Sergio Porrini carries in his eyes the memory of the last Champions League Juventus won — thirty years ago. Jugović’s penalty, the run towards Peruzzi, a legendary group that won in the dressing room before ever stepping onto the pitch. Something that the current Juventus can only aspire to replicate. But the former bianconero and Atalanta defender sees genuine room for growth — provided the back three stays, Spalletti is given time, and the club thinks very carefully before signing any more players shaped by one particular manager.
“Breaking the Atalanta Taboo — Sooner or Later the Numbers Get Beaten”
The historical context before Sunday’s match is uncomfortable: Atalanta have not lost in Turin for eight successive fixtures, and Juventus have not won back-to-back matches against the Bergamaschi since 2016. Porrini’s response was cheerfully direct. “Sooner or later numbers get beaten. For Juventus, this could be the time.” A laugh follows — the laughter of a man who has been in enough big matches to know that statistics are written to be broken.
“Five Goals in Europe Are Never Easy — Juventus Won Convincingly”
On the 5-0 against NEC: “In Europe you don’t score five goals easily against anyone. Juventus found a side struggling even in their own league — but they had to win and they did so convincingly.” The balanced verdict of a former defender: merit to Juventus, without ignoring the limited quality of the opposition.
“The Only Players Who Can Change Juventus’s Fortunes Are Yıldız and McKennie”
Asked which of the summer’s new arrivals — Alajbegovic, Woltemade, Kolo Muani — has the highest potential to transform the season, Porrini’s answer diverted attention away from all of them. “They are all important acquisitions — but the only players who can genuinely change Juventus’s fortunes are Yıldız and McKennie. They have the right personality to raise the team’s level.” It is an answer that speaks to something both men have consistently demonstrated: the ability to impose themselves on matches through character as much as technique. Their returns from injury and fatigue, across the coming weeks and months, carry more weight than any new signing.
“Think Very Carefully Before Buying Any Player from Gasperini”
The warning that will generate the most discussion in transfer market circles was delivered with characteristic precision about Koopmeiners — and then generalised into a principle. “There are players who in a specific context become excellent and in others they struggle. Before buying a player who has been coached by Gasperini, you need to think very carefully.” It is a verdict that echoes what Ravanelli and Tacchinardi have said throughout this session — the Dutch midfielder has never found at Juventus the freedom and the system that made him exceptional at Bergamo. The lesson, Porrini implies, should be applied prospectively as much as retrospectively.
“Bremer and Kalulu at Sassuolo? Look at Van Dijk at Liverpool”
The defence of Bremer and Kalulu’s Sassuolo performance was historical and entirely convincing. “Van Dijk had his difficult moments too, a few years ago when Liverpool were not functioning well as a collective. You can be talented — but if the distances within the team and the midfield coverage are not right, everything becomes considerably harder.” It is the systemic rather than individual diagnosis: good defenders struggling when the system around them fails to provide adequate protection is not a character failing. It is a collective problem.
On the back three: “I have seen some wobbles with the back four. For the physical characteristics of Juventus’s defenders, I think they express themselves at the maximum in a back three.” It aligns precisely with what Spalletti found against NEC.
“Conte Is Simply at a Higher Level — Massara and Carnevali Are Competent but Lack Charisma”
On the Conte question, Porrini was admirably precise. “Spalletti’s previous experiences speak for him — he is one of the best Italian managers. If the decision has been made to continue with him, he must be given the necessary time. But there are managers at a superior level — Conte is one of them.” On Massara and Carnevali versus the Moggi-Giraudo-Agnelli era: “They are two good directors — not only in terms of competence but also on a human level. At the level of charisma and personality, something is undeniably missing.”
