Spalletti: ‘A great Juventus performance, despite what some might say’
TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 29: Luciano Spalletti, Manager of Juventus, and Carlos Cuesta, Manager of Parma, pose for a photo before the Serie A match between Juventus and Parma Calcio at Allianz Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Luciano Spalletti insists Juventus put in ‘a great performance’ for the 2-0 victory over Parma, despite jeers and criticism from fans and media, but admits they need a new midfielder.
The Bianconeri had a frustrating first half and were jeered by the crowd, particularly Jonathan David after his substitution, but the changes off the bench proved pivotal.
Specifically, Nico Gonzalez made an immediate impact by forcing a save, hitting the upright and then scoring on the rebound, while his high press also created the circumstances for another substitute to score late on in Teun Koopmeiners.
Spalletti had only said yesterday in his press conference that Nico Gonzalez was a player who always delivers wherever you put him, and that proved prescient.
Spalletti has praise for Juventus
“I liked the first half too, very much. It’s true we didn’t manage to create the space to get the shots on goal, with the movements around the penalty area, that we were a little chaotic with 20 crosses,” Spalletti told DAZN Italia.
“There was one great save from Guglielmo Vicario, because I heard people saying that the result was in doubt and Juventus were disappointing, but that header was the only chance that Parma had. Whereas we had 25 of those crosses in the first half and didn’t get a head onto them.
“It was a solid performance, with the right objectives, motivation, quality and constant pressure. Clearly, you need that moment to finish it off, but according to you anything without a goal at the end of it is negative. I’m happy to keep pressuring opponents for that amount of time.
“We weren’t as precise as we could’ve been to cause more shots on goal, but we did create a lot of situations.”
Juve had to reshuffle this evening due to an injury crisis, as Kenan Yildiz is out for two to three months with a fractured metatarsal, while Weston McKennie and Khephren Thuram were also missing today.
Andrea Cambiaso was a substitute, but he limped off clutching the base of his right ankle, but the concern is that Thuram might also require surgery.
“If the situation for Thuram is confirmed, then we need a player in midfield. Our directors had organised a logical and interesting approach, but that has gone, so they will seek out an alternative,” noted Spalletti.
“Cambiaso needs tests tomorrow morning.”
The coach had been critical of Randal Kolo Muani following the 1-0 victory away to Frosinone, so was this a better performance from the former Paris Saint-Germain striker?
“I think he knows how to play in many situations, because he has quality and pace. He just needs a little more blood in the veins, more grit during those moments, as in my view that will sort everything out,” noted Spalletti.
“It’s hard to find spaces when the opponents sit back, but Kolo Muani has the quality to drop back and create those spaces. The lads put in a great performance tonight, then you can say whatever you like, but that is how I see the match.
“We allowed Parma two situations, one of which was not a penalty because the Parma player moved towards Alajbegovic, once again contact is not a penalty. I don’t want to risk prison for kissing someone again…”
The reference was to last season when Spalletti tried to show on live television that ‘contact’ with a gentle peck on the cheek of a female interviewer was not enough to warrant any kind of pain or foul.
Considering he was being interviewed by a man this time, it was less likely to cause controversy.
“Impact is something, contact is another. There is barely any touch at all, the Parma player moves his leg towards Alajbegovic and seeks the contact, but the VAR evaluated it within a minute, which is only right.”
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