Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti defended his players after the home draw against Lecce, focusing particularly on the contentious missed penalty by David in the second half. Speaking to DAZN after the match, Spalletti praised the young forward’s courage and backed both Kenan Yildiz and Manuel Locatelli for their handling of the moment.
On the Attackers’ Movements
“When we’re inside the penalty area, we need to anticipate where the ball will go,” Spalletti explained. “We didn’t manage it. We couldn’t create space despite all our through balls and never found the man to convert inside the box. We need to improve the choices we make there. For the rest, we played a good match. I saw progress, but the result always makes the difference, because we only drew.”
On the Penalty Incident
Jokingly addressing the journalists, Spalletti said: “In my opinion, you journalists should have taken it! In these moments, a player’s emotions come out. There’s fear in the one who chooses not to take it — they know best on the pitch what to do.”
He continued: “David showed personality. He just couldn’t lift the shot those extra 20 centimetres needed to beat the goalkeeper. Locatelli and Yildiz, who are both penalty takers just like David, let him take it — and that’s fine. It’s a decision made in the moment. Next time I might step in because I like to decide sometimes, but that’s how it works. Not how you say it works. You look for loopholes and someone to blame.”
Spalletti made it clear there was no special concession made to let David score: “It wasn’t about giving him a penalty so he could score. He’s a penalty taker, and if he misses, it causes chaos. But the match is over now, we didn’t win it, and we must focus on the next games.”
On David’s Performance
The coach reiterated his support for the young striker despite the missed opportunity: “The fact that he decided to take it already makes me happy. What annoys me more are other situations. On crosses, we must do better — we have to know the near post is always guarded by defenders, so we need to choose something different.”
Spalletti also highlighted some physical duels Juventus lost during the game: “In those moments, we can improve — but also in those two or three tackles lost in midfield. We conceded the goal because we lost a physical challenge. That bothers me more than who takes a penalty or not. I stand with those who let him take it.”
