Antonio Cassano has shared his thoughts on Luciano Spalletti’s arrival as Juventus head coach, speaking on Viva El Futbol. The former Italy forward delivered an animated analysis of the club’s recent managerial changes, player attitudes, and what he believes Spalletti will bring to the side.
“First of all, I want to thank Tudor from a communication point of view,” Cassano began. “On the pitch, I might prefer one coach or another, but in terms of communication, Tudor went out with his head held high. He probably would have earned six points too. But then he threw Koopmeiners into a situation against Cremonese, who you know will play in a 3-5-1-1 or 3-5-2 shape. He said, ‘We made a mistake by always going down the right without switching sides.’ I’ve been saying for a long time that Koopmeiners will end up playing as a deep-lying midfielder. The other day he even said ‘midfielder or mezzala’ – perfect. Eventually, I think Spalletti will use him as the pivot in front of the defence, with two advanced midfielders working around him.”
Cassano praised Juventus’ performance in the recent win over Cremonese but didn’t hold back in questioning certain players’ motivation under previous coaches. “Koopmeiners and Cambiaso are two examples,” he said. “All of a sudden the coach goes, and you all wake up. Vlahovic didn’t miss a single pass – it’s easy. When Thiago Motta was there, three or four players looked terrified, now Vlahovic looked like Benzema and Cambiaso like Garrincha! Kostic is another great example. I have to credit the coach for that choice. He said, ‘I wanted him at Napoli, I like him a lot.’ He played and was the best on the pitch.”
Cassano then delivered a blunt message to the Juventus squad: “I want to tell the players that it’s not always the coach’s fault. On the pitch, it’s you who have been dreadful until two games ago. Against Udinese, for instance, Yildiz suddenly looked like Neymar again. Vlahovic had a great game, fine, but let’s be real. The best choice Juventus could have made is Spalletti. I’m absolutely convinced. In a short time, we’ll see a Juventus that will push Inter and Napoli hard. He’s a strong, credible coach who will wake some players up – and those who don’t, he’ll kick out. He now sees them every day, it’s not like the national team. He drills them constantly. I think Juventus will be the team, along with Roma, that gives Napoli and Inter a real challenge.”
