Joe Montemurro to Juventus: Is the former Arsenal manager a good fit? | OneFootball

Joe Montemurro has been announced as the new head coach of Juventus after standing down from Arsenal at the end of last season.

The Australian will start work with Serie A champions Juventus on July 1st. He spent four years with the Gunners, having coached Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in the W-League beforehand.

GiveMeSport Women assesses whether Montemurro is a good fit for the Italian side.

Most dominant club in Italy

Juventus have been the team to beat in Italy since its creation in 2017. With Rita Guarino at the helm, the club have claimed four Serie A titles in a row, two Supercoppa Italiana and one Coppa Italia.

This season, Juventus went unbeaten, finishing 15 points clear of nearest rivals AC Milan. They will be hoping their new manager is able to maintain this dominance.

Montemurro did not have the most successful season with Arsenal this year. The North London club placed third in the Women’s Super League, clinching a spot in the Champions League, but did not win any trophies.

Despite this, Montemurro did prove his managerial abilities during his tenure with Arsenal. In 2019, he guided the team to their first WSL title since 2012. A year later, Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Montemurro undoubtedly has a winning pedigree. It remains to be seen whether he can use this to help Juventus become one of the best teams in Europe, not just Italy.

Experience with world-class players

For Juventus to make the jump to Champions League glory, they must boast world-class players. The club already has a number of stars, such as this season’s top scorer Cristiana Girelli, but Montemurro’s reputation is likely to attract even more talent to the Italian city.

Montemurro also has a proven ability of nurturing and developing players already under his command. One such example is Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, who shone under the guidance of the coach, winning two Golden Boots.

Another is Leah Williamson, who was transformed from an emerging youngster into a confident and assured centre-back under Montemurro.

Montemurro’s Italian ties

An Australian coach heading to ply his trade in Italy is not as unconventional as it sounds. Montemurro’s grandparents are Italian, and he can speak the language fluently. Juventus have already shared a video of their new addition conducting his first interview for the club in perfect Italian.

Journalist Tim Stillman has commented on Montemurro’s Italian links. "The first team he played for was called Brunswick Juventus – a club in Melbourne formed by Italian immigrants,” he pointed out on Twitter.

Art de Roche of The Athletic also described Montemurro’s move to Italy as a “homecoming”. “Remember talking to him in 2019 about doing his coaching badges in Italy and what it was like to study football & create a base for himself there, so a homecoming in a way,” he said.

With Montemurro so familiar with the Italian language and football culture, he should take like a duck to water at Juventus.

What next for Arsenal?

Arsenal are yet to announce a successor for Montemurro. Applications for the role have now closed, but the identity of any potential replacement has been kept closely guarded by the club.

Regardless of who replaces him, Montemurro previously revealed he will always feel part of the Arsenal family.

“I can sit here and safely say that I will be forever part of the Arsenal family and I was one of the lucky ones that got to work here and give my all and meet some amazing people,” he said of his departure.