Close to the end of the 2024-25 season, Juventus fired then-head coach Thiago Motta in a final push for the last Champions League qualification spot. He was replaced by Igor Tudor, the Croatian who had spent just over seven seasons as a Juve player. At the time, Juve had just lost back-to-back Serie A matches by a combined 7-0 scoreline and had slipped out of the top four.
Tudor was able to turn things around; with him in the Juventus Stadium dugout, the Bianconeri lost just one of their final nine league matches and clinched a spot in this season's Champions League. Subsequently, Tudor signed a contract extension which would keep him in the position until the end of the 2027-28 season.
Though it's still very early in the 2025-26 season, the signs are clear that Tudor has had an obviously positive impact on this team as evidenced by Juve's hot start to the new season - including their recent victory over Inter Milan in a pulsating Derby d'Italia. Lloyd Kelly scored his first goal as a Juventus player after having been set up by fellow centre-back Gleison Bremer. This early lead would, however, only last until the 30th minute when Hakan Çalhanoğlu equalized for the Nerazzurri. Juve would nonetheless enter the half-time interval a goal ahead as not too long after, Kenan Yıldız drilled a shot from well outside the box into the bottom corner of the net.
Çalhanoğlu scored his and Inter's second goal about halfway through the second half - a spectacular volley from just outside the penalty area. Marcus Thuram then netted his third league goal of the season to put Inter 3-2 ahead in the 76th minute only for, of all people, his own brother Khéphren to level the match six minutes later. Finally, in the first minute of stoppage time, substitute Vasilije Adžić scored Juve's winning goal; the Montenegrin midfielder emulated Kelly in scoring his first goal for the club following Jonathan David's assist - and it could hardly have come in more climactic circumstances.
Since taking over at Juve, Tudor has taken Juve to eight wins in 12 league matches and with three in a row to start the new season, they seem to be well-positioned for a real run at a first Scudetto since the 2019-20 season. The club's five full seasons since then have been marked by inconsistency, instability, and even off-field scandals - but the signs that Tudor might be the guy who turns it around are starting to become more evident.
The phrase "club DNA" is something of a cliché by now - but even so, it's perhaps the biggest factor as to why Tudor is succeeding where Motta didn't. As mentioned, Tudor spent a big chunk of his playing career at Juve. Motta, on the other hand, never did and even played for Juve's direct rivals Inter. As such, Tudor has been able to connect with his players in a way that Motta never could - and having earned the trust of the locker room as soon as he has, the team is now in a far more conducive position to push for the league title.
From a tactical standpoint, Tudor has switched Juve's main formation to three at the back, utilizing either a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-1-1 setup. This has in turn enhanced Juve's ability to create chances and cover space. He's also transitioned Juve away from a possession-heavy, low-tempo playstyle in favour of a more direct approach which emphasizes playing through the centre of the field. This has enabled Juve to force opponent's errors and create additional openings - and these tactical shifts were major reasons why Juve took the W against Inter.
It might actually have helped Tudor that up to now he'd never had any major achievements in any of his prior roles, thus reducing the pressure on him. However, as his and his team's stock continues to rise, that's likely to change. That will likely be the biggest test as to whether he is, in fact, the real deal - can he put it all together for an entire league campaign and not only win it all, but also perhaps even make a deep Champions League run? It's difficult to say, but their chances look better than they have in quite some time.