Juventus: A Fan Injures Gatti; the Bianconeri Are Set to Revamp Their Historic In-House Match

Juventus is considering how to change its traditional preseason event—the in-house friendly between the first team and the youth team. This historic match, a true celebration for the fans, was held in Villar Perosa for 63 consecutive years, but over the past four seasons, the event has been moved to the Stadium in Turin.

However, the most recent match resulted in unexpected consequences and damage: a pitch invasion at the start of the second half led to a minor injury for Federico Gatti, who fell to the ground after being knocked over by an overly enthusiastic fan. In addition, the playing field sustained serious damage, with many fans taking up clumps of sod as “souvenirs.”

The Juventus center back trained separately after the incident: nothing serious, but there is a sense of annoyance in Turin over what happened. Luciano Spalletti himself criticized the pitch invasion, which occurred much earlier than usual rather than toward the end of the match, as had been the case in the past. And the damage to the field was the last straw: Juve is considering drastic changes. According to rumors, the most likely change will be the permanent end to the pitch invasion.

“I would have liked to play more today,” Spalletti said after the incident. “Last night I met families who had come from all over Italy and could have enjoyed more of the spectacle. They could have also watched the players who came on in the second half, who were just as eager for this experience. We needed to train more, but we’ll do that in the coming days.”

As for reinforcements up front, Mateo Retegui’s name has come up in recent hours. The forward, currently with Al-Qadsiah, is recovering from a tibia fracture and earns a salary of nearly 20 million euros with two years remaining on his contract—obstacles that cannot be overlooked. However, keeping the striker’s candidacy alive is the direct relationship between Retegui and sporting director Marco Ottolini, who has known him since his time at Genoa. Spalletti, who worked with him on the national team, is also a draw. The most feasible option for Juventus would still be a loan deal, although securing approval from the Saudi club appears far from straightforward.