Luciano Spalletti said Juventus must go to Lecce and turn the game on its head, taking risks instead of trying to manage it after a disappointing draw with Verona. He said the team has everything in its own hands and needs to play at full throttle.
“We suffered and felt pain during the week. We have to go to Lecce and flip the field, break the monotony with the gas fully open,” Spalletti said, adding that Juventus cannot be cautious now. “You have to take risks, not manage. We have everything in our hands. There are moments that make the difference, and sometimes we have missed them.”
The Lecce match is one of Juventus’ last three steps in the Champions League push, which is why Spalletti said pressure must be a natural condition for the club rather than something to avoid. He said Juventus need character and teamwork for the sprint run-in, and that the response must come immediately after the frustration of the Verona match.
Spalletti also opened the door for Dusan Vlahovic to start against Lecce, while warning against loading him with too much pressure. “Yes, Dusan can be a starter, but let’s not burden him with too much pressure,” he said. The Juventus coach was equally direct about his own choices, saying he has made mistakes, including in his decisions on Openda, whom he described as a player everyone likes for his willingness to help.
Looking beyond Lecce, Spalletti said Juventus are planning additions for next season but not a rebuild. He said most of the squad will stay in place and that the club is likely to make two or three important signings rather than an overhaul, with discussion already circling names such as Alisson and Bernardo Silva. “Let one thing be clear,” he said, “we will make additions, but most of Juventus will remain this team.” For Juventus, the next few days are about proving the draw with Verona was a setback, not a stop.
