Whatever happened to “ItalJuve”? Spalletti prepares to field 10 foreign starters

Juventus drift further away from their Italian identity as Luciano Spalletti considers fielding 10 foreign starters at Sassuolo

Juventus could name an almost entirely foreign starting XI for Sunday’s away match against Sassuolo, which kicks off at 20:45. A series of injury problems has left Luciano Spalletti with a selection headache, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario could be the only Italian in the line-up.

The Turin giants have not been in such a situation for more than 3 years. Unless Spalletti makes the unexpected decision to start Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani or one of the club’s youngsters, Juventus will begin the match with 10 foreign players.

Ekhator’s arrival appeared to signal a different direction

When Juventus signed Jeff Ekhator from Genoa in June, the move was seen as evidence of the club’s desire to strengthen the Italian core of the squad. General manager Giovanni Carnevali helped bring one of the country’s most promising young players to Turin at a difficult time for the Italy national team.

The striker’s arrival suggested that Manuel Locatelli would no longer be virtually the only prominent Italian presence in a squad featuring players from numerous countries. Just a few months later, however, injuries and departures during the transfer window have disrupted those plans.

Ahead of the match at the Mapei Stadium, Spalletti is considering a starting XI in which Vicario could be the only Italian. It would be an unusual situation for the “Old Lady”, a club that has supplied Italy with key players for decades.

Locatelli’s injury changed Juventus’ plans

The most significant absentee is captain Manuel Locatelli. The midfielder is expected to remain sidelined for approximately 6 months and will be unable to lead the team during a demanding period of the season. He was one of only 2 or 3 Italians who would normally have been virtually guaranteed a place in the starting XI.

Guglielmo Vicario falls into the same category. The goalkeeper was brought in to replace Michele Di Gregorio, who joined Bournemouth on loan, meaning the change did not affect the number of Italians in the starting XI.

Spalletti is also unable to rely fully on Andrea Cambiaso. The Italy international continues to struggle with an ankle problem and does not appear ready to start against Sassuolo. The coach has therefore lost his 2 most important Italian outfield players.

Jeff Ekhator will be sidelined for at least 6 weeks

Jeff Ekhator is also unavailable for the trip to the Mapei Stadium. The youngster signed from Genoa is injured and is expected to remain out of action for at least 6 weeks.

Spalletti has consequently been left with very few Italian options. Federico Gatti rescued Juventus in the closing stages of their match against AC Milan, but the defender does not appear to be among the favourites to secure a starting place.

Daniele Rugani is another option in central defence, while Augusto Owusu and Filippo Pagnucco have been permanently promoted from the Next Gen side. Starting any of them would prevent Juventus from repeating a scenario last seen in February 2023.

Unless Spalletti changes his plans, Vicario will be the only Italian in Juventus’ starting XI against Sassuolo.

Summer departures further reduced Juventus’ Italian core

The situation has also been influenced by the departures recorded in recent months. Fabio Miretti joined Beşiktaş, Mattia Perin moved to Palermo and Michele Di Gregorio was loaned to Bournemouth.

Until Cambiaso recovers and the other injured players return, Italians will have only a limited presence in Spalletti’s team. It does not necessarily represent an identity crisis, as the absences occurred within a short period and could not have been fully anticipated.

The figures are nevertheless striking for a club with such a rich tradition. Juventus have provided the Italy national team with numerous important players throughout their history, while the club’s most successful sides have almost always been built around a strong Italian core.

The most recent precedent dates back to 28 February 2023

The last time Juventus started a match with 10 foreign players and only 1 Italian was on 28 February 2023. Nicolò Fagioli was the only Italian named in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting XI for the Turin derby.

Manuel Locatelli was suspended for that match, while Fabio Miretti was unavailable through injury. Several Italians remained on the bench, including Leonardo Bonucci, Federico Chiesa, Mattia De Sciglio, Federico Gatti and Daniele Rugani.

Juventus have never begun an official match without an Italian in their starting XI. That historic record remains intact for now, but the limited number of Italian options could leave Spalletti on the verge of an unwanted first that the club’s hierarchy would prefer to avoid.

Juventus have only 7 Italians in a 28-man squad featuring 16 nationalities

Juventus’ squad for this season contains 28 players, but only 7 of them are Italian. The remaining 21 come from 15 other countries, underlining the international nature of Spalletti’s team.

France is the best-represented foreign nation, with 3 players. Poland, Turkey, Brazil and Colombia each have 2 representatives, while another 10 countries have 1 player apiece.

Juventus’ squad for this season

Goalkeepers: Kamil Grabara, Carlo Pinsoglio, Guglielmo Vicario.

Defenders: Andrea Cambiaso, Bremer, Daniele Rugani, Federico Gatti, Jhon Lucumí, Juan Cabal, Lloyd Kelly, Pierre Kalulu, Zeki Çelik.

Midfielders: Douglas Luiz, Kerim Alajbegović, Khéphren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Nico González, Pape Matar Sarr, Teun Koopmeiners, Weston McKennie.

Forwards: Arkadiusz Milik, Edon Zhegrova, Francisco Conceição, Jeff Ekhator, Jérémie Boga, Kenan Yıldız, Nick Woltemade, Randal Kolo Muani.

Only 7 of Juventus’ 28 players are Italian

The 7 Italians in the squad are Andrea Cambiaso, Carlo Pinsoglio, Daniele Rugani, Federico Gatti, Guglielmo Vicario, Jeff Ekhator and Manuel Locatelli.

Italian players therefore account for exactly 25% of the Juventus squad. The other 21 players, representing 75% of the total, come from other countries.

Juventus’ squad breakdown by nationality

Italy – 7 players: Andrea Cambiaso, Carlo Pinsoglio, Daniele Rugani, Federico Gatti, Guglielmo Vicario, Jeff Ekhator, Manuel Locatelli

France – 3 players: Khéphren Thuram, Pierre Kalulu, Randal Kolo Muani

Brazil – 2 players: Bremer, Douglas Luiz

Colombia – 2 players: Jhon Lucumí, Juan Cabal

Poland – 2 players: Arkadiusz Milik, Kamil Grabara

Turkey – 2 players: Kenan Yıldız, Zeki Çelik

England – 1 player: Lloyd Kelly

Argentina – 1 player: Nico González

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1 player: Kerim Alajbegović

Ivory Coast – 1 player: Jérémie Boga

Germany – 1 player: Nick Woltemade

Kosovo – 1 player: Edon Zhegrova

Netherlands – 1 player: Teun Koopmeiners

Portugal – 1 player: Francisco Conceição

Senegal – 1 player: Pape Matar Sarr

United States – 1 player: Weston McKennie

In total, Juventus’ dressing room brings together players from 16 countries. The squad consists of 7 Italians and 21 foreign players, a distribution that explains how the Turin side could start a match with only 1 Italian player in their starting XI.