Luciano Spalletti feels Juventus is on his side: “I’ve had confirmation”
Luciano Spalletti spoke on the eve of the Europa League home game against Rennes: “Every game has its own story, and you have to be able to react to the different situations the opponent presents each time. You have to adapt to the opponent’s tactics, knowing when to press and when to wait. We need to be more decisive when making a choice. Are the guys still on my side? I’m part of the discussions we have. In the last meeting, I let them talk a lot to get as much information as possible to help them maintain their level during matches. I’ve seen confirmation of the honesty and seriousness of their thinking; they’ve shown a willingness to try new things and incorporate more variables into the game.”
On the lineup: “Tomorrow, Kolo Muani and Woltemade will both start. What’s up to me? Everything—I’m the one who chooses the lineup, how we line up on the field, and the tactics. Then the game unfolds on the field and takes a shape you don’t always anticipate, and that’s where the team’s reasoning, their knowledge, and their ability to anticipate situations come into play. Sometimes we’ve gone too deep with the press, and in those cases, we shouldn’t do it—otherwise, space opens up in the middle, and they’ll exploit it. When making these decisions, everyone has to help each other: those who press need to realize whether the players behind them can support them, and those at the back need to push forward to help the pressers so the opponents don’t get stuck in their passing game. And you have to be aware of these things as the play unfolds.”
“Did I demand too much from the team? The key is to do things with conviction and determination. You have to go full throttle with the decisions you make, which must always be made as a team. What do I expect for the match against Rennes? To think things through more and not be so impulsive or individualistic, but to act more as a team, as a unit, and be united in the decisions we make. Rennes is a team willing to play an open game, very direct with constant shifts in momentum. Plus, they have their leading scorer, Lepaul, who has shown he’s a great player. We’ll need to be very careful in assessing the key moments of the match. They’re having a strong season; they’re in sixth place but just one point behind the leader. They’re full of enthusiasm, and for us, this is an important test to figure out what we need to leave behind from the previous match and what we need to build upon in terms of our performance.”
