After Juventus’ hard-fought encounter with Galatasaray, Giorgio Chiellini, the club’s Director of Football Strategy, spoke to Sky Sport Italia, sharing his reflections on the team’s performance, the state of the squad, and Luciano Spalletti’s future.
“There’s Bitterness, but Also Pride”
Chiellini did not hide his mixed emotions about the match, describing it as both disappointing and inspiring for the team’s spirit.
“Today was the cherry on top… We come out stronger, with an awareness that must not be shaken by one and a half bad games. We played to the very end with ten men and would have deserved more even with a man down.
There was a spark, a renewed confidence and unity that can help us for the rest of the season. There’s regret, but also pride for what we’ve done.
It’s a key moment in the season — twelve games to go. In Rome it will be tough, and there’ll be some fatigue, but we should balance that with confidence and our belief in our strength to perform well against a good side in form. After Rome, there will be eleven matches left, and we’ll do our best to reach the goals within our grasp.”
“Spalletti Is One of Us”
When asked about Spalletti not speaking publicly after the match, Chiellini defended the coach, stressing his emotional involvement and the importance of the club stepping in at certain moments.
“He’s exhausted like everyone else. I think it’s right that sometimes the club speaks, especially after a game like today’s. The players gave everything.”
“The Coach Has Restored Belief”
Chiellini credited Spalletti for guiding the players through recent difficult results and keeping them focused on the bigger picture.
“In the past few days, the coach worked on showing the players that one and a half bad games or a few negative results don’t change the overall journey. He’s already rebuilt the team’s awareness and confidence.
I understand the disappointment — it’s huge — but the team proves itself when it plays with conviction. There’s still time to achieve everything and continue this path, without changing too much, but by pushing to get a bit more out of it.”
“No Doubts About Our Future Together”
The former Juventus captain was clear about the club’s stance regarding Spalletti’s contract and the direction moving forward.
“There’s never been any doubt about the future of Juventus or Luciano.
You’ve all seen our schedule over the past weeks — we haven’t had a moment to breathe. Now, with only one game per week, we’ll finally have time to sit down, share ideas about the future, and formalise things at the right moment.
We’ve already started reviewing several contract renewals, and Luciano has always been a priority, never a doubt.”
“We’ve Seen Who We Can Count On”
Chiellini also hinted at internal evaluations happening within the club, praising certain players while implying that others may not fit Juventus’ long-term vision.
“Over these months, we’ve seen the positives from those stepping up. I don’t like naming names — beyond those who’ve shown they might not be ready for battle, we’ve also seen people we can definitely take to war.
Many players have given that bit extra in recent weeks. Every club has its assessments to make, and we’ll make our decisions at the end of the season.”
“Vlahović’s Return Will Be Key”
Finally, Chiellini acknowledged how much Juventus have missed Dusan Vlahović, hinting that the Serbian striker’s return could be decisive in the season’s finale.
“Let’s not forget the absence of Vlahović — that’s no small thing. He’s been a key player for many years, and being without him for four months wasn’t easy; we’ve paid for it.
He’s close to coming back and should rejoin training after the Roma match to help us in the final stretch.
here’s mutual respect, and we’ll find the time to discuss whether we can continue together. He’s a player who has these colours inside him — you could see it when Kalulu scored against Lazio. We’ll see if the conditions are there to move forward together.”
