Luciano Spalletti spoke to Sky Sport after Juventus’ precious 3-2 away win in Norway against Bodo Glimt, praising his players for their attitude and collective effort throughout the match.
“A beautiful victory,” Spalletti began. “Yes, we took some risks even after dominating the second half, but what’s fundamental is that we showed we could play like a real team — playing openly, taking the game across the whole pitch, facing transitions, and pushing through tough moments. They have great technical quality in tight spaces and quick thinking; we were a bit intimidated watching them in previous games. In the first half, we had chances we didn’t take advantage of, and since that wasn’t enough, in the second half we doubled our efforts. This is an important and well-deserved victory that the players earned and that we dedicate to ourselves — because we need it — and especially to the fans who travelled here, making three stopovers to reach this place.”
When asked about the impact of the players who hadn’t featured much before but contributed significantly, the coach replied: “It’s not about choices; it’s about helping the entire team grow. Tonight, I’m happy because I saw the players in the dressing room not overjoyed, but more relaxed. People can say what they like, but these players suffer when things go wrong — they’re not indifferent, as some might think.”
Asked whether coaches also suffer, Spalletti smiled: “I’ve built up some calluses over time. You learn to handle every situation calmly.”
The interviewer noted that the team collectively stayed united and consistent throughout the match — a sign of progress in Spalletti’s work. The coach agreed: “Yes, more or less that’s the case. The team went out there and kept going forward at every opportunity. They played with pace, produced good moves and combinations. Everyone struggles on this pitch; we even asked others who played here for advice, and everyone said the same — it feels like they run faster and shoot easier, there are thousands of difficulties. But we stayed at that level. In the second half, it would’ve been a shame not to take the win because the team deserved it. They did what they had to do and deserve full credit.”
