Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has been awarded with the Greatest Challenge prize at the 2023 Golden Boy awards ceremony in recognition of his title-winning campaign with Napoli in 2022-23.
The Greatest Challenge award is a celebration of managers and directors who have guided their teams to success against the odds.
Giuntoli’s nomination is largely in thanks to his role in assembling a Scudetto-winning squad for Luciano Spalletti while employed by Napoli until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Giuntoli had been credited with bringing the likes of Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-jae to the club in recent seasons. His success in the transfer market convinced Juventus to go after his services, eventually bringing him to Turin over the summer.
Life in Turin has not started too badly for the talented executive either, as Juventus sit just two points behind Inter in what looks to be an enthralling race for the 2023-24 Serie A title.
Upon being handed the award at the ceremony in Turin on Monday evening, Giuntoli said: “Thank you to everybody who thought of me for this award, I thank Aurelio De Laurentiis, who had great patience with me and also let me make mistakes, because I do make mistakes.
“The Scudetto was the result of lots of different, extraordinary things. A brilliant group of very good people, it was a victory in every area.”
On his new employers, Giuntoli added: “There is an extraordinary system at Juve, we are working side by side with Giovanni Manna, the club is benefiting from the great work done that has already been put in place.”