FIRST DEFEAT PAIN: LUCIANO SPALLETTI ENDS UNBEATEN RUN; CRITIQUES JUVE'S TIMIDITY AND CROSS DEFENSE
Luciano Spalletti confessed Juventus were "passengers" in the 2-1 loss to Napoli, attributing the first defeat of his reign to poor ball control and tactical rigidity in midfield.
Luciano Spalletti admitted Juventus was just along for the ride in their loss to Napoli. He explained what went wrong with his bold choices for the starting lineup.
This game marked Spalletti’s first loss since he took over as Juventus coach from Igor Tudor. It ended his streak of four wins and three draws across Serie A, the Champions League, and Coppa Italia matches.
“It’s true, Napoli pushed harder from the beginning,” Spalletti told DAZN Italia. We were too hesitant moving the ball and lost it easily. That made us chase them.
“They are in good form, so if you don’t hold onto the ball, they make you run all over the field with their skill and strength.”
Spalletti talked about Juventus' starting lineup surprises against Napoli.
With Dusan Vlahovic injured, the Juventus coach surprised everyone by not starting either Jonathan David or Lois Openda. Instead, he put Kenan Yildiz in as a false 9.
The Turkish player scored a quick goal to tie the game. But Rasmus Hojlund scored twice, giving Napoli a 2-1 win.
“I think Yildiz and Conceicao can play those roles because they pass the ball well,” Spalletti noted. Locatelli sat back too far and didn’t stay where I wanted him in midfield. The two forwards didn’t move enough, and we got stuck in the middle. We didn’t pass the ball fast enough or create enough space in midfield.”
He subbed David in for Juan Cabal at halftime, which did bring some change.
“We played better in the second half when we matched them man for man. But we still had trouble with Napoli’s pace and their ability to counterattack. Even though we matched them, they still created problems.
“After we scored and tied the match, we had control. But we were too predictable and didn’t push hard enough as a team. We didn’t try to do anything different, so we really need to improve quickly, or it’s going to be tough.”
“We’ve had some good moments, but now we need to look at what's happening.
Spalletti had mentioned this game as important for his Juventus team, matching up against Italy’s current champions. The two squads did not seem to be on the same footing.
“We can play better than we did. We gave away so many passes. If you don’t control the game, you let the other team control you.”
Juventus has a weakness on defence, as they often struggle with crosses to the far post. This was a problem under the previous coach, Tudor, as well.
“Napoli blocks to create space, and we fell for it every time. We needed to communicate better. We also made it too easy for them to cross the ball. These are all split-second decisions.”
It was sure to be an emotional night for Spalletti, as it was his first game back at Stadio Maradona since helping Napoli win the Scudetto in 2023.
“Of course, when the fans sing those songs that I know so well, it’s great. Only the Stadio Maradona can create an atmosphere like that.”
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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