Cristiano Giuntoli faces uncertainty over Juventus future | OneFootball

Cristiano Giuntoli’s position as Juventus sporting director could be in doubt as pressure mounts on a number of senior figures at the Serie A giants.

Juventus have fallen out of the top four after suffering back-to-back defeats to direct rivals Atalanta and Fiorentina and there is now a real chance the Bianconeri will miss out on Champions League qualification for next season. A top four spot was seen as the bare minimum objective for this season and La Gazzetta dello Sport reports Giuntoli could be at risk if Juventus’ bad fortunes continue.

The season started brightly for Juventus, with optimism their new project under head coach Thiago Motta would flourish after spending €200 million on transfers during the summer window. However things have taken a bad turn in the second half of the season with both Motta and Giuntoli at risk of losing their jobs.

The sporting director was praised this summer for his investment and rejuvenation of the squad after Max Allegri was dismissed but events on the pitch have heaped pressure onto the footballing sector of the club. This season Giuntoli handed much of the management duties to Motta. A decision that could come back to haunt him as he is the main decision-maker so would take much of the blame for what has turned into a decidedly disappointing season for the Serie A side.

Round of 16 qualification in Europe was seen as such a certainty it was already factored into financial forecasts by the club. Instead they were knocked out by PSV and beaten on penalties by Empoli in the Coppa Italia. Plainly, Juventus are in need of financial injections only Champions League qualification can provide. If the Turin club were to finish outside the top four spots, serious questions would be asked of Giuntoli who is seen as head of the project.

Motta was replaced in the post-match press conference after the defeat away to Fiorentina in the clearest sign yet that the coach could be in hot water if results don’t improve rapidly. Some reports even suggest a decision on the technician’s job could be made after the next game against Genoa.

Both Motta and Giuntoli have contracts running until 2028 but if the Bianconeri fail to secure Champions League football it is not impossible to imagine both being dismissed this summer.

Davide Kociu I GIFN