While Andrea Pirlo will have a couple of months to save his job, Juventus have started looking at potential candidates for the future if the current coach does not turn it around.

A return of Massimiliano Allegri would be the easiest solution. The other options on the table are Gian Piero Gasperini, Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti.

As he stated recently, Allegri has maintained a good rapport with Chairman Andrea Agnelli. However, his comeback would be incompatible with Vice-president Pavel Nedved and director Fabio Paratici, who pushed for his exit two years ago.

Paratici, like fellow executive Federico Cherubini, is on an expiring contract, but they are likely to re-up for a matter of continuity and because it would be hard to find quality replacements.

Gasperini is tied to Atalanta with a long-term contract, but it was rumoured in the past that he would leave Bergamaschi only for Juventus, where he began his managerial career at the youth level. Inzaghi was a top target before Pirlo was promoted, but it was complicated to free him up from Lazio.

However, his extension talks have stalled again, so he is currently a free agent for next season. Luciano Spalletti has been without a team for a couple of years.

Both outlets indicate that an in-season firing is unlikely, but it will hinge on the next results since Juventus cannot afford to slip out of the top four. Igor Tudor would take the reins if that was the case, as he is the most experienced man on the staff. Moreover, he has grown apart from Pirlo and his assistants Roberto Baronio and Antonio Gagliardi during the course of the season because they have different styles and ideas.