Why Spalletti is not on the Juventus bench vs. Lazio and who replaces him
Italian football assistant manager Marco Domenichini and Italy's head coach Luciano Spalletti reacts during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Switzerland and Italy at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti is serving a one-game ban for tonight’s Serie A match against Lazio and is replaced by his assistant, Marco Domenichini.
Spalletti received a red card after Juventus’ most recent Serie A match against Cagliari last Sunday.
The Italian tactician confronted his counterpart, Fabio Pisacane, and both were shown straight reds, resulting in a one-game suspension.
The Serie A sports judge has said that Spalletti “adopted a provocative attitude towards the opposing team coach, creating tension between the members of the two benches.”
Spalletti held a pre-match press conference on the eve of the game against Lazio, but is not on the bench at the Allianz Stadium tonight and is not expected to talk to the media at full-time.
Spalletti is watching Juventus-Lazio from the stands at the Allianz Stadium, sitting close to Juventus sporting director Marco Ottolini.
Domenichini, a long-time member of Spalletti’s backroom staff who also worked with him at Napoli and the Italy national team, replaces the Italian tactician against Lazio.
As Sky Sport points out, Domenichini last sat on the bench for a Serie A match in September 2022, during a Napoli home game against Milan.
“I have the best assistant in the world, and I’ll never change him,” Spalletti said during Saturday’s pre-match press conference on the eve of the game against Lazio.
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