Massimiliano Allegri‘s Juventus future is far from guaranteed, and Antonio Conte as well as Zinedine Zidane are considered to be the candidates to replace him at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Currently sitting third on the Serie A table, the Bianconeri are facing a plethora of off-field issues, not least the fact of the board resigning in late November and the club being investigated.
With a new board expected to be appointed on January 18, they will make their goals clear for Juventus in the long term and decide if Allegri fits into their plans or not.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Allegri will need Juventus to have a strong second half of the season to keep his job, and most importantly, secure Champions League qualification for the 2023/24 campaign.
Although Allegri is contracted until June 2025, it is possible that the new board may consider sacking the 55-year-old if targets are not met. To replace the Livorno native, a return to Juventus might be on the cards for either Tottenham boss Conte or Zidane. The latter has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid and although he is widely linked with succeeding Didier Deschamps as France boss, he could consider a return to coaching at club level.
Conte return to Juventus the ideal escape from Tottenham
Currently contracted to Tottenham until June 2023, Conte might not remain in North London beyond that, and he could return to the club he coached from 2011 until 2014. During his stint in charge of Juventus, the Spurs tactician lead the Bianconeri to three consecutive Serie A titles and a semi-final appearance in the 2013/14 Europa League.
Conte also played for La Vecchia Signora from 1991 until 2004, and won several trophies, including the 1995/96 Champions League. Given the club’s current predicament, this might be an opportunity for him to reshape Juventus in his own image once again.
Zidane could return to Juventus, more than 20 years later
From 1997 until 2001, Zidane played for Juventus and won two Serie A titles before signing for a world-record fee for Real Madrid. Zidane eventually coached Los Merengues, winning three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018.
The 50-year-old has been linked with the coaching role at the Bianconeri in the past but he might not take up the opportunity for now because he is in the running to coach France. Les Bleus coach Deschamps is expected to stay on after the defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final but Zidane could replace him if Deschamps decides to step down.
If Zidane does end up taking the Juventus job, it will be a new challenge for the coach as he has not coached outside of Real Madrid yet and he would not have the same amount of world-class players as he did in charge of the Spanish giants.
