Tudor: ‘Different Juventus approach, but obvious Koopmeiners’ in poor form | OneFootball

Igor Tudor is ‘very satisfied’ with his Juventus debut, confirming he has a ‘different style’ to Thiago Motta, but admits it is ‘obvious’ that Teun Koopmeiners is still struggling.

The pressure was all on the Bianconeri after their decision to sack Thiago Motta six days ago and bring in Tudor, who had already experienced this club as a player and assistant manager to Andrea Pirlo.

It paid off, because they ended their dismal run of results with a 1-0 victory over Genoa, decided by the Kenan Yildiz strike from a tight angle.

However, that move was sparked by Tudor acting as a ball boy, getting Teun Koopmeiners to take the throw-in quickly. It was put to him that he deserved some credit for a sort of assist.

“Thank you,” smiled Tudor to DAZN.

“I am very satisfied, because Genoa are a strong side who are doing well, they fight hard, and we were coming off a difficult moment.”

Tudor is transforming Juventus after Thiago Motta

epa11997494 Juventus new head coach Igor Tudor gestures during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus FC and Genoa CFC, in Juventus, Italy, 29 March 2025. EPA-EFE/Alessandro Di Marco

He transformed the approach taken by Thiago Motta, starting with a three-man defence, but also putting quick passes above possession football.

“We only had two or three training sessions, clearly the enthusiasm is boosted, but there’s only so much you can do on a tactical and psychological level. It is all different, the tactical system, but also they were accustomed to a different style, as I want to be more vertical and with a different kind of intensity,” continued Tudor.

“I am happy because the lads understood, they wanted to do a lot of things, there was more we could’ve done, but that’s normal. We are happy for the fans, we fought with our hearts to get this result.

“Now we rest for one day and can finally get to serious work for a whole week with the full squad at our disposal.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Juventus 1-0 Genoa

Tudor brought some of his traditional energy to the touchline, as it was noted he never sat down for a moment from start to finish.

Manuel Locatelli kept making forward passes for Kenan Yildiz, while the coach continually shouted for Dusan Vlahovic not to drop too deep looking for the ball.

“Locatelli has this capability to make a searching pass, I liked Dusan’s performance, the defence was solid and the midfield worked really hard. I think we could’ve scored more goals, but 1-0 can at times be a better result mentally than 2-0, at least once the game is over. It keeps you on your toes.”

The one concern remains Koopmeiners, who again struggled to make an impact and was jeered by some Juventus fans when substituted.

“I agree that it is not a great moment of form for him, that is obvious. He has shown over the years that he is a strong player, so the only way out is hard work, physical and mental. He is a good lad, he cares, has such a talented foot. I only had two training sessions with him, we need to revitalise the player and we’ll do that,” concluded Tudor.