Juventus are in the Netherlands for the fourth round of the Europa League, away at AZ Alkmaar tonight. After the draw with Rennes, Spalletti’s side want to resume their march. The manager presented the match in the press room alongside Teun Koopmeiners, who will be playing against his past and his own brother.
Spalletti: Trust, a Footballing Family, and a Warning
The headline quote comes from Spalletti himself: “Players are used to seeing managers sacked.” Tuttosport says he received the club’s trust and used the occasion to send a message to everyone. In the conference he described Carnevali, Massara and Ottolini as “my footballing family,” a notable phrase after a week in which Carnevali publicly said “Spalletti is the Juventus manager and we support him.”
Other lines from the conference carry the same themes. He said that “feeling the trust gives you strength with the players,” and, on Kolo Muani, “I am always on his bandwagon.” On Koopmeiners, his verdict was “Top player!” He also confirmed that Sarr starts from the beginning, with Alajbegović also discussed.
Koopmeiners: “It Is Always More Competitive Between Brothers”
The part of the conference in full is Koopmeiners’s, and it combines humour and professionalism.
On facing his brother Peer, who plays for AZ: “It is always much more competitive to play between brothers, but he remains my brother. Tomorrow will be a beautiful match. My shirt is popular now. How many have I brought to give away? Twelve!”
Asked who is better tactically: “I don’t know who is better tactically. He was more intelligent at school, that is certain. On the pitch, we will see tomorrow who is more intelligent.”
“I Am a Midfielder, and the Manager Has Told Me So Too”
On how Spalletti has changed him over a year together and on the positions in which he has been tried, Koopmeiners was direct. “I have played in many roles in my career, not only with the manager. I feel comfortable in the various roles, but I know that I am a midfielder, and the manager has also said that to me. But if Spalletti needs me in another role, I am available.”
It is a useful answer in the context of Moggi’s recent relay of Gasperini’s advice, that Koopmeiners should be allowed to find his own position rather than being handed a rigid role.
What to Watch Out For
Koopmeiners spent many years at AZ, in the youth teams and the first team, so he knows the club’s mentality. What should Juventus be careful about? “This morning I spoke to my teammates. I told them that AZ is a team that wants to play, even when we press. We have to be careful: when they lose the ball, they press immediately, and they play with intensity.”
He was also asked why AZ so often do well against Italian clubs. “In my view this is explained by the fact that they have a football philosophy with a lot of intensity and energy, with a desire to play even under pressure. It requires all the players to be in good shape, but I do not think it matters whether the opponent is Italian or not. It is a general philosophy that has been here for years.”
Family, Celebrations and a Book
On his mother, who has said she cannot choose which side to support: “We have talked about it a lot in recent weeks. I think she is not as nervous as my father and my grandfather. I think she cannot wait, but I have no advice for her.”
On whether he would celebrate a goal: “When I score I am not the type to celebrate in a very particular way. If I score tomorrow, I will celebrate with respect for the opponent, but it will also depend on the score at that moment.”
Teun and Peer are also writing a book together. “It is a book for children. It is about our story: the period in the academy, as youngsters, the adventures on the street.”
