Juventus lost 2-0 away at Genoa on 28 October 2026, and the conversation around Luciano Spalletti has moved quickly from concern to succession talk. The club are eighth in Serie A after nine league games, with 14 points and 11 points behind Inter and Lazio at the top.

The Napoli test

The game that now matters most is Napoli on 1 November. Juventus then face AZ Alkmaar on 5 November and Fiorentina on 8 November, three fixtures that come before the next international break and leave little room for the mood to settle. Napoli are sixth and also on 14 points, so this is a direct test against a side in the same chase group.

The league form is not disastrous in isolation, but it is not the sort of run that calms a club under pressure. Juventus have taken seven points from their last five Serie A matches, and their record stands at four wins, two draws and three defeats. That leaves Spalletti in a narrow window where one more poor result would only deepen the talk.

The names already in circulation

Reports have already moved on to replacements. Antonio Conte is described in several reports as the favourite, while Stefano Pioli and Didier Deschamps are also being mentioned. La Stampa, via sportsmole.co.uk, said of Deschamps: "He is free and is waiting for the right project to bounce back, after 14 years in charge of the France national team. His availability has already been communicated via intermediaries."

There is still room for disagreement over how concrete those names are. TMW has argued the issue is bigger than the coach, pointing to a squad that lacks a centre-forward and a midfield that is light, while Gazzetta added that "many are playing without enthusiasm or with their minds clouded by negative thoughts." It also pushed back on the idea that players are working against Spalletti.

Even with that split, the pressure sits where it should, on the next two home dates and then the break. Juventus go into Napoli on 1 November eighth in the table, with 14 points and the noise already ahead of them.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →