Juventus to travel to Napoli on matchday as Spalletti avoids hostile pre-game atmosphere

Juventus will only arrive in Naples on the day of their clash with Napoli, a deliberate call from Luciano Spalletti aimed at giving his players a calmer night before Sunday’s big match.

Napoli vs Juventus is the headline fixture of Serie A’s 14th round and a game shaped by a fierce rivalry between the two fanbases.

Spalletti, who won the Scudetto in Naples in 2023 and knows the environment better than anyone, has opted for an unusual approach for the match at the Stadio Maradona on 7 December.

As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, via CalcioMercato, Juventus will remain in retreat at Continassa and will only leave Turin on the morning of the game.

The squad will spend the night before the match at the J Hotel as usual, avoiding the traditional pre-match stay in Naples.

The team will then fly from Torino Caselle on Sunday morning via private charter, head to their hotel in Naples around lunchtime, and prepare for what is expected to be a tense and high-pressure encounter.

The decision stems from the reception Juventus have received in recent years when staying overnight in Naples, a famously “warm” welcome that has included chants and fireworks under the team hotel windows during the night, aimed at unsettling the players.

Spalletti is well aware of how intense the Neapolitan atmosphere can be and prefers to limit distractions wherever possible.

A matchday departure, he believes, offers his squad the quietest and most controlled preparation ahead of one of the most delicate fixtures of their season.