Igor Tudor, the new head coach of Juventus, playfully threatened to “slap” Khephren Thuram if he misbehaves, referencing a similar incident involving Lilian Thuram and his son Marcus Thuram. This joke came during Tudor’s first press conference as Juventus’ manager, following his appointment on Sunday. Tudor led his first full training session on Wednesday and spoke to the media on Thursday.
During the press conference, Tudor covered a variety of topics, including areas for improvement within the team, leadership, and the evolving football culture. He was also asked about Khephren Thuram, a summer signing under former coach Thiago Motta, who has yet to secure a regular spot in Juventus’ midfield.
When asked about Khephren, Tudor joked, “I spoke to Lilian yesterday. If he does something wrong, I’ll slap him right away. No, really, he’s well-behaved. I know Khephren from his time at Nice, and I met him when I was at Marseille.”
Without context, Tudor’s remark might seem harsh, but it was a playful reference to an incident in May 2024. During Inter’s Scudetto celebrations at San Siro, Lilian Thuram jokingly slapped his son Marcus after he joined in an anti-Juventus chant. Tudor is well-acquainted with Lilian, having played together at Juventus in the early 2000s.
