to give our best, so fear should not exist," said Facundo to the Italian media, TuttoMercatoWeb.