Igor Tudor has a point to prove as the Juventus manager because everyone knows he was not the first choice.
The Bianconeri had wanted to replace him with Antonio Conte after Tudor secured a top-four finish with the team. That was the target he was asked to achieve when he became their gaffer if he wanted the job permanently.
However, Juve were willing to pay a fine to break the agreement as long as Conte would accept the role as their new manager. The Napoli boss decided to remain with the Partenopei, which forced Juve to keep Tudor after Gian Piero Gasperini also turned them down.
It is clear that Tudor does not have the profile of a world-class manager as Juve would have liked to appoint. However, he performed well in the few games he coached the team and surely deserved to stay on as the coach.
Juve has now trusted him with the job, and this is a great chance for him to show that he can manage a top club and perform well. At the Allianz Stadium, he is working with some of the best players in Serie A, so he knows he must make the most of their talents.
Is a good start to this season possible?
Juventus face Parma and Genoa in their first two Serie A games of the season, and these are matches they should win. The men in black and white are stronger and have a better squad than these teams, so expectations are for victories.
Many fans will be backing Juventus to get off to a flyer, whether it is in Canada via sports betting Alberta or elsewhere, Tudor should know fans demand two wins from the opening two matches of the league season, so his team must deliver to show they mean business.
Their third fixture of the campaign will be against Inter Milan, but Juve can still win, with the main reason being that Inter have a new manager who needs time to adjust to his squad.
Verona and Atalanta will be their next two opponents, and most people will expect Juve to win here as well, even though La Dea are a Champions League club.
Atalanta have a new manager, and there are several changes to their squad, while Juve have already beaten them in pre-season, so they should be able to replicate that in a competitive match.
It will not be an easy start to the season for Tudor’s team, but he has the players to achieve victories in their first five league games, which will be crucial in validating the decision to appoint him.
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