Juve Turmoil: After Bremer, Another Veteran Lashes Out at His Teammates

After Bremer, it’s Weston McKennie’s turn to try to shake things up at Juventus. The two heavy setbacks against Lazio and Genoa have a common thread: a statement from a locker-room leader, called upon to send a clear message to his teammates to spark the kind of fighting spirit that, so far, the team has failed to show on the field.

After the loss to Genoa, the American isn’t looking for excuses and points the finger at the team’s collective attitude, sparing no one. “The fans are right: we have to do more, because Juve is a great club and we have to win,” begins the midfielder, who currently holds the record for most appearances in black and white among the players on the roster.

McKennie defends Spalletti, but at the same time calls on his teammates to take responsibility: “In my opinion, the coach can’t take all the blame right now—we’re all to blame. We’re following everything he tells us, but on the field, we’re the ones who need to do more. You can’t train for the mental aspect—we have to find that within ourselves.”

Just ten days later, the American’s words echo those spoken by Gleison Bremer after the home loss to Lazio. On that occasion as well, the Brazilian defender had urged the team to examine their own character, emphasizing how some players tended to hide during difficult moments: “The coach gives instructions, but we’re the ones who take the field: there are 11 players plus 5 substitutes, and I can’t carry everyone on my back. I can only go so far: some have more character and some have less; some hear the boos, hide, and get scared, while others don’t,” Bremer had declared, even drawing a reprimand from Spalletti.

McKennie’s point is similar, though the American chooses a less direct tone. Tactics, according to the midfielder, aren’t the main problem for a team that struggles to find consistency and respond to adversity: “Of course we follow the coach, but tactics have almost nothing to do with these games: all that matters is fighting and wanting to win,” explains Wes, addressing the entire locker room. “There are eleven of us; whoever takes the field has to fight, go the extra five meters to help a teammate, run, and give it everything he’s got. When I see one of my teammates going into a tackle, I draw energy from it.”