Juventus Youth Academy Braced for Leadership Change
Juventus is set for a significant change in the leadership of its youth sector, with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli at the centre of the developments. The club is preparing for the potential departure of their youth sector manager, Michele Sbravati, who is a primary target for Inter Milan. According to reports from Italy, Inter's CEO, Giuseppe Marotta, has identified Sbravati as the top candidate to replace Massimo Tarantino, who is returning to AS Roma, as the head of Inter's youth academy.
The move is complicated by Sbravati's contract situation at Juventus. The executive, who was personally brought to Turin by Giuntoli, signed a four-year contract when he joined the Bianconeri, a significant and unusual long-term commitment for a youth sector role. With two years still remaining on that deal, any move to Inter would require a formal agreement between the two clubs or a resolution of his current contract, making the negotiations a central point of the discussions.
Should Sbravati's departure materialize, Juventus is already preparing for his succession from within. The current director of the Under-20 team, Massimiliano Scaglia, is the strong favorite and the leading internal candidate to take over the role. Scaglia is a well-known and respected figure within the club, having previously held the role of youth academy manager before Sbravati's arrival. His potential return to the position is seen as a move to ensure stability and continuity in the club's youth development philosophy.
Scaglia is highly regarded for his deep understanding of the club's philosophy and his focus on holistic player development. His approach emphasizes not only technical and tactical growth but also the personal and educational development of young players, aligning with the club's historical emphasis on its youth academy. His previous tenure and continued work with the U20s have kept him intimately familiar with the current crop of academy talents and the club's operational structure, making a transition relatively seamless.
For Juventus, this potential internal promotion would minimize disruption. For Sbravati, the move to Inter would represent a significant step, offering him the chance to rebuild the Nerazzurri's youth sector in his own image, following the exit of a key figure in Marotta's long-term project. The situation highlights the high regard for Juventus's youth development structure, which has become a talent pool not just for the first team, but for the executives who shape it. The coming weeks are likely to see formal negotiations commence, with Juventus and Inter needing to find common ground to allow Sbravati to begin a new chapter in Milan.
