Both Inter Milan and Juventus lost on Sunday and are now in crisis mode. Inter lost 3-1 at red-hot Udinese, while Juventus fell at lowly Monza as the host got their first win in Serie A. At the same time, the two coaches are now in danger and fans are increasingly asking for a change. The two sides are still publicly defending Simone Inzaghi at Inter Milan and Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus, but the question now is for how much longer?
Considering that now there is the first International break of the season, it might be good timing for the two clubs to take a decision about their managers. As of now, two Serie A clubs have already sacked their coaches. Bologna sacked Sinisa Mihajlovic and replaced him with Thiago Motta, who lost his first match on Saturday against Empoli, while Monza sacked Giovanni Stroppa last week and new manager Raffaele Palladino won his first ever Serie A match against Juventus.
Here are three coaches on the hot seat, how things have been going lately and more. Our hot seat level ranges from 1 to 10, with one being safe and 10 being likely on the verge of being sacked.
Inter Milan: Simone Inzaghi
Recent results
Inter Milan already lost three matches in the first seven Serie A games and conceded eleven goals, more than any other top Italian side. The Nerazzurri also lost the UEFA Champions League opening match against Bayern Munich but then won away in the second game against Viktoria Plzen. Inter Milan are currently seventh in the league and behind all the top other rivals, and they lost key matches against Lazio and the Derby della Madonnina vs. AC Milan.
Why he might stay
Inzaghi signed a new contract until 2024 earlier this summer and considering the financial situation of the club, it’s likely that the owner Steven Zhang will be reluctant to make a change quickly this season. Inter still have time to recover and we are only in the first part of the season. Romelu Lukaku has been out because of his injury. The club is likely to give him more time.
Why he might go
Despite the two trophies won the past season, there is now more pressure from the fans that are demanding change. Inzaghi seems to be also a bit confused, and as a consequence against Udinese, he showed some fear with his changes. The former Lazio coach decided to substitute both Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan after only thirty minutes in the first half because they were booked, and he wanted to avoid any red card. It was a decision that left fans and critics speechless.
Hot seat level: 6 out of 10
Juventus: Massimiliano Allegri
Recent results
Juventus have lost one Serie A game against Monza, but they also drew already four times in seven matches. They have only two wins against Sassuolo (opening match of the season) and against Spezia in August. Apart from the negative Serie A start that was also impacted by the injuries to Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa in particular, Juventus lost their first two UEFA Champions League matches against Paris Saint-Germain away and also the one at home against Benfica last week.
Why he might stay
Juventus CEO supported the position of the coach before the match against Monza and publicly said that he’s not in danger, but the match against Monza underlined once more the issues of the team. The president of the club, Andrea Agnelli, decided to give Allegri more power when returned in the summer of 2021 and signed a long-term contract until 2025. In fact, Allegri signed a four-year deal and started to work closely with Federico Cherubini, the new Bianconeri sporting director after Fabio Paratici joined Tottenham last summer. Sacking him would be an enormous defeat for the whole club and board.
Why he might go
Both results and quality of the game are worrying. Apart from what’s clear in terms of the results, the will of the fans to see a change is growing and might affect the decision of the club. Right after the end of the matches against Benfica and Monza, fans started to show their disappointment on social media as well. As a matter of fact, the hashtag “#AllegriOut” was trending the whole day and raised more doubts about the future of the Italian coach.
Hot seat level: 8 out of 10
Sampdoria: Marco Giampaolo
Recent results
Sampdoria are currently last in the Serie A table, level points with Cremonese and have five defeats in the first seven Serie A games. Two draws against Juventus and Lazio and only four goals scored, Marco Giampaolo’s side is coming from three consecutive defeats against Hellas Verona and Spezia away, and one home defeat against AC Milan.
Why he might stay
The club’s financial situation is worrying, with the current owners that are looking for new investors, and that was the reason why they were not able to strengthen the roster over the summer. This is why the club have confirmed the position of the manager after Sampdoria lost against Spezia on Saturday.
Why he might go
Sampdoria are going through a difficult moment and it’s kind of difficult to imagine how they can survive relegation this season if they won’t invest money in the next transfer window. It looks like the manager is the last issue that this team is facing right now and sacking him won’t be the best solution, but fans are asking for some answers in the coming games.
Hot seat level: 7 out of 10
