Ex-Juventus striker hails Spalletti: “More forward passes in 45 mins than in two years” | OneFootball

Former Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta was delighted with the team’s display under Luciano Spalletti in Cremona.

After sacking Igor Tudor on Monday, the management found a swift agreement with the vastly experienced Italian manager, who has been on the shelf since leaving the Azzurri in June.

The 66-year-old enjoyed a winning debut on Saturday, with Juve beating Cremonese 2-1 thanks to goals from Filip Kostic and Andrea Cambiaso.

Luciano Spalletti began his Juventus tenure with away victory over Cremonese

While the final result wasn’t breathtaking by any means, a large section of fans and observers saw significant improvement in terms of the team’s overall performance.

Despite taking the lead as early as the second minute, Juventus kept their foot on the pedal, and dominated the action for the bulk of the contest.

Luciano Spalletti (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)

The Bianconeri also insisted on progressing the play rather than passing the ball sideways, as they had become accustomed to in recent years under successive managers.

For his part, Iaquinta was mesmerised by the team’s performance, lavishing praise on Spalletti and his remarkable impact.

“More forward passes in 45 minutes than in two years,” posted the former Juventus Italy striker on his Instagram account. “The influence of a great coach is immediately evident.”

Iaquinta highlights immediate Spalletti impact at Juventus

Iaquinta played under Spalletti more than any other manager in his career. He made 106 appearances for Udinese during the manager’s stint in Friuli, contributing with 34 goals and 10 assists.

Therefore, the 2006 World Cup winner remains fond of his old boss, but he then clarified that he didn’t mean to berate any former Juventus manager, but was only wished to express his delight with Spalletti.

“I didn’t mean to offend previous managers, but I simply praised Spalletti, whom I know very well.”

Juventus will be looking to confirm their improved form by earning their first Champions League win over Sporting CP on Tuesday.