Luciano Spalletti signs two-year Juventus contract extension

AtalantaInternazionaleJuventusMilanNapoliScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsLuciano Spalletti signs two-year Juventus contract extensionSpalletti's deal had been due to expire in the summer Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Share full articleJuventus head coach Luciano Spalletti has signed a contract extension through to 2028. Spalletti’s deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season but the Serie A side confirmed on Friday a two-year extension had been signed. The 67-year-old was appointed Juventus head coach in October following the sacking of Igor Tudor. He signed an eight-month deal through to the end of the campaign, with an option to extend conditional on his side qualifying for the Champions League. Juventus are fifth in Serie A, one point off Como in the division’s final Champions League qualification spot, but the club have opted to extend regardless of whether they are participating in European football’s premier domestic club competition next season. “Since Luciano joined our great Juventus family, he has immediately had a very positive impact,” CEO Damien Comolli said. “It was immediately clear to everyone that Luciano was the right person to lead the team on a path to growth. “His ambitious style of play reflects the expectations of our fans and the club, and his values ​​represent our identity. “We have therefore decided to continue together beyond the previously agreed contract term, because we believe that stability and continuity are two essential pillars for future success.” Juventus were seventh in Serie A when Spalletti was appointed, and he has won 17 of his 31 matches in charge across all competitions. They exited the Champions League at the knockout play-off stage following defeat to Galatasaray in February, and were beaten by Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Before his appointment at Juventus, Spalletti had departed the Italy national team head coach role in the summer of 2025. His exit came after a 3-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Norway, and Italy went on to miss out on a place at the 2026 tournament following defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March’s play-offs. It was the third successive time they failed to qualify for the World Cup and Gennaro Gattuso subsequently left his position as head coach. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms James Horncastle covers Serie A for The Athletic. He joins from ESPN and is working on a book about Roberto Baggio. Follow James on Twitter @JamesHorncastle