Juventus reportedly backs Spalletti, has no Conte plan

Juventus has no current plan to appoint Antonio Conte and remains committed to Luciano Spalletti, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. His account, relayed from comments on Sky Sport, counters reports that Juventus could compete with Manchester United for Conte if the English club changes managers. Di Marzio said Juventus wants to continue with Spalletti and is convinced he remains the right coach. He added that results and performances would ultimately shape the club’s assessment, but said recent poor results had not diminished confidence in Spalletti. No Juventus decision to dismiss him or pursue Conte has been reported. The reports linking Conte with Manchester United describe a possible move if Michael Carrick’s job becomes available. Manchester United made Carrick its permanent manager after he led the team to third place in the Premier League last season as interim manager. The club is still backing him, according to reporting published October 20, although his position has come under scrutiny following a difficult start to the current campaign. A report on October 20 said United had one win in its first seven league matches and sat 13th. Another account...