The future of Torino manager Roberto D'Aversa remains in doubt despite the team's recent resurgence, with president Urbano Cairo reportedly considering other options, including a return for Ivan Juric or a move for Gennaro Gattuso. According to Italian media reports, Cairo's public comments have done little to assure D'Aversa of a long-term future at the club, even after the coach guided the team to mathematical safety in Serie A.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Rome, Cairo addressed speculation linking the club with Daniele De Rossi, who is settled at Genoa, before turning to the incumbent. "De Rossi is doing well and is a good person," Cairo said. "But I have not considered a De Rossi hypothesis today because we now have coach D'Aversa. We are evaluating him for a possible permanence. We will see if it will be possible or not." This echoed similar remarks made by the president three weeks prior, which have been interpreted as a lack of full commitment.
D'Aversa, who took over from the sacked Alessandro Buongiorno in February, has overseen a significant turnaround, securing four wins and two draws from eight matches, including a recent comeback draw against Inter Milan. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he has admitted to receiving no signals from the club about an extension, despite stating his desire to stay. The former Empoli boss, who suffered relegation last season, is said to be hopeful that strong results in the final fixtures against Udinese, Sassuolo, Cagliari, and Juventus could force Cairo's hand.
However, the prevailing reports suggest Cairo and sporting director Davide Petrachi have serious doubts and are actively surveying the market. The most prominent name remains Ivan Juric, the Croatian coach who left Torino last summer after a three-year tenure. Cairo is known to have maintained contact with Juric and had previously explored a return for him even during the tenure of Paolo Vanoli's successor. While Juric is said to be open to a comeback, his relationship with the Torino fanbase became strained in his final year, which would present a challenge.
The new and growing alternative, according to the reports, is Gennaro Gattuso. The former Italy and AC Milan midfielder has long been admired by Cairo, who attempted to hire him in both 2023 and 2024. Those moves were ultimately unsuccessful, but Cairo is now said to be renewing his pursuit, this time with the support of Petrachi rather than former director of sport Davide Vagnati. Gattuso is currently without a club after leaving Olympique de Marseille in early 2024.
The situation leaves D'Aversa in a precarious position, effectively auditioning for his job over the final month of the season despite his successful rescue mission. For Cairo, the decision represents a pivotal moment in defining the club's direction after a period of managerial instability. The coming weeks will determine whether D'Aversa's results are enough to secure a new contract or if Torino will embark on a fourth managerial change in just over a year.
