Juventus FC head coach Luciano Spalletti held a pre-match press conference ahead of the UEFA Europa League first-round clash against NEC Nijmegen, stating that accepting pressure is good medicine for learning how to live, and confirming that McKennie will feature in the match.

When asked about his expectations for the match, Spalletti said: "Slot has the courage to bring his philosophy to a country with developed football. He abandoned a distinctive tactical philosophy and won the third division in a highly competitive environment. We must anticipate that they will present a unique approach both philosophically and in terms of quality. We need to be prepared for this, otherwise we might be very surprised. His team scores an average of two goals per game, which fully demonstrates his football style. Additionally, he has strong players like Tadic, who plays inverted to find moments to cut inside and shoot. We must maintain high concentration and be ready at all times. If we are not prepared, this could be a difficult night."

When asked how he will calmly analyze the loss to Sassuolo, Spalletti said: "We are focused, aware, and conscious that we need to improve. We have clarified what we want to do and what we need to fix. From a team perspective, we want a more compact shape to cut off the opponent's passing lanes. We need to know when to press high and when to compact the shape and wait for the opponent to make mistakes. This is the direction of improvement I want to clarify, even though the loss was not entirely down to overall tactics. Currently, the difference lies in how you interpret what happens on the pitch. Tomorrow, the psychological moment will be the deciding factor."

Regarding whether he feels under pressure, Spalletti emphasized: "Accepting pressure is good medicine for learning how to live. I understood this within a few days of arriving, because at that time I had to look after my family. Think about it—can these things still bother me now? I have handled many things. I care deeply about my career, so I do not pay attention to opinions that come after defeats, because those are things I cannot control. It is up to me to decide what matters and what can be ignored. And on this matter, I choose not to pay attention to it."

Regarding the lineup, Spalletti remained cautious: "I will not say anything about the lineup. I cannot help you there."

When asked if he was surprised by certain criticism, he responded: "When you forget who you are, you forget those words. If you start listening to what others say about you, you lose your identity and forget everything you have experienced. You start caring about the looks directed at you, friendships that call themselves friendships, or difficulties that others want to create for you. This is absolutely not allowed. We must be real, lively, and honest in facing what surrounds us and the emotions we feel. You cannot be understood by everyone. You just need to do what you think is best for the club and team."

When asked if the team is ready to accept the pressure, Spalletti said: "Many teams are told they must win. Of course, preparation is the only language that proves we are Juventus FC players. It is also the only language that explains to everyone that we deserve Juventus FC's standards. We are ready."

In answering whether he expects the team to develop in terms of personality, Spalletti analyzed: "The pace of the game is too fast. There are too many variables. Individual decisions by players are too important. That is it. I must anticipate situations and know how to manage them myself. We are not seeking correct interpretation, but handling situations as they arise. The pace of the game brings increasingly surprising and unpredictable variables. Sometimes your thinking cannot keep up. No one outside can help us. We must respond on the pitch ourselves. Knowing this and facing defeats like the one we experienced can provide useful insights for the future. This will help you truly understand and correctly see the direction football is heading. Now new rules protect the show, but actually this promotes confrontation, collision, and the pursuit of physical contact, which puts you in a difficult position when you commit a foul near the sideline. If you cannot tolerate it, you will be pushed off the pitch. Now you cannot boast about fouls. The game is more fluid, and those who like to play clever tricks get caught. These rules protect the aesthetics of the game and free up football."

Regarding Carnevali's comments and rumors about Conte, Spalletti responded: "Carnevali is a football man with experience and stability. He knows what should be done and must convey this calmness so the team can work in peace. That is the only way. I may not deserve the small compliment he gave me, but I will not let him down. I will be what he expects. Out of respect for him, I will not disappoint him. And the fans? Everyone has the right to support whoever they want, and that is how it should be. You are only thinking about Conte. You mentioned him twice. Everyone has their own ambitions. I, Luciano Spalletti, have my ambitions. I have a strong team with the same standards and beliefs as when we started. This is achievable. Even though we started the league with the worst record in nearly five seasons, we should have beaten Sassuolo. We just need to fix a few things."

Spalletti appeared calm about the turmoil that has emerged after just four league matches: "This is normal. After four rounds, two coaches have been changed. I am not surprised, and I am not surprised by the rumors here either. We must realize we have urgent business—not just to win this match, but to show that we are Juventus FC. This is part of our situation. We need to prove we can do it. We deserve this position and we can stay here. As long as we are given time and space, the only thing we need to invest our energy in is on the pitch. I do not care about people who talk about me because they do not know me. They are just aiming at something to shoot at. There are experts here, marksmen, and social media. Everyone can pick up their phone and say whatever they want. Project their own weaknesses onto others. Think about how I could reflect the opinions of others. I have experienced similar situations two or three times in my career."

Regarding the situation with McKennie and Cambiaso, Spalletti stated clearly: "They are part of our assessment. We need to pay attention to which players will play, because we have two or three players who cannot play the full match. I have too many reasons to want McKennie to play tomorrow. McKennie will play tomorrow. Sorry I could not give a clearer answer earlier."

Finally, when discussing Koopmeiners, Spalletti said: "Not the whole season. Koopmeiners is of high value to us, and we always expect to see him perform at the level we all know well. In matches, there are always certain individual decisions that must be made. He has the responsibility to show us important decisions he makes. We all know that as an international player, he has clear and strong intentions. I have no doubt he will show me something important in the match—not just in the match, but in training as well, because we want to see these things from Koopmeiners."

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