Luciano Spalletti warns Juventus must ‘find solidity’ in the Europa League against Celta Vigo and show ambition in Europe. ‘We need to be a little more unpredictable.’
It kicks off at the Estadio Balaidos in Vigo on Thursday at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
The Bianconeri opened their Europa League campaign with a 5-0 demolition of NEC, but convincing performances have otherwise been hard to come by so far this season.
In his pre-match press conference, the coach hinted that there will be significant squad rotation for this trip to Spain.
Spalletti wants a solid Juventus
“This competition gives us the possibility of expanding our knowledge of the group, because we need to play some new faces and allow others to recuperate for the next match,” said Spalletti.
“We go into this competition the same way we do any tournament, as we must always battle to get as far as possible. There are teams in this competition that could easily have been in the Champions League and narrowly missed out, but are built for that level.”
Celta Vigo started their Europa League experience with a surprising 1-0 defeat away to Omonia Nicosia, where they conceded the only goal in the 88th minute.
“Claudio Giraldez is a very good coach and he sets his team out in an interesting way, so we need to be at the right level that is fitting for our club,” continued Spalletti.
“There is no fear, nor pressure upon us. Giraldez has shown he can field a team with quality and experience, so we cannot afford moments where we seem weak.”
There are bound to be numerous changes to the starting XI, with Federico Gatti and Nick Woltemade among those expected to step in.
“It is fundamental that we change because we have a strong squad, we do not have 11 starters and 11 reserves. Gatti deserves a chance to play and a player like Nick can be very useful tomorrow.”
Spalletti has won the Scudetto with Napoli in his coaching career, but is not known for much success in cup competitions.
“I miss that, but there are many different things I am interested in doing. We all must play to win every game and go all the way, but naturally that doesn’t mean creating chaos. We’ve got to deal with the different strain of various tournaments.
“We must be able to overcome the moments of the match, and if you don’t have balance, that becomes extra difficult. We need to become a solid team,” added Spalletti.
“That also comes from a strong mentality, so we are working towards solidity.”
The Juventus coach was pushed on whether he will start with three or four in defence for tomorrow’s match with Celta Vigo.
“They allow you to get a grip on your reference point if you want to go and press them, but when they have the ball, we will be forced to act in a certain way.
“When we have the ball, we’ll try not to give them such clear reference points, so we’re a little more unpredictable.”
Italian football is continuing to struggle, with two heavy defeats in the Champions League last night for Inter and Napoli.
“These things can happen, I feel it is a bit exaggerated what has been written after the result of a single match. I am convinced that teams like Inter and Napoli will find the counter-measures to secure qualification.”
Spalletti has been handed a one-match touchline ban in Serie A for his altercation with Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane, but denies reports he made physical threats.
“I accept it, because that’s what they decided, but I did nothing at all. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Anyone who talked about me saying I’d slap someone was lying.”