Spalletti confirms permanent Juventus change and Italiano suggestion

Luciano Spalletti says Juventus will no longer go into a training retreat before games and confirms he has suggested ‘everyone’ to hire Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano, ‘not just to President Aurelio De Laurentiis.’

Spalletti’s Juventus will visit Bologna at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Sunday, meeting a direct rival in the race for the top four.

Bologna, in fact, are three points above the Old Lady, who ranks 7th in the Serie A table.

Spalletti previewed tomorrow’s match at a press conference, starting with team news.

“Daniele Rugani can already be deployed. As for Bremer, because of his previous injury, he still needs time, and we must be cautious even if he’s available and wants to be there,” Spalletti told reporters via Ilbianconero.com.

Asked whether he’ll have more time next week to test a four-man defence in training, Spalletti replied: “I’m still surprised when I hear about systems in the field. In today’s football, it has changed a little. You don’t win by occupying positions, but spaces, deciding where you want to bring the game. We are going towards one-on-one across the pitch, and we have to adapt. It’s true that I want to use a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, trying to do something different, but it’s just the starting point because the game forces you to use other systems during the match.”

Francisco Conceiçao made a substitute appearance in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Pafos, contributing to a 2-0 win, but Spalletti expects a further step forward from the Portuguese.

“His development lies in becoming more decisive. He needs to increase the chances of scoring and be more determined in the attacking phase,” said the Juventus boss.

“He has this lethal outburst of pace that puts you in real trouble when he accelerates. Let’s also add some defensive phases, some duels, but I’ve seen great willingness to track back and help out, so we’re on the right path.”

The Juventus tactician was full of praise for Bologna and their coach, Italiano, confirming he had suggested Napoli hire the Bologna boss in 2023.

“There are certainly things you can learn from Italiano. For me, he’s one of the best young coaches we have, and I’ve told everyone to get Italiano, not just President De Laurentiis.

“Credit goes to the coach and those who built the team. They have great quality and know exactly where they want to go,” continued Spalletti.

“They fear nothing and force you into a huge number of duels; they don’t care about how much space they leave behind. We have to break down these fences, not go man against man, but beyond the man. If we are not ready for this, it will be a complicated evening for us to talk about.

“Personality is a fundamental aspect of football. In the past, it only belonged to those who dared a risky play; today, is about accepting a full-pitch battle, pushing the opponents into the spaces you want, beyond the technical gesture,” Spalletti added.

“One single play might be enough to get a passing grade [from the media], but to play like a champion, you have to be in the heart of the team for 90 minutes and close to the ball.

“No one will convince me not to expect great things from these lads; no one will convince me that they aren’t good. A coach has to be obsessed with the idea of improving the team.”

Last but not least, Spalletti said the team would no longer go into a training retreat before matches, which means they won’t travel to Bologna until tomorrow morning.

“A training retreat isn’t a place, but a mental condition,” concluded Spalletti.

“We won’t do it anymore because, as far as I’m concerned, it’s an extra burden. If you are dealing with a group of players with the right mental condition, like those at Juventus, you don’t go into a training retreat. Whoever plays for Juventus is always in this mindset, so we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”