Secco first joined Juventus in 1999, working as a press secretary and then as team manager in 2000 under
Carlo Ancelotti. He then worked under
Luciano Moggi but was promoted to Moggi's position on 23 May 2006 when Moggi was forced to step down due to the
Calciopoli scandal that year. Former Juventus player
Didier Deschamps was brought in as manager and Juventus topped the
Serie B to win promotion. However, he and Deschamps had a falling-out over multiple issues, leading to Deschamps' resignation at the end of May 2007 with only two games remaining. Working together with chairman
Jean-Claude Blanc, Secco proceeded to purchase players in an effort to revitalize the team after Juventus regained promotion to the
Serie A. However, he soon came under fire from
Bianconeri fans due to his failure in buying top class players capable helping Juventus mount a title challenge against the likes of
Internazionale,
Milan and
Roma. Although credited with preventing the sale of goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon and young stars
Sebastian Giovinco and
Claudio Marchisio, he was highly criticized for signing players such as
Tiago Mendes,
Sergio Almirón, and defenders
Jean-Alain Boumsong and
Jorge Andrade during the 2007–08 season even though Juventus finished third in the league, thus qualifying for
Champions League football the following season. Meanwhile, Mendes, Almirón and Boumsong were all either loaned out or sold by the winter transfer window of the 2009–10 season. In February 2009, it was confirmed that he renewed his contract until 2011. He courted controversy after it was discovered that he had allegedly spoken to representatives from
Genoa and reportedly communicated with Moggi despite the latter's five-year "excommunication" from football. Despite 2008–09 season ending on a high note, Juventus endured a dismal run in the Champions League and later the
Europa League during the 2009–10 season. They were eliminated from European competitions after 4–1 defeat away at
Fulham despite taking an early lead and traveling supporters chanted "
Vattene Blanc e Secco" (Get lost Blanc and Secco) after the final whistle. The players were also jeered at upon their return to Turin and Secco and Blanc came under scathing criticism from fans and the media, as well as several club legends. Italian daily
Il Giornale even went as far as to accuse the duo of "embarrassing" the club. ==Career with Modena==