Qualifying for Champions League, Juventus Between Igor Tudor and Antonio Conte

VENICE, MONDAY — Juventus has met its minimum target for the 2024-2025 season by securing a ticket to next season's Champions League. The 3-2 victory over Venezia on Monday (26/5/2025) early in the morning ensured that Juve won the fourth-place duel against AS Roma. However, uncertainty looms over "The Old Lady" regarding the position of the head coach.

Three points from the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium were secured through goals from Kenan Yildiz (25’), Randal Kolo Muani (31’), and a penalty execution by Manuel Locatelli (73’). Juve is in fourth place with a total of 70 points, one point ahead of AS Roma, which secured a ticket to the Europa League alongside Bologna, the Coppa Italia champion.

Juve join Napoli, Inter Milan and Atalanta in the Champions League. Fiorentina will represent Italy in the Europa Conference League.

Meeting the target of competing in the Champions League next season presents a new problem for Juve. Interim coach Igor Tudor is beginning to reconsider his short-term contract.

When introduced last March as a replacement for Thiago Motta, Juventus management only contracted Tudor until the conclusion of the 2025 Club World Cup. Tudor's contract is only valid until the end of July this year.

Tudor recorded four wins, three draws, and one loss in the last eight matches of the Italian League 2024-2025. He helped Juventus, the team he played for from 1998 to 2007, secure a position in the top four. At the very least, he salvaged Juventus's reputation, which has been trophyless this season.

Although it has been announced that he will lead the Juve squad in the 2025 Club World Cup, Tudor has the opportunity to change his mind. After the match against Venezia, Tudor hinted to Juve's management to either make his contract permanent or let him leave at the end of this month.

"It will be known soon, not after the Club World Cup, but before (the Club World Cup)," Tudor said of his future as the Old Lady's tactician to Sky Sport Italia.

He added, "It is not a good idea to go there (the Club World Cup) with the same coach without a decision (on an extension) or making a change (in coaching). That situation is uncomfortable for the club or the coach."

In the group stage of the 2025 Club World Cup, from June to July 2025, Juve will face Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), and Manchester City.

In his experience handling Juventus in a very short time, Tudor considers the Old Lady to have a highly potential young squad. However, he continued, Juve is still too inexperienced for the title competition.

"I didn't build this team. We were a bit 'green', but a quality squad. I think this team could win something with the addition of two or three new experienced players," said Tudor, who was part of Juve's 2001-02 and 2002-03 scudetto-winning squads.

Juve's Director Cristiano Giuntoli promised to speak with Tudor soon to discuss his future in Turin. Giuntoli expressed that Juve is pleased with Tudor's performance as a coach at the end of the 2024-2025 competition campaign.

"As we said, we will evaluate him at the end of the season. We will make a decision soon, but we are very happy with his performance and the impact he has had on the team," Giontoli was quoted as saying by Tuttosport.

When Juve was still relying on Tudor, Antonio Conte was reported to have decided to leave Napoli. Conte will relinquish his position as head coach of Napoli after completing several final agendas with the club.

This began with a parade of the Serie A champions in the city of Naples this Monday. The following day, Conte will accompany the Napoli squad to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, and then hold a meeting with Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis for a proper farewell.

Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport, two of Italy's leading sports media, said that Conte's separation from Napoli could be announced as early as Tuesday (27/5/2025).

Dissatisfaction with the club's transfer policy and demands for improved training facilities were the two main reasons Conte left the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium after delivering the fourth scudetto in the history of the "Little Donkey".

"Since January, Conte has been dissatisfied with the team's transfer policy after releasing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Conte also blamed the team's poor facilities for causing many players to suffer muscle injuries during the season," wrote Sky Sport.

After leaving Naples, Italian media reported that Conte will return to Juventus. This is because Conte has become the strongest candidate to fill the position of head coach for Juve for the 2026-2027 season.

"If he leaves Napoli, that news (of joining Juve) would be the best solution for him," Ciro Ferrara, former Juve defender and coach and Conte's friend, told DAZN.

Meanwhile, Napoli will recruit former Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. A contract value of 6 million euros (Rp 110.6 billion) per season has been prepared by Napoli for the winner of six scudettos. Allegri was offered a two-season contract until June 30, 2027.

If the rumors materialize, the competition among Serie A teams in search of a new coach will intensify. At the very least, this will be experienced by AS Roma and AC Milan. Both teams are also interested in Allegri.

Roma is confirmed to be without Claudio Ranieri, who has only signed a short-term contract until the end of this season. Milan, on the other hand, has decided not to continue its partnership with Sergio Conceicao, who failed to lead the team to compete in European club competitions, despite securing the Supercoppa Italiana trophy last January.