Luciano Spalletti spoke to the press at the Bluenergy Stadium after Juventus’ 1–0 victory over Udinese, secured by a decisive goal from Jeremie Boga. The Bianconeri coach praised his players’ attitude and tactical intelligence, while highlighting the team’s growing identity.
Praise for Runjaic and Udinese
“I return the compliments to Runjaic,” Spalletti began. “Udinese have completely changed since we faced them in the Coppa Italia — they’re much tougher now. If we hadn’t made the right preventive moves on Davis and Zaniolo, and if we hadn’t been able to keep possession in their half, it would have been difficult to maintain this level of quality.”
The Match
“Clearly, when you defend higher up the pitch, you take on more risk,” Spalletti explained. “Knowing when to play the right pass is another quality a player must have. Being ready in those key moments becomes decisive.
“We were better at producing a fluid, dynamic style of football — a kind of flowing game — while never losing order or balance. When you move the ball that way, you might force a few passes and risk losing it, but we hardly ever allowed them dangerous chances. We managed to play quality football, pressing them constantly and not allowing them to regroup, because once Udinese close up in their penalty area, it’s very hard to score due to their strength and physicality.
“The sudden vertical play leading to our goal was exactly the right choice. In other matches where we conceded, we risked too many balls; today, we chose better which ones were worth taking a chance on.”
McKennie’s Role on the Right
Spalletti also commented on Weston McKennie’s adaptable performance. “McKennie has always played on the right side,” he said. “When you face opponents with wide players, he drops deeper in defence and moves into midfield to give Kalulu space. He’s a player you can use in so many positions, which is rare.
“He can play wide, in midfield — he even played as a striker pressing everyone when I took off Boga — and then he finished the game as a left wing-back in Boga’s place. Now we’ll go and whip him, and that’s all there is to it,” Spalletti joked with a smile.
“Juventus Are Strong When They Play Like This”
When asked whether Juventus’ display was above recent performances, Spalletti replied pointedly: “Maybe you were one of those saying two games ago that we weren’t a top team. Juventus are a top side when they play top-level football — when the players stay on their feet, when the game flows, when opponents press hard and we respond by finding space rather than just clearing the ball away.
“When we go deep down the line and stay brave with our play, that’s when Juventus are at their best. Performances like tonight put us back on the plane to the most beautiful football matches — otherwise, it’s much harder to catch that flight.”
Boga’s Contribution
Finally, Spalletti praised Boga’s decisive impact but credited the club’s directors for the signing. “The directors deserve the praise — they were the ones who brought Boga in,” he said. “He had been training alone for a long time, and we needed to get him back into condition. But because he’s such an explosive, muscular player, it didn’t take him long to return to form. Tonight, he was excellent both as a winger and as a striker.”
