Luciano Spalletti admits he ‘did injury’ to the Juventus gamers with dangerous decisions in opposition to Napoli, compares Kenan Yildiz to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and warns Jonathan David forward of the Pafos recreation.
It kicks off on the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT.
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The Bianconeri suffered their first defeat since Spalletti took over from sacked Igor Tudor, falling 2-1 to Napoli in Serie A on the weekend.
They’re additionally feeling the stress within the Champions League after only one win, three attracts and a defeat.
All the things Spalletti mentioned in his press convention
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, seems on previous to the Serie C match between Ternana Calcio and Juventus Subsequent Gen at Allianz Stadium on December 02, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photograph by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Photographs)
“Pafos are a tricky staff, they’ve many Brazilian gamers within the squad who can play good soccer. They have been solely embarrassed by Bayern Munich, and had some prime opponents within the event,”
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“In bodily phrases, they’re very rugged, keen to enter particular person duels, they use their palms and push, so it’s going to be a battle for each ball.
“I used to be impressed with their organisation on set performs, as three of their objectives have been from useless ball conditions, and the gamers supporting the striker are glorious.
“We should be cautious of their counter-attacks, as a result of they attempt to intimidate you, then if you happen to break that first press, they sit very deep. We mustn’t lose low cost balls, ensure that the preventative marking is all ready to keep away from harmful conditions.”
Juventus have struggled to attain objectives for some time below a number of totally different coaches, and the scenario solely bought worse after shedding Dusan Vlahovic to damage.
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“The numbers should not what we wish proper now, each by way of outcomes and people. I’ve extra expertise of the gamers at my disposal now, and that’s basic,” famous Spalletti.
“I noticed that some issues improved. We’re not nearly as good at retaining these items going usually in a match scenario, so we’ve bought to do them extra usually.
“I noticed some good strikes from our forwards. It was an amazing aim that we scored on the weekend, so meaning you’ve bought it in your DNA. It’s important that we persuade ourselves we will do it extra usually.”
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts throughout the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photograph by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photographs)
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That is Spalletti’s fifth week within the job, so
“I’ve the identical intentions and certainty as once I accepted the Juventus job. I see them enhance in coaching, and the extra I see these gamers, the extra I get offended and am on the similar time relaxed. They hold me on a rollercoaster, actually.
“You see some issues and consider finally, they’ve bought it and can repeat it extra usually, however as an alternative it will get cancelled out and we begin from scratch.
“Nevertheless, I cannot change based mostly on a end result, I’ll hold attempting to grasp and clarify for what is going to are available in future.”
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Khephren Thuram has been combating some health points recently, so will he play tomorrow?
“I contemplate Thuram to be a prime participant who did nicely on the weekend, utilizing his physicality in a barely totally different method to common. He wants to enhance his operating off the sector, as it will possibly create areas for his teammates. He has some good moments and a few much less good, nevertheless it was not a foul efficiency in opposition to Napoli.”
, so are they out there and will it result in Juventus attempting a four-man defence?
“We await them with open arms, they are going to be on the bench tomorrow, I can’t say in the event that they’ll play or not, as they’ve at most 10-Quarter-hour of their legs and we will’t over-do it. We’ll see what occurs going ahead and the way they do.”
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts throughout the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photograph by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photographs)
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Spalletti was pushed on his resolution to make use of Kenan Yildiz as a centre-forward, leaving each Jonathan David and Lois Openda on the bench in Naples, maybe a method of pushing the strikers to step up.
“Maybe individuals misunderstood me, however I’m satisfied there’s nice potential inside Yildiz that you haven’t but seen, so I meant to say that. He’s giving his all, and rising recreation by recreation, however his margin of enchancment is unbelievable.
“It’s type of the identical issues I mentioned about Kvara once I first needed to take care of him, saying he might change into a brilliant prime participant. If you happen to have been in any respect our coaching periods, you’d realise what I imply about his potential and what we see.
“Simply the aim he scored on Sunday was outstanding, operating to the by-line and hooking it again from that angle with such delicacy.
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Antonio Conte (R), Head Coach of SSC Napoli, and Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, shake palms previous to the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photograph by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photographs)
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“As for the strikers, I needed to win the sport! I wasn’t going to danger shedding simply to ship a message! I selected that strategy as a result of I used to be satisfied it was the precise system for the sport, however I didn’t get the end result I needed, and the accountability is mine.
“The very very first thing I mentioned when analysing the match was that I didn’t put the staff in one of the best situation to ship. These have been my decisions, I broken you with them, is what I mentioned.
“I knew Napoli can be aggressive, so I felt an additional midfielder would pressure them out of place. Yildiz was urgent Rrahmani, but when I put him extensive, he’d be chasing down his man and losing vitality there,” defined Spalletti.
“On the similar time, I assumed Conceicao would ship Buongiorno extensive proper, the place he’s in his greatest place, and I hoped he’d battle there. I needed to stretch them out and create these areas with some high quality passing, that was the plan.
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“As an alternative, it didn’t work, we misplaced a ridiculous variety of balls, I feel 113 the statistics mentioned, and Napoli managed the sport. I had given Yildiz and Conceicao the choice of chasing again much less, nevertheless it didn’t work.
“It was a painful lesson for me, so seeing as I ought to’ve predicted it wouldn’t work, I made it tougher for them. Within the second half, once we modified system, I noticed a distinct vitality and stability to the staff. We had equalised and bought the match on observe, however then we conceded one other aim and all of it change into tougher.”
CREMONA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Coach Luciano Spalletti of Juventus FC reacts throughout the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Juventus FC at Stadio Giovanni Zini on November 01, 2025 in Cremona, Italy. (Photograph by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Photographs)
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Spalletti had needed the 4-3-3 when first coming to Juventus, so might he return to that?
“Now I do know the staff just a little higher, though having all 22 gamers out there in a coaching session is frankly uncommon with the fixture record so packed.
“We have to realise that soccer is transferring away from these tactical system titles, as they fluctuate in numerous moments. Nearly all groups are aggressive, regularly rotate positions and deform the old-fashioned techniques, so it makes little distinction.
“Having a right-footed defender might change some issues, like not having Lloyd Kelly exterior the field on his weaker foot. We’ll try the 4-3-3, or the 4-2-3-1, nevertheless it adjustments little.”
CREMONA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Coach Luciano Spalletti of Juventus FC reacts earlier than the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Juventus FC at Stadio Giovanni Zini on November 01, 2025 in Cremona, Italy. (Photograph by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Photographs)
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Juventus have struggled when falling behind and this might present an absence of self-belief, not helped by the fixed rotation of gamers like David. Might the Canadian require 4 or 5 begins in a row to essentially become familiar with the staff?
“I too might do with 4-5 video games in a row accountable for Actual Madrid to indicate what coach I’m. Is that what you assume? It doesn’t work like that. If you happen to go actually sturdy for 2 weeks in coaching, I’ll offer you 10 minutes on the pitch. The extra constant you might be in coaching and the match, the extra I offer you common time.
“It doesn’t work like that, gamers pondering they want 4-5 video games in a row to show themselves. You’ll be able to’t simply come to coaching someday nicely, someday much less, and say you want 4-5 video games. It doesn’t work like that.
“So if you happen to write this all down and clarify it to the gamers, you’re doing me a favour,” concluded Spalletti.