Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti ended the match against Lecce with a decisive message: the team must play with a "hard face" and cannot afford to talk about injuries. After the 2‑0 defeat, Spalletti clearly expressed his frustration with the management of the second half and the lack of exploitation of the opportunities created in the first half.
In his speech in the press room of the “Via del Mare” stadium, Spalletti underlined that, despite the presence of numerous injured players, he does not intend to play with absent players. "I'm not interested in talking about those who aren't there, even if many are missing. I'm not going to play the next match with the injured, I'm going to have the chance to put things back in their place with those who are there," he stated. The coach then defined his vision of the game: "We need to compete head-on with full force, as we did tonight, dueling across the pitch. That's the right behaviour."
Spalletti then analyzed the team's performance. He criticized the second part, calling it "not good" and highlighted the lack of conviction in the recovery phase of the result. “The second half didn't suit me, we didn't go with conviction to gain meters in the match,” he said. He also lamented the failure to exploit the tactical choices against Lecce, stating that they could have closed the match better. “In the first half there were many situations that we could have exploited and we didn't, apart from the 2‑0,” he added.
The coach then expressed his awareness of the moment and the need for change. “The second half is a management by virtue of the result, we know we are not where we want, the group has greater potential than what we are doing, but football doesn't give you anything, if you want something you have to go and get it,” he declared. He concluded with an invitation to give even more commitment, comparing the situation to "leaving the shirt that shows your depth as a man."
Finally, Douglas Luiz reiterated the importance of the victory for the fans and for the team itself. "We must win first of all for the Juventus fans, for those who care about the team. Then for themselves and also for me. The stadium is not a public setting, it is a part of the picture, the fan fights alongside Juventus. We must give the best of what we have," said Luiz. Coach Spalletti closed the conference with the hope of a stronger recovery in view of the next Serie A matches.