While making his managerial bow, new Juventus boss Igor Tudor was at the centre of attention, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
The Croatian was appointed as caretaker coach last Sunday following the sacking of Thiago Motta. However, Juventus Football Director Cristiano Giuntoli left the door open for a permanent role during the manager’s unveiling on Thursday.
On Saturday, Tudor led Juventus for the first time as Genoa arrived in Turin with every intention of spoiling the 46-year-old homecoming. Nevertheless, the Grifone were unsuccessful, as the Bianconeri controlled the action from start to finish.
Therefore, the 1-0 win for the Old Lady doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. Nevertheless, it remains a vital result for Tudor who avoided an untimely setback and managed to make an encouraging first impression.
So, how did the former Marseille and Lazio manager experience the contest?
Calciomercato explains how Tudor’s arrival was greeted by a ‘welcome’ banner from the Curva Sud ultras, who decided to cut short their protest and resume their full support to the team, as they didn’t wish to spoil the return of their old loyalist.
After saluting his supporters, the new manager looked both agitated and lively on the sidelines. In fact, the match official had to instruct him to stick to this technical area after surpassing the boundaries on several occasions, as he seemed eager to get as close to the action as possible.
In fact, Tudor did indeed play an important part in the action. The coach instigated the play that led to Kenan Yildiz’s goal, as he rapidly picked up the ball on the sidelines and threw it to Teun Koopmeiners while instructing him to play a quick throwball, which certainly paid dividends.
In the second half, the Juventus manager contested some dubious refereeing decisions, which earned him a booking. But in the end, he enthusiastically celebrated the win at the final whistle, rounding off a truly animated first appearance at the Allianz.
