Juventus, the inside story on Kolo Muani: “He was the only one”

Kolo Muani made his mark in the victory over NEC, which marked Juventus’s Europa League debut. The French forward capped off the 5-0 rout of the Dutch side with an assist and a goal in the closing minutes, much to the delight of Luciano Spalletti, who revealed some behind-the-scenes details in the post-game interview.

“He has natural speed and that power—a depth to his run that, with spaces like these, really highlights his qualities even more. He took two hits from behind; even tonight, in these intense, physical duels, he still needed to show more determination. Last night, he was the only player present at the optional training session. He cares deeply and struggles with not being able to make a decisive impact. The fact that he stayed on his feet after the hit from the goalkeeper speaks volumes about his resilience.”

The Juventus coach also spoke about Douglas Luiz: “He can improve. He has a thorough understanding of the game, but every now and then he lacks the anticipation I’d expect. That means recognizing the play before it becomes a physical action. He sometimes takes two touches—which might even be close together—and perhaps reaches his destination first. But if he hesitates after the first touch… he needs to eliminate that. He has this ability to sense what’s happening and get into the play before anyone else even notices.”