Luciano Spalletti spoke to Sky after Juventus’ 2-0 victory away at Pisa, analysing his team’s performance, individual displays, and the importance of maintaining ambition heading into 2026.
On the performance, Spalletti acknowledged a mixed showing but praised his players’ improvement in the second half:
“We were below our usual rhythm in the first half, even though we controlled the game. The last five minutes before the break and the first few of the second half weren’t good, and Pisa’s physicality created a couple of difficult moments where we were also a bit lucky. But overall, we always played our match. In the second half, we showed more quality—Zhegrova added creativity, David did well, and they both brought quality in the final third. We scored deservedly, but we still have to do better, even if we didn’t play badly.”
Turning to Edon Zhegrova, the coach revealed that the winger had not been fully fit before the match:
“He had been down with the flu and ran a high fever for three days. I had doubts about whether he’d last the full minutes, but we had to play him. He’s someone who truly has a spark in everything he does—his decision-making, his ability to beat his man. I thought he might struggle physically after what happened, but instead, he handled it well and gave us real quality. I also liked Miretti’s impact when he came on, and Thuram grew in the second half. It’s a victory that gives us enthusiasm and conviction in our potential.”
Spalletti also commented on Teun Koopmeiners’ display in an unfamiliar role:
“From the start, I had little choice due to what happened this week. Koopmeiners didn’t feel completely comfortable there, or at least didn’t show the usual quality of someone who plays in that role. I also switched the two wide players at halftime to better deal with Touré’s aerial presence. Still, we played without suffering too much. Pisa were unlucky—they hit the woodwork twice. I think our drop in intensity was also caused by them. Even Inter struggled here for 60–70 minutes. We’re a good team, but the problem is we have to prove it every time, not just say it. In the first half, we were below our standards in too many areas.”
Asked about the team’s attacking dynamics, the manager underlined the importance of his creative talents:
“It’s always the players who change the match with their behaviour. Without Yildiz’s quality, it was harder. Openda plays more into space, so it’s difficult to create chances without that No. 10 spark, and Yildiz is our No. 10. He must take on that responsibility, for better or worse. I love him like a son because I know he can change games. You try to tell him things, and he listens—there’s full understanding between us, and I can speak openly to him because I care about him. In the second half, with the substitutions, we did better. We knew it would be difficult.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Spalletti made a light-hearted but ambitious remark:
“If the others don’t play, we might even go top—if you keep them on holiday, we can pick up points and move to first place. We did what we needed to do. These are the matches we have to bring home. We must look at the teams ahead of us and always aim for that level, no matter who we play. It’s a good result, but we still have to improve.”
Finally, Spalletti couldn’t resist one last word of praise for Zhegrova’s unique talent:
“In that corner of the box, I’ve seen very few players with his quality—he wears three-dimensional glasses.”
