Juventus has secured a playoff spot in the Champions League and even has a chance to make it into the top 8. However, Turin coach Luciano Spalletti was furious after the 2-0 win against Benfica Lisbon—something he later explained.
Under Luciano Spalletti, the successor to Igor Tudor, who was dismissed mid-season, Juventus is on the right track. Especially in the Champions League: After a poor start to the 2025/26 season with three draws and a narrow defeat at Real Madrid, the Old Lady has recently turned things around.
The deserved reward: with a 2-0 win over Benfica Lisbon on Wednesday evening, the Bianconeri not only secured their third victory, but also a place in the play-offs. With three points at AS Monaco next Wednesday, they could even finish in the top 8 and qualify directly for the round of 16.
So far, so good.
Constant heckling
However, there is also a bit of unrest beneath the surface—especially among the fans. The Juventini are repeatedly showing their dissatisfaction at their home stadium, partly because, in addition to constant concerns about the attack (Dusan Vlahovic has been injured for a long time, summer signing Jonathan David has only scored three goals in 20 Serie A appearances), the team is currently in a disappointing fifth place in the Italian top flight behind Roma, Napoli, Milan, and Inter.
On Wednesday, Spalletti was seen arguing emotionally with a Juve fan who, according to Prime Video, had been loudly commenting on every misplaced pass. The angry Turin coach even clashed with him at half-time – after a manageable first 45 minutes, the score was 0-0 – and loudly demanded: “Next time, stay at home!”
But that wasn’t all: shortly after Khephren Thuram scored the decisive 1-0 goal shortly after the restart, Spalletti went straight back to the fan sitting behind the substitutes’ bench to celebrate demonstratively in front of him.
“We always have to be alert”
After the final whistle, Spalletti unsurprisingly played down the whole thing. “It was a damn important game—and things build up when things don’t go according to plan, especially in home games,” said the 66-year-old. “As a result, tension builds up.”
He said he could understand the criticism, as his players were still far from implementing everything he wanted as coach: “I expect a quicker reaction and a better sense of when the opponent is going to strike back; this aggressiveness is simply part of modern soccer. We always have to be alert.“ Instead, his team, as in recent games, ”lost the ball too often because we were too hectic and constantly made mistakes with our imprecise passes.”
These are mistakes that need to be corrected this weekend. After all, the 22nd matchday of Serie A will see a blockbuster clash against reigning champions Napoli. Juventus lost the first leg 2-1 to Spalletti, who famously led the southern Italians to their long-awaited championship three years ago.
David knows “how to play soccer”
Spalletti explicitly defended striker David, who has yet to make his mark since his transfer from Lille but who was on hand with some good moves in front of goal in the 2-0 win over Benfica. The Canadian international knows exactly “how to play soccer. He may lack determination and aggression,” said Spalletti. “He always has this likeable charisma. Maybe he needs a little more experience to become more determined and clinical.”
