On September 18 at 3 AM CET, Juventus host NEC in the first round of the Europa League group stage. Ahead of the match, Juventus head coach Spalletti held a press conference. This is the second part of the press conference.

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Good afternoon. You just mentioned treating pressure as good medicine for life. Is the team ready to embrace this pressure? Because in the Europa League, people's expectations of the team are even higher than in the league. Everyone hopes Juventus can march through like an unstoppable force, maintain their status as title favorites throughout, and ultimately lift the trophy...

Whether we win the championship or not, such expectations will always be placed on several teams. Obviously, "being ready" is the only language that proves we deserve to be Juventus players and part of the Juventus family. Being ready to face these challenges and giving our best in every match is the universal language to prove to everyone that we are at Juventus level. That's why we are ready.

Good afternoon. You just spoke about "mental rhythm." I'd like to ask if this also includes what we often call "nerve" or "courage"? From this angle, and considering this was a major weakness last season, did you originally expect the team to make more substantial improvements in this area? Did the loss to Sassuolo expose the team's limits regarding boldness again?

The reason I emphasize "mental rhythm" is that the ability to maintain it is true quality. Modern football is very fast, and there are too many variables. Matches depend largely on the "micro-decisions" players make in the moment—that's the reality. Players must anticipate situations and learn to solve problems independently, because in all these hectic confrontations and sudden transitions between attack and defense—tomorrow evening you'll see the opponent's style up close—if we're not prepared to anticipate and interpret possible reversed situations...

Perhaps someone will say: "Logically, after winning the ball we should play two or three short passes for transition, right? Logically, six or seven players should quickly drop back to defend, or we risk being outnumbered." But the logic of modern football might be to keep five players in the opponent's half, waiting for a direct long ball from behind to shift all pressure immediately to your side.

This doesn't follow traditional logic. You can't rely on past experience to interpret it; you must interpret it based on the current situation. The reality is that I suddenly face a quick counterattack... And then someone exclaims: "How can they leave us a two-versus-two situation in midfield?" Yes, they left you a two-versus-two in midfield, but if you lose the ball in that two-versus-two, the opponent actually has eight players back defending.

This is similar to how we explain the third goal, isn't it? In that situation, if we could have shot... Because if you play ineffective passes outside the box, the opponent will pack the box defensively and create numerical superiority. This scenario happens increasingly in modern football.

That's why I speak of "mental rhythm" to cope with this, because the pace of play is increasingly marked by surprising, unexpected changes. Sometimes your brain can't keep up if you're not alert, and no one can help you from outside the field because these are spontaneous situations happening immediately on the pitch—you must react instantly. That's why experiencing these things and even stumbling as we did before can absolutely gather valuable lessons for the future, because these are the real insights that reveal football's future trends, and many teams now play this way.

Now, with the new refereeing rules that not only protect the beauty of the game and eliminate time-wasting and diving, but also encourage confrontation, physical contact, and pressing in tight individual situations near the sideline where you're closely marked. If you don't withstand the physical challenge, you're pushed off the ball, and you can't expect to benefit from excessive fouls because the referee won't blow the whistle. So I want to praise this, because net playing time has increased, and those "clever" ones trying to waste time by staying down or deliberately kicking the ball away have been left behind. As I said, these new rules protect the beauty of the game and unleash football's inherent charm.

Good afternoon, Coach. I'd like to return to the subject of the loss to Sassuolo. I want to ask: are you more pleased that the club leadership publicly expressed their confidence in you immediately, without even a day passing, or more surprised that losing just one match—despite the deep bond you built with the fans last season—was enough to trigger nostalgia for Conte among some fans? So from your personal perspective, how do you see this? Will this segment of fans missing Conte bother you?

First, regarding Carnevali, since you brought him up—he's a true football man, experienced, calm, and rational. Everyone in the industry knows Carnevali's character and his role in football. He knows exactly what he should do because he must convey this calm, composed atmosphere so the team can work peacefully and focused, as that's the only way forward. I may not be as good as he praises me, but I will definitely not disappoint him. I will grow into what he expects of me. Given the respect and friendship between us, I absolutely cannot disappoint him, so I will continuously improve.

As for the fans, this falls into the category we discussed earlier. Everyone has the right to support whoever or whatever idea they want, just as you do. You've just made a "Conte poster." You mentioned him two or three times—twice, to be exact—so what you consciously emphasized... If I also wanted to emphasize: "Guys, press them hard because they can't handle the pressure and will have to double-mark," my method would be the same as yours. So this is a reality that must be accepted. Everyone can make whatever poster they want.

And I, as Spalletti, the poster I make is: I remain firmly convinced that I still have the strong team I mentioned at the start of the season, and I will of course continue coaching with the same unwavering standards and beliefs. Because victory is there and within reach. Although we've experienced our worst league start in nearly five years and so on, from a performance perspective we were definitely not outplayed. Although we conceded goals, we could well have won that match because we created more chances than the threats we faced. Of course, we must correct some details—we absolutely cannot concede goals like that again, and your media criticism on this point is entirely justified.

Übersetzt von KI.

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