Manuel Locatelli (foto: Getty Images)
Juventus clinched a Champions League place with a 3-2 win over Venezia in Igor Tudor’s final game, with Antonio Conte set to take over.
Juventus are back in the Champions League, and they have Igor Tudor to thank for the final push. In what was likely his last game as interim head coach, the Croatian delivered a vital 3–2 win away to Venezia, ensuring fourth place in Serie A and a return to Europe’s elite competition.
With Roma also winning—2-0 away to Torino thanks to goals from Leandro Paredes and Alexis Saelemaekers—Juventus needed a victory to stay ahead in the table, and they delivered in a tense match full of twists.
A rollercoaster in Venice
Venezia struck early through Daniel Fila, but Juventus responded swiftly. Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani turned the score around before halftime, only for Ridgeciano Haps to equalise for the hosts and send Juve fans into panic.
Relief came in the 73rd minute when Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty, sealing a hard-fought win and punching Juventus’ ticket to the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
Tudor out, Conte in?
This was also the final match in charge for Igor Tudor, who stepped in late in the season and successfully steered Juventus back into the top four. Reports in Italy strongly suggest that his successor will be Antonio Conte, who is set to leave Napoli despite winning the title, following reported disagreements with president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
In a twist of fate, Conte is poised to return to the club where he previously won three Serie A titles as manager, while the man he originally replaced in Turin—Massimiliano Allegri—could now return to Napoli as his successor.