Fabrizio Ravanelli has delivered a blunt assessment of Juventus’ current and future attack, arguing that Jonathan David and Loïs Openda “got everything wrong” and warning that even a duo of Dusan Vlahovic and Randal Kolo Muani would not be sufficient on their own. The former Bianconeri striker believes that being the leading centre-forward at Juventus requires far more than just goals, starting from personality and leadership.
Ravanelli began by outlining what it takes to wear the number nine shirt in Turin. “You need to lead the line, tidy up the play, hold the ball up to push the team up the pitch and finish chances,” he explained. “You need physical strength, with qualities like Osimhen or Lautaro, and a strong leadership built into your DNA, regardless of goals. It is not created with words, but with how you act in a match, with your body language, wanting the ball without hiding and without fear. You need to know what to do with the ball at your feet.”
“Vlahovic Can Stay at Juve – If He Is Really Ready”
Asked whether Vlahovic fits this profile, Ravanelli was cautious but not dismissive. “He can be part of Juventus, that is undeniable, but this will depend on the club’s strategies, whether they decide to continue with Vlahovic or look for new strikers who can start from zero,” he said. “Dusan has been criticised in the past: if he stays and then next year ‘misses’ a few games, non-constructive problems will arise. If he is fit he can be important.”
Ravanelli’s remarks reflect the delicate balance the club must strike: trusting a striker already under scrutiny or turning the page completely.
“They Got Everything Wrong”: David and Openda Under Fire
The conversation then switched to those who did start “from zero” this season – and struggled. “They got everything wrong,” Ravanelli said of David and Openda. “But it can happen that you buy players you thought were suitable and then you discover they are weak in terms of character: when personality weaknesses emerge, the technical certainties fade.”
Despite Luciano Spalletti’s positive impact – Juventus currently boast the second-best attack in Serie A behind Inter – the centre-forwards have consistently found life difficult. For Ravanelli, the explanation is straightforward. “Simple: Juve create a lot and play really very well – especially recently they have been offering the best football in Italy – but unfortunately they have a flaw: just as they have adjusted the defensive phase, they now need to adjust the finishing phase, because they do not exploit all the chances they create,” he argued. “They are not yet clinical enough to fight for the Scudetto, but I am convinced they can do it next year.”
On whether a more prolific striker would have changed the picture, he was unequivocal. “Absolutely yes. Juventus have lacked in the finishing phase, there is no point hiding behind a finger and there is no need to point that finger at anyone either,” he said. “The defender must defend, the midfielder must run and build, the striker must finish. And Juventus have struggled all year to finish.”
“Kolo Muani Guarantees 15–20 Goals – But He and Vlahovic Are Not Enough”
Ravanelli is convinced that Kolo Muani could be a key addition. “In Italy he can do very well and he has already shown it, he guarantees 15–20 goals per season: he is quick, with bursts of pace and dribbling, I would see him fitting in well,” he noted. “If you think of Kolo Muani–Osimhen, Kolo Muani–Thuram or Thuram–Osimhen, these are partnerships that every Juventus fan would want.”
However, he poured cold water on the idea of a Kolo Muani–Vlahovic partnership. “In my view they cannot play together on the pitch,” he stated. More broadly, he warned that simply having two high-level strikers will not be enough if Juventus are to juggle domestic and European commitments. “More generally, if you qualify for the Champions League, Vlahovic and Kolo Muani are not enough, you need something extra because there are so many matches and you always have to compete,” he insisted. “At Juventus you do not prioritise one competition and abandon another: you have to win even when you are playing cards. And you need players who can carry forward Spalletti’s idea of football.”
“Worried by a Lack of Character”: David and Openda’s Mental Gap
Returning to David and Openda, Ravanelli acknowledged the turbulent context but did not spare criticism. “They have had difficulties along with the whole team: their performances are also the result of a turbulent season, without clarity in the system of play,” he admitted. “But they have shown shortcomings in terms of character. I played for this club and I am a fan: in addition to quality, to play for Juventus you have to show the personality needed to represent one of the best clubs in the world, you cannot hide.”
He emphasised that the human aspect cannot be ignored. “They are extraordinary lads and the environment did not help them, but even if performances go up and down, the lack of character has been worrying,” he said.
By contrast, he sees no shortage of personality in Vlahovic. “Yes, he has often been almost too exuberant, taking on responsibilities that were not his: it shows that he is willing and that he cares,” Ravanelli observed. “David and Openda instead seemed a bit shy and, in difficult moments, they closed in on themselves without bringing out the character needed to show their value: by asking for the ball, pressing, running for their team-mates.”
Boga, Yıldız and the Present – Bernardo Silva for Personality
Looking at the immediate future, Ravanelli expects Spalletti to be pragmatic. “I think the coach will wait for Vlahovic to fully recover and, until then, will continue with Boga and Yıldız,” he predicted. “It is an attack that never gives any reference points, with the interchangeability of the three making life difficult for opponents. Maybe I will be proved wrong, but the coach certainly knows what to do because he is an extraordinary manager.”
To bolster the team’s personality and creativity, Juventus are also evaluating the possible arrival of Bernardo Silva on a free transfer. Ravanelli is in no doubt about his quality. “We are talking about a very good player, especially in the final pass and in creating superiority,” he said.
