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Juventus are close to appointing former Italian national team coach Luciano Spalletti as their new manager - but there's one very peculiar problem which certainly won't please fans of the Old Lady.
The fallen Serie A giants sacked Igor Tudor this week just six months after appointing the Croatian. He had overseen a dismal start to the season for Juventus, who were in the midst of a 394-minute goal drought at the time of his dismissal.
The club moved swiftly in securing Tudor's replacement, with Spalletti lined up to take the job until the summer. The 66-year-old is expected to be paid in the region of £2.5million over the next six months in Turin.
But despite joining with a proven track record of delivering success in Serie A, there's one slight problem with the appointment of Spalletti - he has a tattoo of Napoli's badge inked on his forearm.
The Italian spent two years in charge of Napoli, one of Juve's fiercest rivals, between 2021 and 2023. During that period, he cemented himself in the club's history by delivering their first Serie A title in some 33 years.
He eventually left at the end of the 2022-23 season to take some time out of the game, before spending two years in charge of the Italy national team.
Igor Tudor was sacked this weekend amid a dismal run of form for Juventus
The Old Lady are set to appoint former Italy and Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti as their new manager
But there's one very awkward problem - he has a tattoo of Napoli's crest on his forearm
And, in another blow to Juventus supporters, while out of work earlier this year Spalletti claimed he would 'never' manage another Italian side due to his allegiance to Napoli.
Speaking at a conference, he said: 'I wanted to save Napoli for last, for specific reasons. Of course, I could never have coached another team in Italy.
'When you've been in that context, experienced matches as a coach and worn Maradona's shirt, it becomes too difficult to return as an opponent.'
How times have changed just a few months on, with Spalletti likely to be in the dugout at Jamie Vardy's Cremonese on Saturday donning the iconic black and white stripes of Juventus.
He takes over a side badly out of form and in need of a new lease of life. The Old Lady are without a win in some nine games and have not scored a single goal in 394 minutes.
The nail in the metaphorical coffin of Tudor's reign came at Lazio on Sunday evening, a 1-0 loss for Juve who looked bereft of ideas and lacking confidence.
Reports in Italian newspapers said Tudor was informed of his fate on Monday morning in a meeting, with the news made public shortly after.
In a statement, the club said: 'Juventus FC announces that it has today relieved Igor Tudor of his duties as head coach of the Men's First Team, along with his staff consisting of Ivan Javorcic, Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci.
Spalletti cemented himself in Napoli history when he won the Serie A title in 2022-23
He takes over a Juventus side without a win in nine games and a goal in 394 minutes
'The club also announces that it has temporarily entrusted the Men's First Team to Massimo Brambilla, who will be on the bench for the Juventus-Udinese match on Wednesday evening.
'The club thanks Igor Tudor and his entire staff for their professionalism and dedication over the past few months and wishes them all the best for their future careers.'
Massimo Brambilla, who is in charge of Juventus' Next Gen team, which is effectively the club's reserve team or Under-23s side, has taken the reins on an interim basis, and he will oversee Wednesday's match against Udinese.
