MILAN (AP) — Igor Tudor could be exactly the coach Juventus needs and at exactly the right time.
Tudor accepted the job last weekend, replacing Thiago Motta with the storied Italian club in disarray and discord.
Juventus is out of all competitions, having been eliminated from the Champions League and the Italian Cup. In Serie A, its faint chance of challenging for the title has evaporated after conceding seven goals and scoring none in its last two matches — 4-0 and 3-0 losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina.
That has left a shellshocked Juventus in fifth place and at risk of not qualifying for the Champions League next season. Motta also reportedly lost the support of key players.
Enter Tudor.
The 46-year-old has a reputation for being a fixer, coming into clubs during the season and turning things around — having done that at Udinese (twice), Hellas Verona and Lazio.
Tudor also has a reputation as a no-nonsense coach, who can handle difficult players and who will follow his own beliefs rather than toe the line to appease club bosses.
He left Marseille and Lazio after falling out with the hierarchy.
“Am I someone who resolves problems? I consider myself a coach,” Tudor said in a news conference on Thursday. “I started coaching young and I’ve been doing it for 10-15 years, I have gone around a lot, I can also be a bit particular because I make choices with my heart.
“I continue if I feel it is right. If not, I go home regardless of my contract. I live in the present. I want to be here for 10 years but I will do my work in the same way. We can’t control what happens in the future.”
Tudor has been given a contract until the end of June, taking him through to the end of the domestic season and the Club World Cup in the United States. His contract will reportedly be automatically renewed for another year if Juventus qualifies for the Champions League.
Juventus is one point below fourth-placed Bologna and Tudor’s first match in charge will be on Saturday, at home to Genoa.
“I believe a lot in this team because it has quality players and a great desire to improve,” Tudor said. “We know that we are going through a difficult period and that there has been little time to work on changes, but there are no excuses in life and I have never looked for them.”
Tudor knows Juventus well, having spent almost a decade as a player at the club, and then returning as an assistant coach to Andrea Pirlo in 2020-21. Pirlo and Tudor were fired at the end of that season.
The Croatian tactician is very much aware of the demands of the record 36-time Serie A champion.
“At Juve I learnt a lot, both as a player and as assistant coach,” Tudor said. “This club has a unique work culture. I’ve told the lads about some moments I experienced here as a youngster … what makes up Juve: Respect, discipline, sacrifice and the will to win.
“Over the years I have been involved with many teams and I have never seen a mentality like the one I found here. At Juve, hard work comes first and every choice is made with great care. This spirit must be our starting point.”
One of the many stars Tudor played with at Juventus was Lilian Thuram, who was his Bianconeri teammate for five seasons.
One of Thuram’s sons, Khéphren Thuram, plays for Juventus.
“I spoke to Lilian yesterday and he told me that if Khéphren does something wrong, I have to immediately give him a smack,” Tudor said with a laugh.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Daniella Matar, The Associated Press
