Capello doubts Juventus will fight for title and sends transfer warning

Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello doubts that the Bianconeri will fight for the Serie A title under new coach Luciano Spalletti and says the Old Lady should not ‘waste’ money in January and only buy a ‘real solution.’

Spalletti was unveiled as the new Juventus coach on Friday, and the Certaldo-born coach said he hopes to be involved in the race for the title this season.

Juventus are currently 7th in the Serie A table, three points below a Champions League spot and six points below the leaders Napoli and Roma.

“Trying to fight for the title is clearly a great challenge for him and for the Bianconeri, even though personally I don’t consider Juventus to be on the same level as Napoli and Inter,” Capello wrote in his latest column for Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I put those two teams among the ones competing for the Scudetto, while I believe that for Juventus, the most important goal remains qualifying for the Champions League.

“If, however, the Old Lady manages to fight for the title, then we’ll have to praise Spalletti and give him credit for once again proving himself to be a great coach and an exceptional motivator.”

Juventus sacked Igor Tudor on Monday after three consecutive defeats and an eight-game winless streak, so how can Spalletti make the Bianconeri title contenders this term?

“The question is how,” said Capello.

“Through different formations, for example, or through alternative approaches that allow the players to perform at their very best? Let’s be clear. Having an effective impact from Wednesday to Saturday is by no means easy for a coach. It’s a difficult task, and it’s important to understand what kind of boost Wednesday’s result and his arrival really represent, whether it’s something temporary or lasting.”

Lastly, Capello gave a transfer suggestion to Juventus and their new coach: “Juventus will need to understand what kind of reinforcements will be available on the market. The key thing is not to waste money on a quick fix instead of a real solution. They’ve already wasted enough money in Turin.”

Spalletti has signed an eight-month contract, and Juventus have an option to extend until 2027 regardless of whether he qualifies or not for the Champions League.