Criticism from the women’s team directed at Luciano Spalletti: “He’s afraid of his opponents”

Luciano Spalletti is under fire following Juventus’s heavy home loss to Lazio. The Bianconeri’s crisis erupted in full force at the Stadium, as they were overwhelmed by Gennaro Gattuso’s team. The Tuscan coach’s stats are worse than Igor Tudor’s, and criticism from fans and the press is growing ever louder.

The Gazzetta dello Sport’s critique was particularly scathing, describing the current Juventus team as “a deformed monster”: “The Luciano Spalletti of old—the one who used to invent plays with genius and courage—is no longer there. Now there’s a veteran, perhaps traumatized by his experience with the Italian national team, who is afraid of his opponents.”

According to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Spalletti has betrayed himself: “After a year on the job, there isn’t a shred of identity. This is what’s most frightening for the future. Resigning—which would make sense—isn’t in Spalletti’s DNA. He used to snub opponents and impose his ideas (…). In a stadium seething with rage, Spalletti does what he does best: the hysterical throwing of dice. (…) Five forwards—on the field, there’s no longer a team, but a deformed, five-headed monster. But you can’t live on dice rolls alone. Good luck almost always favors those who deserve it.”

Bremer made the post-game atmosphere even more tense. Speaking to Sky, the Juventus captain pointed the finger at the character of some of his teammates: “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. Some have more character and some less; some hear the boos, hide, and get scared, while others don’t.” The Brazilian then also referred to the many new arrivals: “I don’t want to point fingers, but everyone has their own personality.”

Spalletti’s response, also on Sky, was not long in coming: “It’s good that Bremer is reflecting on things, but he’s just as much a part of the game as I am, so before we talk about the team, we need to talk about ourselves. Bremer isn’t excluded from tonight’s performance—he’s just as much a part of it as everyone else.”