Juventus have officially appointed Ricky Massara as their new Chief Football Officer, the club confirmed on Tuesday. Massara will operate as the technical lead under Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Carnevali, marking the return of a dedicated sporting director to the Turin club after a year-long absence. The move is intended to address shortcomings in the club’s organizational structure and improve both on-field results and transfer dealings.
Born in Turin in 1968, Massara began his footballing journey in the youth system of Torino, though he later played for Pavia and Pescara. His career transitioned into football administration in 2011, initially collaborating with Walter Sabatini at Roma and Inter Milan. He later returned to Roma before joining AC Milan in 2019.
At Milan, Massara worked alongside Paolo Maldini to build the team that secured the Serie A title in 2022 under coach Stefano Pioli. Following his departure from the Rossoneri, he had a brief spell at Rennes and most recently spent a season at Roma, where he secured the signing of Orkun Kökçü before leaving due to disagreements with coach Daniele De Rossi.
Juventus’s restructuring sees Carnevali at the head of the organization, with Massara leading the technical area in collaboration with Marco Ottolini. Giorgio Chiellini has been appointed Chief Club Affairs Officer, responsible for institutional relations with governing bodies like the FIGC, UEFA, and FIFA. Chiellini’s role will focus on external affairs, leveraging his experience and network to represent Juventus’s interests globally.
Massara’s immediate priorities include accelerating player departures to create financial flexibility for new signings, and assessing the situation surrounding forward Randal Kolo Muani. Carnevali may task him with replicating a successful transfer like the acquisition of Malen at Roma, which helped secure Champions League qualification. The club hopes this new structure will provide stability and direction as they aim to return to the top of Italian football.
