Latest news with #ManuelLocatelli
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Will Juventus Replace Igor Tudor With Antonio Conte Despite UCL Berth?
Igor Tudor celebrates Juventus' win over Venezia (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Getty ... More Images) Having accomplished the vital task of securing a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, it is unclear what the future holds for Juventus boss Igor Tudor ahead of the 2025/26 season. Thanks to a final day victory over Venezia – discussed at length in this previous column – the Bianconeri finished fourth in Serie A, guaranteeing themselves the increased revenue that comes with a spot in European football's elite competition. The Coach deserves immense credit for that accomplishment, something that was far from a foregone conclusion when he took charge of the club following Thiago Motta' dismissal back in March. Losing just one of his nine games at the helm, Tudor claimed 18 points to get Juve over the line. That equates to two points per game, where Motta averaged 1.76 points per game over the rest of the season and there is little doubt that the players have responded positively to the change. They have repeatedly spoken of the impact made by the new boss, with Manuel Locatelli perhaps speaking out most directly. 'The energy has changed,' the club Captain told Sky Italia in April. 'We now approach games with a lot of positive energy and that is what we need to keep doing.' Beyond that improvement in mentality, Tudor also appears to have a far clearer idea of what he expects from the team as a far more obvious style of play has emerged under his guidance. Aggressively pressing opponents and then seeking to play an expansive and entertaining yet direct brand of football, they have managed to mask flaws in the squad to achieve the goal set by the club. Yet getting back into the Champions League is simply the bare minimum for a side of Juve's stature. According to Forbes' calculations, they currently sit outside the top 10 most lucrative clubs in the world, with a valuation of $2.05 billion and dropping five places from the 2023 list. Their biggest issue has been revenue, currently calculated to be around $459 million which is $100 million less than any team in the top 10 and is dwarfed by leaders Real Madrid's income of $873 million. While responsibility for that does not rest on Tudor's shoulders, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Bianconeri want to return to winning trophies not settling for a place in the Serie A top four. That has led to growing rumours of a reunion with former boss Antonio Conte, who built his entire coaching reputation on the transformation of Juventus he oversaw between 2011 and 2014. Back then, they were in even worse shape than they are today, having finished seventh in back to back seasons before he was appointed. Now, having just won the Scudetto with Napoli, DAZN journalist Orazio Accomando believes Juve will hand Conte a three-year contract with an annual salary of €8 million ($9.68 million). This follows news Conte will leave Napoli after disagreements with owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner dropping numerous hints that a split is on the cards throughout the title celebrations. Things are made even more complicated by the FIFA Club World Cup, with Juve's first game against Al-Ain scheduled for June 19. The Bianconeri have insisted that whatever decision is made about the Coach, Tudor will be at the helm for that competition only for the man himself to distance himself from that idea at the weekend. "My future will be known before the Club World Cup, as it should be,' Tudor told Sky Italia following Sunday's win over Venezia. 'Otherwise, going there and then not being there next year would not be fair to anyone. "I haven't spoken to the management about it yet. It's natural that I want to know my future, for a coach it's logical." That certainly causes issues for Juventus should they decide to move on from Tudor, with transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that it would cost the club €1 million ($1.14 million) to terminate his contract. There will undoubtedly be much more news on the futures of both Antonio Conte and Igor Tudor in the coming days, Juventus seemingly unwilling to stand still despite a successful end to the season.
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
How Locatelli And Yildiz Secured Champions League Berth For Juventus
Manuel Locatelli celebrates after the team's 3-2 victory against Venezia (Photo by Alessandro ...) Knowing that victory in their final game of the 2024/25 campaign would secure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League for Juventus, Manuel Locatelli and Kenan Yildiz delivered. The game against Venezia – themselves desperate for points to try to retain their Serie A status – was far from smooth sailing, particularly given the volume of players missing for the Bianconeri. Still without injured defenders Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, while Renato Veiga and Federico Gatti were only fit enough for a place on the bench. Add in a suspension for Pierre Kalulu and the options at the back seriously limited for boss Igor Tudor, who was ultimately forced to deploy a make-shift defence. Setting up with Nicolo Savona, Alberto Costa and former Newcastle United man Lloyd Kelly in a back three, Juve found themselves undone almost immediately after the match got underway. Some wonderful passing saw Venezia spreading the ball all over the pitch, ultimately resulting in Ridgeciano Haps' crossing from the left and Daniel Fila steering the ball into the back of the net. With just over one minute played, the Bianconeri needed to react and Alberto Costa – signed in January from Vitoria Guimaraes – soon thought he had bagged his first Serie A goal only for VAR to rule that he had handled the ball prior to his shot from outside the area. After good chances for Francisco Conceiçao and Randal Kolo Muani, it was time for Kenan Yildiz to step up. A smartly taken throw-in unleashed the Turkey international, who turned a Venezia defender inside out before driving a low, left-footed effort beyond Ionut Radu. Soon after, the Bianconeri took the lead after a defensive mix up allowed Kolo Muani to break into the area, neatly controlling the ball before firing it beyond the helpless Venezia goalkeeper. Half time came and went, but it seemed Juve had learnt nothing from the opening 45 minutes. Kelly was caught flat-footed by a long ball forward, allowing John Yeboah to burst into the box and pick out Haps who saw Savona turn his shot into the back of the net when Michele Di Gregorio had it covered. The Juve goalkeeper was back in action a few minutes later, keeping the scores level with a superb one-handed save to deny Issa Doumbia before both teams began to play with much more caution. With just 20 minutes to go, Conceiçao managed to isolate Hans Nicolussi Caviglia on the edge of the box and burst beyond him leaving the Venezia midfielder with little choice but to commit a foul. Surprisingly it would be Manuel Locatelli who stepped up to take the penalty, placing a well-struck shot into the top corner. The skipper leapt over the hoardings and ran up the stadium steps to celebrate with Juventus fans, capping an excellent performance on the night. According to statistics from Locatelli recorded three tackles, three clearances and one blocked shot while connecting with 74 passes as he controlled the tempo of Juve's attacks. 'I congratulate all the lads, we gave it our all,' the 27-year-old told Sky Italia after the final whistle. 'I am happy and proud to have scored this penalty, I am the captain and I had to take this responsibility. I'm happy with this victory and with qualifying for the next Champions League, which was our goal.' With that mission accomplished, the players can briefly relax. With that Champions League berth secured, Juventus are back in action on June 19 when they take on Al-Ain at the FIFA Club World Cup.
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Juventus ensure Champions League action next season with victory at Venezia
Juventus booked a Champions League place next season as Manuel Locatelli's penalty secured a thrilling 3-2 victory at relegated Venezia. Locatelli kept his nerve 17 minutes from time after Venezia, relegated with the defeat, had fought back in a vain attempt to deny Juventus finishing fourth in Serie A. Advertisement Daniel Fila fired Venezia ahead after two minutes and a quickfire Juventus equaliser through Alberto Costa was ruled out by VAR. La Juventus vince e conquista un posto per la prossima Champions League! ✅ #VeneziaJuve — Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 25, 2025 Juventus did level through Kenan Yildiz's fine finish after 25 minutes and Costa set up Randal Kolo Muani six minutes later. Ridgeciano Haps equalised for Venezia 10 minutes after the restart, but Hans Nicolussi Caviglia brought down Francisco Conceicao and Locatelli calmly dispatched the spot-kick to guarantee Juventus joy and Roma pain. Despite winning 2-0 at Torino, Roma came fifth and will play in the Europa League next season. Advertisement Leandro Paredes converted from the spot to put Roma ahead after 18 minutes and Alexis Saelemaekers soon added a second after the restart. Manuel Locatelli celebrates a goal during Juventus' 3-2 vital Serie A victory over Venezia ). (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP) Atalanta were already assured of third place and Champions League qualification but lost 3-2 at home as Parma secured their top-flight survival. Daniel Maldini scored twice in the space of 60 seconds to give Atalanta a comfortable half-time lead. But Parma replied through Antoine Hainaut and a Jacob Ondrejka double, with the winner coming in the first minute of stoppage time. Advertisement Empoli's relegation was confirmed by a 2-1 home defeat to Verona. Fiorentina qualified for the European Conference League spot next season at Lazio's expense with a 3-2 victory at 10-man Udinese. Di nuovo in Europa. #UdineseFiorentina — ACF Fiorentina (@acffiorentina) May 25, 2025 Nicolo Fagioli, Pietro Comuzzo and Moise Keane – who scored the winner eight minutes from time – turned around an early deficit against Udinese hosts, who had Jaka Bijol sent off for two bookable offences before half-time. Lazio finished below Fiorentina on goal difference and miss out on European football altogether after losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Lecce, who started the day in relegation danger. Advertisement Santiago Pierotti was sent off in first half stoppage time after Lassana Coulibaly had put the visitors ahead, but Lazio could not find an equaliser and were reduced to 10 themselves in the final seconds when Alessio Romagnoli saw red. Barcelona celebrated their LaLiga title success with a 3-0 victory at fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the opening 17 minutes and Dani Olmo converted a stoppage-time penalty as Barcelona finished the campaign with 102 goals, becoming the first LaLiga side to reach three figures since 2016-17. That's all folks! — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 25, 2025 Atletico Madrid had earlier made absolutely certain of third spot by routing Girona 4-0 in Catalonia. Advertisement Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored a second-half hat-trick and Clement Lenglet was also on target as Girona's disappointing season ended on a low note. Fifth-placed Villarreal finished on the same points total as Bilbao by beating Sevilla 4-2 for a sixth successive victory. Yeremy Pino and Papa Gueye struck inside the opening eight minutes before Djibril Sow gave Sevilla hope. Alex Baena restored the two-goal cushion and Gueye added a fourth after the restart, with Ramon Martinez managing a late consolation for the visitors.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Juventus Beat Relegated Venezia To Secure Champions League Spot
Juventus qualified for the Champions League on Sunday after beating relegated Venezia 3-2 to pip Roma, 2-0 winners at Torino, to Serie A's final spot by a single point. Manuel Locatelli's penalty in the 73rd minute won a exciting contest on the Venice Lagoon and secured Juve fourth place on the final day of an eventful season. Juve looked set for a straightforward win when quickfire goals from Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani put the away side ahead on the half-hour mark, after falling behind to Daniel Fila's strike in the second minute. But Ridgeciano Haps gave Venezia, who had to win to have any chance of staying up, hope of survival nine minutes after the break and put Roma briefly fourth. Claudio Ranieri's Roma were two goals ahead at that point through a Leandro Paredes penalty in the 18th minute and Alexis Saelemaekers' header seven minutes after the break, with fans of the capital club hoping Venezia would hold out. However, Locatelli calmly stroked Juve back into the lead and Europe's top club competition after Francisco Conceicao was clumsily brought down in the penalty area by Hans Nicolussi Caviglia. Ranieri ended his coaching career just missing out on giving Roma their first Champions League qualification since 2018, after dragging his boyhood club up from near the relegation spots following his second return in November. A Europa League place is still some achievement for Roma given where they were when Ranieri arrived, especially with local rivals Lazio not having any European football next season after losing 1-0 at home to Lecce, who stay up. Lazio dropped out of the European places with defeat at the Stadio Olimpico and Fiorentina beating Udinese 3-2 to claim the UEFA Conference League spot. Venezia meanwhile join bottom club Monza and Empoli, 2-1 losers at home to relegation rivals Verona, in Serie B.
Powys County Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Juventus ensure Champions League action next season with victory at Venezia
Juventus booked a Champions League place next season as Manuel Locatelli's penalty secured a thrilling 3-2 victory at relegated Venezia. Locatelli kept his nerve 17 minutes from time after Venezia, relegated with the defeat, had fought back in a vain attempt to deny Juventus finishing fourth in Serie A. Daniel Fila fired Venezia ahead after two minutes and a quickfire Juventus equaliser through Alberto Costa was ruled out by VAR. La Juventus vince e conquista un posto per la prossima Champions League! ✅ #VeneziaJuve — Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 25, 2025 Juventus did level through Kenan Yildiz's fine finish after 25 minutes and Costa set up Randal Kolo Muani six minutes later. Ridgeciano Haps equalised for Venezia 10 minutes after the restart, but Hans Nicolussi Caviglia brought down Francisco Conceicao and Locatelli calmly dispatched the spot-kick to guarantee Juventus joy and Roma pain. Despite winning 2-0 at Torino, Roma came fifth and will play in the Europa League next season. Leandro Paredes converted from the spot to put Roma ahead after 18 minutes and Alexis Saelemaekers soon added a second after the restart. Atalanta were already assured of third place and Champions League qualification but lost 3-2 at home as Parma secured their top-flight survival. Daniel Maldini scored twice in the space of 60 seconds to give Atalanta a comfortable half-time lead. But Parma replied through Antoine Hainaut and a Jacob Ondrejka double, with the winner coming in the first minute of stoppage time. Empoli's relegation was confirmed by a 2-1 home defeat to Verona. Fiorentina qualified for the European Conference League spot next season at Lazio's expense with a 3-2 victory at 10-man Udinese. Di nuovo in Europa. #UdineseFiorentina — ACF Fiorentina (@acffiorentina) May 25, 2025 Nicolo Fagioli, Pietro Comuzzo and Moise Keane – who scored the winner eight minutes from time – turned around an early deficit against Udinese hosts, who had Jaka Bijol sent off for two bookable offences before half-time. Lazio finished below Fiorentina on goal difference and miss out on European football altogether after losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Lecce, who started the day in relegation danger. Santiago Pierotti was sent off in first half stoppage time after Lassana Coulibaly had put the visitors ahead, but Lazio could not find an equaliser and were reduced to 10 themselves in the final seconds when Alessio Romagnoli saw red. Barcelona celebrated their LaLiga title success with a 3-0 victory at fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the opening 17 minutes and Dani Olmo converted a stoppage-time penalty as Barcelona finished the campaign with 102 goals, becoming the first LaLiga side to reach three figures since 2016-17. That's all folks! — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 25, 2025 Atletico Madrid had earlier made absolutely certain of third spot by routing Girona 4-0 in Catalonia. Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored a second-half hat-trick and Clement Lenglet was also on target as Girona's disappointing season ended on a low note. Fifth-placed Villarreal finished on the same points total as Bilbao by beating Sevilla 4-2 for a sixth successive victory. Yeremy Pino and Papa Gueye struck inside the opening eight minutes before Djibril Sow gave Sevilla hope.
