Spalletti's Juventus: No Excuses Ahead of Serie A Opener
Luciano Spalletti has drawn a hard line before a ball is kicked in Serie A. The Juventus coach confirmed that Randal Kolo Muani and Guglielmo Vicario will start away to Frosinone on Sunday – and warned the rest of his squad that the “bell has rung” on excuses.
The game at the Stadio Stirpe kicks off at 17.30 UK time (18.30 CEST), a modest stage for what feels like a statement of intent after a bruising year in Turin.
Spalletti rings the bell
Juventus stumbled out of the Champions League places last season, collapsing late and sliding to sixth. Europa League football is the consequence. A sharper edge from the man on the bench is the response.
“I want to congratulate Frosinone on returning to Serie A and my friend Massimiliano Alvini for the work he did to achieve promotion,” Spalletti opened, polite enough, before the tone shifted.
“The bell has rung, the season has started, and whoever isn't ready will feel themselves getting pushed towards the exit. Teams are always evolving, so players must be prepared to go with that flow. I also went to watch a few Serie B coaches at work, to keep myself up to date.”
The message was clear: nobody at Juventus is safe on reputation alone.
A revamped Juventus, still under construction
Pre-season offered little clarity. A mixed bag of performances, a squad still being rebuilt deep into the window, and the lingering sting of missing out on Europe’s top table.
The club has moved aggressively in the market. Kerim Alajbegovic, Jhon Lucumi, Jeff Ekhator and Zeki Celik have all come in to support rising star Kenan Yildiz. Spalletti likes the direction, but he is not dressing it up.
“The squad right now is cohesive, united, but in future I'd like us to also be solid, robust, determined,” he said. “In general we've had a good transfer market, some areas need a few cosmetic changes, others entire restoration projects.”
Then came the nod to Alajbegovic, one of the more intriguing arrivals.
“We brought in a player like Alajbegovic who provides that sudden shock of energy, he sees the next move and can see it through. We've certainly made it more competitive all over the team.”
Competitive is one thing. Delivering when the pressure rises in April and May is another, and Spalletti knows it.
Top-four race wide open
Juventus spent much of last season chasing a Champions League spot, only to fall away when it mattered. That failure frames everything now.
“There are seven or eight teams who can challenge for the top four, and last season we missed out,” Spalletti admitted. “We've got to prove ourselves and become a balanced team. We have improved, but only the results will show us how much we've improved.”
Outside the club, expectations remain high. Inside, the coach is trying to cut through the noise.
“Right now you all seem to think we'll be second or third, but it's the usual game when you try to guess the line-up, they can't all be in the starting XI.
“We had a good transfer strategy and are in a position to do more, while Milan made good investments, Inter and Napoli were already strong, Roma signed important players. They are all up there and have the same ambition, we all want to win many games.”
Juventus are no longer the automatic favourites. They are one of many in a congested field.
Kolo Muani and Vicario get the nod
If Spalletti refused to play along with predictions about the table, he did at least give one concrete answer about his team sheet for Frosinone.
“Vicario and Kolo Muani will start,” he confirmed. “Then after that we'll try to create a team that has balance, which gives individual players more freedom to express themselves within that framework.
“It is not system against system, but movement against movement, understanding where to create that space.”
Kolo Muani’s inclusion signals a desire for more direct threat in attack. Vicario’s debut, though, comes at the end of a reshuffle in goal that underlines how ruthless this summer has been.
New No.1 as old guard moves on
Behind the scenes, Juventus have turned the page in goal. Michele Di Gregorio is on his way to Bournemouth on loan with an option to buy set at €14m, while Mattia Perin is preparing to join Palermo in Serie B.
Spalletti spelled out why Vicario has been fast-tracked.
“We got Vicario because we consider him strong and experienced, good with his feet, and has just started training over the last week with the team. He will play, Perin will remain as long as he can be useful, while Di Gregorio is almost official now, so he's not even in the squad.”
A new goalkeeper, a new centre-forward, a coach demanding evolution and hinting at exits for anyone who cannot keep pace. The bell has rung at Juventus. Now comes the test of who is still standing when it stops.
