Just days after Genoa Cricket and Football Club parted ways with sporting director Marco Ottolini, Juventus Football Club S.p.A. moved swiftly to bring him home — not as a scout, not as a mid-level executive, but as a pivotal architect of their next chapter. The 45-year-old Ligurian native, whose contract with Genoa ended mutually on October 31, 2025, is set to assume a broader, more influential position at Juventus’ Turin headquarters, effectively completing the club’s long-anticipated front office overhaul since Cristiano Giuntoli’s departure in spring 2025. This isn’t just a hiring. It’s a homecoming with heavy responsibilities.

From Turin to Genoa and Back Again

Ottolini’s journey is a rare loop in modern football management. He first joined Juventus in 2018 as a scout focused on loaned players — a niche role that gave him intimate knowledge of the club’s internal pipeline, youth development networks, and the delicate balance between squad depth and competitive urgency. By 2022, he’d built such strong relationships across Italy’s lower tiers and with foreign clubs that he was tapped to lead Genoa’s sporting direction. His timing was perfect: Genoa, owned by U.S.-based 777 Partners, was rebuilding after years of instability. Ottolini engineered their 2023-24 Serie B championship, securing promotion to Serie A with a disciplined, cost-effective transfer strategy that emphasized youth integration and smart loan deals.

But the 2025-26 season didn’t cooperate. Genoa managed just one win in their first ten league matches under manager Alberto Gilardino. With the club sitting near the relegation zone, the board made the call. Ottolini’s exit wasn’t a firing — it was a mutual decision, confirmed by Genoa’s official statement on October 31. The timing? Perfect for Juventus, who’d been quietly finalizing their shortlist since Giuntoli left. Within 72 hours of Ottolini’s departure, Juventus was ready to announce his return.

A New Kind of Director

This isn’t a standard sporting director role. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport and Get Football News Italy, Ottolini will operate as a “wider director” — a hybrid position that blends recruitment, tactical alignment, and operational oversight. He’ll report directly to Damien Comolli, Juventus’ Head of Football, while working shoulder-to-shoulder with Technical Director François Modesto and Director of Football Giorgio Chiellini. But here’s the twist: he’ll also serve as a key liaison to first-team manager Luciano Spalletti.

That’s unusual. Most sporting directors stay in the boardroom. Ottolini will be in the locker room, in training sessions, in video reviews. His job? To translate Spalletti’s tactical needs — whether it’s a central midfielder who can press high, or a fullback who can switch play — into concrete transfer targets. His past expertise in managing loaned players, especially those returning from Serie B and abroad, makes him uniquely suited to fill gaps without overextending the budget. “He knows how to find value where others see noise,” said one source close to Juventus’ hierarchy.

Why This Matters for Juventus

Juventus hasn’t just been rebuilding staff — they’ve been rebuilding trust. After years of managerial turnover and controversial signings, the club’s identity has been in flux. Giuntoli’s exit left a void. Comolli, a former Liverpool executive, needed someone who understood both the club’s culture and the realities of modern football finance. Ottolini delivers that. He’s not a flashy name. He’s not a former star. But he’s proven he can build a competitive squad under foreign ownership — at Genoa — and he knows Juventus’ internal DNA.

His return signals a shift: Juventus is moving away from high-profile, expensive transfers and toward sustainable, intelligence-driven recruitment. With the January 2026 window looming, Ottolini will be tasked with identifying 3-5 targets who fit Spalletti’s system — and doing it without breaking the bank. He’ll also manage the return of loaned players like Andrea Favilli and Matteo Cancellieri, whose development he oversaw during his first Juventus stint.

And there’s another layer: continuity. In a sport obsessed with change, Juventus is betting on familiarity. Ottolini’s deep ties to the club’s youth academy, his relationships with agents across Lombardy and Liguria, and his understanding of the Exor N.V. ownership structure (Juventus’ Dutch-based parent) make him the ideal bridge between tradition and modernization.

What’s Next?

Juventus is expected to formally announce Ottolini’s appointment by November 5, 2025 — less than a week after his Genoa exit. His first major test? The January transfer window. Sources indicate he’s already identified two midfielders in Serie A and one young striker in Portugal as top priorities. He’ll also be instrumental in finalizing the extension of captain Federico Chiesa, whose contract expires in 2026.

Meanwhile, Genoa’s search for a replacement is already underway. But the club’s recent struggles — and the loss of Ottolini — raise questions about whether they can maintain the momentum he built. For Juventus, though, this is a quiet masterstroke. No fireworks. No press conference. Just a smart, calculated move by a club that’s finally starting to think like a champion again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Genoa let Marco Ottolini go?

Genoa terminated Ottolini’s contract on October 31, 2025, after a disastrous start to the 2025-26 Serie A season: just one win, two draws, and seven losses in their first ten matches. While his work in securing promotion in 2023-24 was widely praised, the club’s poor form and lack of tactical cohesion under manager Alberto Gilardino led the board to seek a fresh direction — despite Ottolini’s strong operational record.

What makes Ottolini’s new role at Juventus different from a traditional sporting director?

Unlike conventional sporting directors who focus mainly on transfers and contracts, Ottolini will work directly with manager Luciano Spalletti to align recruitment with tactical needs. He’ll oversee loaned player relations, coordinate with technical staff on player profiles, and act as a bridge between the board and the pitch — making him a true operational arm of the club’s leadership structure.

How does Ottolini’s past at Juventus help him now?

Between 2018 and 2022, Ottolini specialized in scouting and managing loaned players — a role that gave him unparalleled insight into Juventus’ youth system, player development pathways, and relationships with smaller clubs. This experience makes him uniquely qualified to identify undervalued talent and reintegrate players returning from loans — a critical need as Juventus looks to balance competitiveness with financial prudence.

What impact will this have on Juventus’ January 2026 transfer window?

Ottolini is expected to lead Juventus’ strategy for the January window, targeting 3-5 players who fit Spalletti’s system — likely a central midfielder, a versatile fullback, and a young forward. His network in Serie B and Portugal, combined with his understanding of the club’s budget constraints, means signings will be precise, not splashy. Expect more loans and buy-options than big-money deals.

Is this a sign Juventus is moving away from big-name signings?

Yes. After years of chasing global stars, Juventus is now prioritizing tactical fit, financial sustainability, and internal cohesion. Ottolini’s hiring — a low-profile, high-efficiency executive — signals a shift toward long-term planning over short-term headlines. The club’s focus is on building depth, not buying fame.