Juventus, what lies behind Carnevali’s comments on Spalletti’s position as manager

The club’s view on the Juventus manager’s position

After the heavy league defeat to Lazio and the 2-2 Europa League draw with Rennes, Giovanni Carnevali spoke about Luciano Spalletti: "The manager is the same as ever. He knows he has work to do. The manager's seat is hot, but that comes with being at a club like Juventus, where if you play two matches poorly, people talk about changes. But we know what we need to do, and he is working on the problem areas".

Part defence, part warning, the Juventus chief executive's words reveal how the top brass at Juventus view the manager. For months, the refrain at Continassa has been one word: continuity. That directive comes directly from John Elkann, stung by too many changes in recent years, both at executive level and among the managers. The club brought in Carnevali and Massara with that aim: to give Juventus continuity for the years ahead. The same applies to Spalletti's two-year contract renewal, which Elkann himself wanted even before Carnevali arrived.

The confidence

Juventus want to stick with Spalletti, despite a start to the season that probably nobody, not even at Continassa, expected to be so difficult. Defeats, an incredible number of injuries and plenty of controversy, including within the club, have followed. Juventus, Elkann and Carnevali intend to keep backing Spalletti at least until the end of this season. They can then assess the situation more calmly once the dust has settled, perhaps with qualification for next season's Champions League secured. Carnevali, though, probably does not see Spalletti as the ideal manager, and the chief executive is reportedly weighing up other candidates for Juventus' future, with Simone Inzaghi at the top of the list.

The notice

Spalletti remains in charge for now, but the warning is clear: "the Juventus job is a hot seat". Further slip-ups could put even the watchword "continuity" in doubt. Lecce, Genoa, Napoli, AZ Alkmaar and Fiorentina leave Juventus with a paradox: Spalletti's future is secure for now thanks to the club's faith in him and his contract, but if those five matches before the break go badly, everything could be called into question again. And quickly.