Juventus suffered the sting of defeat in the final minutes of a match full of emotion and momentum swings. At the Mapei Stadium, the Bianconeri twice came back through Edon Zhegrova’s brace — only to expose themselves to the counterattack that allowed Adžić to strike the decisive third. It was Guglielmo Vicario who took responsibility for the post-match interview — speaking at length to DAZN, Sky, and in the press conference — and every word confirmed the character of a goalkeeper who understands precisely what wearing this shirt requires.
“Great Bitterness — We Lost Our Equilibrium. Juventus Cannot Concede Those Two Goals”
Vicario’s opening to DAZN was unequivocal. “There is great bitterness. I understand the desire to go and win the match — because Juventus have the obligation to try to win. But we lost our equilibrium. We were too reckless. The two goals we conceded — Juventus cannot concede those. The reaction after going behind was positive, but we must be more balanced and calmer — as we managed to be with the Woltemade situation. We must be calmer, because the chances come when you are.”
“The Captain Is Fundamental — but We Cannot Hide Behind Alibis”
On Locatelli’s absence, both on the pitch and in the dressing room: “The captain is certainly a fundamental player — but we cannot hide behind alibis. We have a strong squad and must be aware that we can go beyond everything. I am sorry for Manu because it will be a long injury — but we have players of quality and we cannot use it as an excuse. We wear a prestigious shirt with an incredible history and we must carry it with pride and a sense of responsibility.” On the emotional balance: “More anger or concern? Anger — because the match’s moment was in our favour. We have the qualities. We need the lucidity to understand that matches end at the last second. When we manage to change the wind and the direction of a game we show our qualities — and we did create chances tonight. We just need more attention.”
“Spalletti Told Us All Week — and We Let Them Punish Us on the Counterattack”
The most consequential admission of the entire post-match came on Sky — honest, clear, and not looking for deflection. “I am sorry — because it is difficult and I do not like coming here to give explanations when we lose matches. We sinned a little in terms of equilibrium. There was so much desire — beautiful to see, because we wanted to win this match. But we must have a little more calm. We have the personality and the players to understand the moments of a match. We struggled more on that side tonight. Too much, too much eagerness to close it out immediately. Then the match lasts 95 minutes. We were punished on two counterattacks that the manager had told us all week to prevent — this equilibrium, these preventive situations, this possibility of suffocating Sassuolo when they broke. That is the regret — that as a squad we must immediately absorb it and turn the page, because on Thursday we have another important commitment. In our season it will be like this at least until December.”
“We Unbalanced Ourselves Too Much — This Must Be Addressed”
In the press conference, the language was equally unsparing. “Juventus wanted to win it — I think that is clear from the attitude we showed, from the desire and the eagerness, and from the goals scored. We carry this match with us as a bad result — but the manager had insisted a great deal during the week on maintaining this preventive defensive equilibrium and they made us pay for it. We must have more awareness and the understanding that we need more balance and more calm to get the results — because we have the qualities. We unbalanced ourselves too much. That is a subject that needs to be addressed — and if we are not careful, in counterattacking situations we risk paying for it dearly. We do not like explaining things; we like playing football. But to produce results we need a collective idea that helps us — and we did not manage to use it. Now we turn the page. From Thursday we must show many things and we do not want to come here to explain defeats.”
“The Juventus Shirt — You Must Feel It on Your Back and Put Your Face on the Line”
The final passage was the one that will endure — simple, direct, and carrying the full weight of what it means to represent a club of this history. “I am satisfied with this adventure — I cannot have a greater gratification. But as a Juventus player I feel a sense of responsibility and must transmit it in the right ways. Because the Juventus shirt you must feel on your back — and it is right to put your face on the line when things do not go well. Juventus must always aspire to the best result. This time it did not come. Now we aim straight at Thursday’s match — which is very important.”
