💥 Spalletti drops a bombshell: I believe in the Scudetto with Juventus | OneFootball

After yesterday's official announcement, Luciano Spalletti held his first press conference today at 12:00 as the coach of Juventus, on the eve of the match against Cremonese, marking his return to the Serie A bench.

🗣 Spalletti, all the words: from the Scudetto to Vlahovic, from Koop to Napoli and beyond...

QUESTION - What are your first impressions?

SPALLETTI - " It's a wonderful feeling because we all know the history of this club, the organization of this club, we know there are high expectations, but getting involved and having direct contact is always a wonderful feeling ."

QUESTION - Sabatini said a few days ago that Juventus is like morphine for her. What's more important, the desire to numb the pain of playing for the Italian national team or the ambition to take Juventus to the top?

SPALLETTI - " I think it's simple: the desire to take this club to the top prevails , as you rightly said, although I have absolute respect for this classification and for the work done by Tudor, whom I deeply admire, because I had the opportunity to meet him and I'm sure he's a wonderful person and a true professional, so I'm sure I'll find a team with high morale. Naturally, we must work hard to have the opportunity to reach those ambitions we talked about earlier. That's why I'm happy to be here and I thank Comolli for the kind words he dedicated to me ."

QUESTION - What do you think of the quality of this team?

SPALLETTI - " The idea is summed up in what I accepted by coming here. If I hadn't believed in the potential of this team, despite having gone through difficult times, why would I have accepted an eight-month contract? I think I can do a good job with them. Then, it all comes down to availability, willpower, and self-discipline to achieve important results. I see an opportunity to correct some mistakes. We aim high; we need to try to return to the Champions League. We need to straighten the course because others are coming on strong ."

QUESTION - What collaborators have you chosen for this new adventure?

SPALLETTI - " I brought four assistants with me: three technical assistants and a fitness coach. They are well-prepared to perform all other functions; we just need to get to know them a bit. Their names are Domenichini, Martusciello, Russo, and Sinatti. Baldini decided to end this adventure, and it surprised me a bit; he's an intelligent and talented guy ."

QUESTION - Historically, you have managed to get your teams to play very well and have helped your players grow individually. How exciting is it to join Juventus, where it has been difficult to score goals and several players are not performing at their best?

SPALLETTI - " Of course, it's part of my job, it's stimulating, and sometimes these skills are recognized as those of a coach. Goals, above all, are crucial because to win matches you have to score goals. Offensive football is another important quality, but the key is to be a team, a group that understands what we have to do on the field in different situations. If we are long and one player thinks one way and another thinks another, it becomes more difficult ."

QUESTION - Vlahovic said that players also need to look in the mirror because it's not always one person's fault. Yesterday you told Perin: "It will depend on you." Was that a hope or a warning?

SPALLETTI - " I think Dusan's analysis is correct: players really realize what they bring to a club that believes in them . As for the joke about Perin, it's just that, a joke. I know perfectly well that the coach depends a lot on the players. A player can be as good as he wants, but the quality of the team is what makes the difference, so it was a joke to involve them. It's logical for the coach to self-evaluate from time to time. It's a simple, honest, and very clear situation: you start by working as a team and then draw conclusions . I have no problem accepting this contract. If I were Juventus, I would have done the same ."

QUESTION - Do you think Juventus can return to the fight for the Scudetto? Vlahovic also has an eight-month contract like you: how do you plan to manage it when his contract ends?

SPALLETTI - " Yes, I hope we can rejoin the fight for the Scudetto, why not? In fact, we talked about it yesterday with the players in the locker room: intentions have to be at their maximum because nine matches have already been played and there are still 29 left, which is a lot. I've seen everything in my more than 30-year career. Vlahovic? It's easy, we talked: I haven't received any imposition from the club, so I go there and see what he does and what his response is, his intentions, and judging by the last match, his intentions are very clear . That behavior puts everything in order because he played a splendid match ."

QUESTION - Where would you start tactically? Would you start with a three-man defense? What's the best formation for this Juventus?

SPALLETTI - " Today is my first training session, so, out of respect for previous work, I might want to continue with what has been learned. It wouldn't be fair to reveal everything to the opponent... There are reasons to continue with what has been done so far. Of course, there are also players who would prefer to play in slightly different positions: in both cases, we need to generate options. But that would mean we would have to try a four-man defense instead of a three-man one ."

QUESTION - What opponent do you expect tomorrow, given the little time to prepare for the match against Cremonese?

SPALLETTI - " I've seen many matches in this championship, and only in a few have I seen a team with absolute supremacy. Look at Napoli and Inter, which I consider the best prepared : they've had some difficulties. We are not in a position to be presumptuous, so I absolutely respect everyone and no slogans, because I don't even like them, as they risk replacing facts. We need the sound of the ball sliding on the grass to be the message we want to convey. If the fans hear that noise in the stands, that's the right way to speak; we leave everything on the field ."

QUESTION - With what mentality should Juventus start?

SPALLETTI - " Self-discipline always makes the difference. As a child, I used to hitchhike and had the opportunity to enter almost every locker room of all football categories, and I always did it naturally, out of respect for everyone I met, from the hallway to the field. I even knew if the opposing team's kit man had a dog or a cat at home because I also wanted to know, maybe to surprise him by greeting him. So be careful, be willing to make friends in the locker room, because through affection and friendship, a team one day wakes up and finds itself on a higher level ."

QUESTION - He brought happiness to Naples, and today some there are not very happy with his arrival at Juventus . What would you like to say?

SPALLETTI - "I have left a mark in every city where I have coached, and I keep wonderful memories. Something exceptional emerged from Naples because of the beauty of the football we played and what we achieved: a beautiful and important Scudetto . I have forged a relationship with those special people, and it will continue to be so; everything will remain intact on my part. This morning I had tests and they took blood from the other arm because I didn't want anything from here to be touched . For me, nothing will change. I will always have many friends in Naples, from whom I have also received messages because I will return to Naples, a city that will always remain in my heart, regardless of my professional decisions. This, extrapolating what I said about Naples and the end of the relationship, that I wouldn't have worn any other team's tracksuit, referred to that season; in that season I wouldn't have worn any other team's tracksuit, as was demonstrated. Then I also had opportunities, like everyone if you win the championship with Napoli. I can't stop being a coach just because I spent a year in Napoli .

QUESTION - You are considered a fan of the aesthetics of football. Do you think you might have some difficulties related to the identity of this club?

SPALLETTI - " No, because on the field, winning the match becomes crucial: sometimes you win thanks to the luck of a bounce or a deflection, but winning becomes crucial. Also, as football is also a show, you try to create a good product, one that is of quality for those who watch it. What tires the mind and bores is the same ."

QUESTION - You have also relaunched and prolonged the careers of some players. What do you think of Koopmeiners?

SPALLETTI - " He is  a player I know well because I followed him in previous teams: then he was expensive and we couldn't sign him, but he is a player I liked , and seeing him reminded me when we talked on the phone and I tried to convince him even though his demands exceeded our possibilities . For me, that idea remains the same: I think he is a midfielder, because his trajectory speaks for itself. He has also played as a central defender on occasions. I find myself congratulating a coach who prepared him well and even put him in a different position with excellent results, and that is Gasp. Caged and with his back, he doesn't have the quality of Yildiz or Openda, but he has an excellent shot ."

QUESTION - What depends on you? What influence do you have?

SPALLETTI - " I don't know what impact I will have. I know how I behave from the moment I get up in the morning. I am convinced that, with my behavior, players can adopt a mentality that brings them something. I have been lucky in my 20-year career because I have had the opportunity to win many matches, and I trust that trajectory, in my behavior . I know that players will always make the difference, I have no doubt. But having complicity in things, a method, and trusting in our own abilities can be key to achieving results . I don't know if they will be small or large, but it is this whole path ahead of us that can generate change ."

💥 Comolli: "We see potential for a long-term collaboration! In Tudor..."

The presentation and press conference begin with a few minutes of delay. Alongside Spalletti is the general director of Juventus, Damien Comolli, who starts the conference and answers some questions.

We are delighted to welcome Spalletti for several reasons: he is a great expert in Italian football, a successful coach in various clubs and different contexts. He is the right person to boost the club's brand: we saw him as the perfect candidate, we all agreed, even the owners. There is no difference between us . The option is for one season and then for 26/27, but it depends on how the collaboration develops. The dismissal of Tudor? At a certain point, we thought we had to break that cycle of negative results; in the end, it all depends on the results .

We have signed a contract until the end of the season with an option for extension. It's an agreement we have with him and we see it as a possible long-term collaboration . During the season, we will be able to meet and decide if we continue together .

Did you think of him in June, after he was dismissed from the national team? Not at all . In June it was clear that Tudor would be the coach. I hadn't contacted Luciano until Monday. The new signings are not working out and will they go to the market in January? We talked about it with Spalletti. I am very calm and have full confidence in the players we signed in the summer. I don't lose sleep thinking about new signings.

Spalletti, the first images in Continassa

Accompanied by Chiellini on his first day in Continassa, Spalletti met some new players, from Pinsoglio to Perin, joking with the latter about his outfit in a video published by Juventus.

After the medical check-up, the coach met with the management, signed the contract, and greeted the fans with the first autographs outside the Juventus center.

✅ OFFICIAL Spalletti-Juve: all the details

The official announcement was made yesterday on Juventus channels. As highlighted in the press release, the former coach has signed an eight-month contract with the 'Vecchia Signora', with no obligation for renewal even if the team qualifies for the Champions League — the club's minimum goal — but only with an option for extension.

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

📸 ALBERTO PIZZOLI - AFP or licensors