Spalletti caught up in controversy during Juventus v Benfica | OneFootball

The match between Benfica and Juventus, which ended in a defeat for the Eagles, on the 7th matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage, was marked by a bizarre incident involving Luciano Spalletti and the Belgian forward Lois Openda as protagonists.

In the 70th minute of the game in Turin, when the hosts were already leading 2-0, the coach was caught on camera slapping Openda, a player who was about to come onto the pitch. This moment has become a talking point, not only in Italy but also around the world.

In the footage, you can see the international forward for the "Red Devils" laughing at the Italian coach’s instructions, who then gave him a slap to get his attention. The video went viral on social media and generated numerous negative reactions. However, it is clear that the Belgian was laughing, which suggests the gesture was taken as a joke.

Luciano Spalletti, despite the victory over the Eagles, was booed during the match after mistakes by the players, and the coach addressed this topic in the post-match press conference. "We want to play beautiful football. That is the goal. We want to be arm in arm with the fans. Our idea of keeping a high line exposes us to counterattacks. But the players have to know how to deal with that. It’s normal for the fans not to be satisfied with a misplaced pass".

Juventus, already assured of a Champions League play-off spot, will face Monaco in the final matchday, on French soil. Meanwhile, Benfica will duel with the competition’s most successful team, Real Madrid. The match will take place next Wednesday, the 28th, at 8 p.m., at Estádio da Luz.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.