Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli spoke to DAZN following his team’s crushing 4-0 defeat to Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium. The Italian international offered a candid assessment of the match and addressed the fans’ reaction to the disappointing performance.
“It’s obviously difficult to comment on a game like this,” Locatelli began. “I think we played well until the penalty, but the early goal in the second half really knocked the wind out of us. We weren’t able to react, and when you open up against a team like Atalanta, you’re bound to concede goals. We need to analyse the match in this light, and it’s absolutely unacceptable.”
When asked about managing the relationship with the fans after such a defeat, Locatelli was forthright: “I believe the fans have every right to boo when they see a performance like this. I always tell our younger players – and we are one of the youngest teams – that changing this atmosphere depends solely on us. The fans always support us, and I repeat, they have the right to boo.”
Addressing the team’s struggles in possession, Locatelli added, “We always need to analyse the goals we concede. Credit must also be given to Atalanta; they won all the duels. We had practiced this in training, but we didn’t show it on the pitch today. Congratulations to them. Now we need to focus on our work. I know these might sound like clichés, but we need to keep our heads up and stay focused.”
The match was a one-sided affair, with Atalanta dominating from start to finish. Goals from Retegui (penalty), De Roon, Zappacosta, and Lookman sealed a historic victory for the visitors and dealt a significant blow to Juventus’ title aspirations.
