Juventus suffered an injury-ridden 2‑0 draw at home to Genoa, and coach Luciano Spalletti explained the reasons for that result during an interview on Sky Sports. The coach stated that, despite the quality of the players, the team was unable to maintain the necessary pressure against an opponent who played at a high pace and exploited physical duels.
Spalletti reported that he arrived at Genoa "with 17 players" and that he had not had the opportunity to observe the players in training before the match. “It's not like I could see them in training and say 'this is probably happening because I saw them like this in the last few days',” he explained, underlining that the surprise was great when he saw the performance on the pitch. The coach also highlighted that the ranking and recent results have had an impact on the mentality of the players, who seem to have lost a bit of motivation.
In particular, Spalletti cited the case of McKennie, who expressed concern about the lack of willingness to give the necessary effort. "It's the enthusiasm with which the others arrive and the one with which you arrive. This worries me a little because we talked about this," he said, adding that "when these things happen and we are so sorry, we risk doing even more damage by talking a lot." The coach therefore decided to take some time to discuss issues that are not the time to address publicly.
As for the lineup, Spalletti admitted that he was "in difficulty" but reiterated that the players are the right ones for the team. “In the second half I put Woltemade on, but if I had to play again I would do the same thing because I didn't want to give reference points to the opposing defenders,” he explained. He also spoke about Ostigard, stating that he had trained him and that he knew that "if you throw the ball to the striker he swallows it, but if you make him play in spaces he has more difficulty".
The coach closed the interview by indicating that the team must review its mentality and level of commitment to return to competing at its best. With the league table at stake and Serie A approaching the final stage, Juventus will have to find a solution to regain their lost form and motivation, in order not to let the result against Genoa become a negative turning point in the season.