On the eve of Juventus’ Champions League match against Pafos, Luciano Spalletti spoke to the press about what he expects from his team, the opposition’s qualities, and the development of individual players. The coach appeared both reflective and determined, describing Juventus as a side still learning to express its true potential.
“Pafos Are a Tough Side”
Spalletti was quick to underline the threat posed by the Cypriot team.
“Pafos are a tough side,” he said. “They have many Brazilian and Portuguese players who know how to play football. They only looked bad against Bayern and have conceded very few goals. They’re gritty, they come at you hard, they use their hands — every duel becomes its own story. They’re organised on set pieces, and their two attacking midfielders have great quality. We’ll need to be clever not to concede counterattacks because they’ll press you aggressively to intimidate you.”
Juventus’ Attack “Must Believe in Its Quality”
Asked about his team’s attacking performances, Spalletti admitted that improvement is still needed but stressed that progress is visible.
“The numbers aren’t what we’d like at the moment — in results or individually,” he acknowledged. “But now I know the players better, and that’s fundamental. I see improvement in some aspects, though as Kalulu said, we don’t always repeat them enough during matches. We need to recognise those moments more and produce them more often. I’ve seen some really good plays from our forwards. If I look at Sunday’s goal, it was a beautiful one — that shows the quality is there. The key is to believe in it and reproduce those situations more often.”
“Nothing Has Changed for Me”
Discussing his own mindset, Spalletti made it clear that his motivation remains unwavering despite the ups and downs of a demanding season.
“I have the same intentions and certainties I had when I accepted to become Juventus coach,” he said. “I see the players improving; the more I see them, the more I get angry and reassured at the same time — they make me feel like I’m on a rollercoaster. You see something and think, ‘Right, we’ve got it now,’ and then suddenly it disappears, and you start from scratch. But for me, nothing changes.”
Praise for Thuram
The coach also expressed full confidence in Marcus Thuram, praising both his attitude and performance.
“From my point of view, he’s strong and played a good match on Sunday,” Spalletti said. “He brought his physicality and we need that. He must improve his off-the-ball burst because he can open up important spaces. He’s a top professional. I like Thuram completely — of course, you have better and worse moments during a match, but for me, he played well against Napoli.”
Bremer and Rugani “Will Be on the Bench”
Spalletti offered positive news about his defensive options.
“I’m waiting for Bremer and Rugani with open arms,” he smiled. “They’ll be called up and will be on the bench tomorrow. I can’t say if they’ll play. They’ve only had short training sessions so far, and Rugani still needs a bit more time. If they don’t get minutes tomorrow, they’ll train separately to raise their level.”
On Yildiz and Motivation
The coach clarified recent comments about Kenan Yildiz, reaffirming his belief in the youngster’s potential.
“Maybe I expressed myself poorly,” he admitted. “I’m convinced that there’s still so much of Yildiz’s potential you haven’t yet seen. He’s improving game by game, but he has incredible room for growth — that’s my view. It’s the same as when I first met Kvaratskhelia; I told him he could become top level. You see more in training — actions like his goal last Sunday. As for playing without strikers, it wasn’t to provoke anyone; I wanted to win the match. I chose that system because I believed it was the right one. I didn’t get the result, so I take responsibility. It was a painful experience — more for me than for anyone else.”
At one point, Spalletti turned to Kalulu and joked about his own match analysis. “What did I say after the game? Don’t make a mess.”
Kalulu replied: “You told us, ‘I hurt you guys — I didn’t put you in the best conditions to perform.’”
The “Rollercoaster” of Coaching
Reflecting on the team’s training rhythm, Spalletti said the tight schedule limits full-squad sessions.
“Now I know the team a bit better,” he explained, “but matches come so close together that it’s difficult to train with all 22 available players. Yesterday and today I had to split them into groups. Having everyone train together is rare, but I always have support from the youth sector, which is doing crucial work.”
“Football Is Less About Numbers”
Asked about his formation, Spalletti dismissed rigid tactical systems.
“4-3-3? Football looks less and less like these numbers and formations,” he stated. “Only in certain moments do you actually find yourself inside those systems. Nowadays, almost every team presses high, so structures constantly shift. Having a right-footed centre-back allows me to try things — like not forcing Lloyd to play on his weaker foot outside the box.”
Restoring Confidence
Finally, Spalletti addressed the team’s fluctuating confidence, hinting that stronger decisions may soon be made.
“They lose confidence? I don’t know what gives or takes it away, but sometimes they change, improving or getting worse,” he said. “I’ve warned them that I’ll need to start pushing harder somewhere. David? Well, even I’d need five matches to coach Real Madrid or Barcelona and show my level. The way it works is you train hard every session, and after two weeks of that, I give you ten minutes in a game. You do well, then I give you a half, and so on. Not that you train one way, then another, and say you need continuity.”
