Juventus: Spalletti Gives Stramaccioni a Run for His Money, Too

Tensions ran high for Luciano Spalletti after the final whistle of the Serie A match between Cagliari and Juventus, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Shortly after the match ended, the Juventus coach got into a heated exchange with Cagliari’s coach, Fabio Pisacane, which resulted in both coaches being sent off.

After the game, during the usual post-match interviews, Spalletti was still on edge and vented his frustration to former Inter coach and current DAZN analyst Andrea Stramaccioni. The former coach asked the Certaldo-born manager if Kolo Muani felt more comfortable with another forward nearby, given that he had struggled more on his own in the first half.

Spalletti’s response was sharp and sent a chill through the studio: “Yes, Andrea, but were you even watching the game in the first half? In the 25th minute, I pulled McKennie back into midfield and put Nico Gonzalez in to do what Woltemade did in the second half—that is, play as a second striker—and the same thing happened. Both can switch positions, and if Kolo is given the freedom to roam, he becomes very difficult to mark—and I really liked that aspect of his play during the match.”

Following this draw, the Bianconeri move up to 11 points in sixth place, five points behind league leaders Inter and Lazio, while Cagliari continues to surprise, sitting in fourth place with 13 points. The equalizer came in the 81st minute thanks to a header by Kolo Muani off a cross from Alajbegovic, after Daniel Maldini had opened the scoring in the 20th minute on his birthday. In the closing minutes, the Frenchman then missed a chance to score the winning goal, hitting the crossbar from close range.