Alessio Tacchinardi has never been a man who softens his verdicts for the sake of comfortable reading — and his assessment of Juventus on the eve of the new season, delivered to SportMediaset on Tuesday morning, was as direct and honest as everything he has said across a summer in which he has been one of the most engaged external voices in the club’s pre-season debate.
“Juventus Committed Footballing Suicide Last Season — It Must Never Happen Again”
The opening framing set the tone for everything that followed. “After a terrible season — a total failure, in my view — because Juventus committed footballing suicide by not qualifying for the Champions League. Last season they were desperately short of ferocity, venom, the will to win, the obsession with victory.”
On the pre-season itself, Tacchinardi’s verdict was mixed. “The thing I did not like is that they started again with little personality, little desire to create — and a winning mentality must be built from the summer. The positive thing is having players like Kolo Muani, who compared to David is undoubtedly an added value.”
“Only Inter and Napoli Are Currently Above Juventus”
On the title race and the competitive landscape, Tacchinardi placed Juventus clearly in the chasing group without excessive pessimism. “Inter at this moment are superior to everyone. Napoli, I think, still have something more than Juventus.” On their other rivals: “Roma and Milan? Neither is superior to Juventus. Fiorentina and Como? Their squads are not at Juventus’s level — I respect Fàbregas and the work he has done, but Como are in the Champions League because Juventus committed suicide.”
It is a clear hierarchy: Inter first, Napoli second, Juventus in the next group — ahead of everyone else. A challenge, but one the bianconeri are capable of meeting.
“A Stab at Vlahović — It Would Have Been Nice to See Him Move Towards Juventus”
The sharpest individual verdict of the interview concerned Dušan Vlahović, who has left for Besiktas after his contract expired. Tacchinardi’s disappointment was genuine if measured: “He was paid a great deal, he earned a great deal. I think that given the declarations of love he made for Juventus, they could have found common ground. It is true that footballers think about their own interests — but I think a real bond had also developed with the supporters. I would have liked to see Vlahović take a step towards Juventus, because Juventus gave Dušan a great deal.”
It is not condemnation. It is the disappointed verdict of a man who, like many supporters, hoped the relationship could be saved and regrets that neither party ultimately found the formula to do so.
“The Midfield Is the Department That Is Not Convincing Me — I Wanted a Kessié”
The most operationally significant assessment of the interview concerned the midfield — Tacchinardi’s professional home ground, and the area where his expertise speaks most clearly. “A mark out of ten for the midfield? Low. The Juventus midfield is the department that is not convincing me. I hoped a player of the Kessié type would arrive. So in the middle, given the current balance, I don’t know who can take this team by the hand.”
Douglas Luiz’s pre-season revival has not entirely reassured him. The type of midfield authority and collective leadership Tacchinardi identifies as missing — the physical and psychological presence that imposes order and drives the group forward — is precisely what Kessié would have provided, and what the squad must find from somewhere before the key moments of the season arrive.
“I Would Take Zirkzee — David Cannot Be Kolo Muani’s Backup”
On the final outstanding area of transfer business, Tacchinardi was clear and direct: “You cannot sign monstrous players at those wage levels — but I would take Zirkzee. For the way Spalletti plays, he would be a very interesting player. You don’t bleed yourself dry financially, you have already paid a great deal for Kolo Muani — but his deputy cannot be David.”
It is the verdict that confirms the consensus forming around this final week of the window. The midfield needs a leader. The attack needs a genuine second option. And five days before Frosinone, the work on both fronts is not yet done.
