A touching exchange took place on Sky Sport after Juventus’ victory over Benfica, as Alessandro Del Piero and Luciano Spalletti shared mutual respect in a live post-match conversation. The former Juventus captain heaped praise on the Bianconeri coach, who responded warmly with words of appreciation.
Del Piero, a legend in black and white, was full of admiration for Spalletti’s approach and influence. “We consider him a magician of tactics, capable of making his teams play at an exceptional level,” Del Piero said. “He has the ability to reach players on other levels too, both character-wise and technically. Even when I was playing, people used to tell me, ‘Enjoy the victory.’ But I never did, not even for a moment — the mentality is always the same: keep trying to improve.”
Spalletti’s response: “Thank you, Alex”
Spalletti, visibly moved by Del Piero’s words, replied with humility and reflection. “That’s exactly how it is, and thank you for those kind words coming from someone like you,” he said. “Alex was one of those players I used to watch and admire, so thank you sincerely.
“We try to keep moving forward, to hold onto this vision of always chasing more. The real protagonists remain the players — that’s the first thing I’ve always said. It’s through their choices and their ability to stay balanced. They’re the ones who decide, but we need quality work: movement, speed, precision, and the ability to play in tight spaces with the radar always switched on.”
The Juventus boss also touched on the team’s rhythm and execution during the match. “Sometimes we lose our connection, then we find our line again. Sometimes we even make the ball cough,” he smiled. “In the second half, we just needed to play the first pass well more often, but we didn’t. And when you spend too much energy defending, it becomes hard to attack again.”
