At 02:45 on September 7 Beijing time (CEST), Juventus FC will host AC Milan in Serie A Matchday 3. Ahead of the fixture, Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti attended a press conference. Below is the second part of his remarks.

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Hello Coach, I'd like to ask about Nicolò Vlotte. You previously assessed him as not yet a complete penalty-box striker in the fullest sense, but rather one who needs to develop into that role. So in coaching him, how do you transform a player who doesn't naturally possess a striker's technical abilities and game instincts into an effective penalty-box finisher? Does this involve specific drills—targeted technical corrections or psychological adjustments?

As I've mentioned, Nicolò Vlotte is a unique player who can expand our tactical dimensions both vertically and horizontally. Most players feel comfortable when positioned closer to goal. If he's pulled away from it, even though his ball touches increase, the reward of scoring and the desire to fight for goals remain the most compelling motivations for a striker.

From my brief interaction with him, I believe he excels in both aspects. He's comfortable dropping deep to receive and link play, but when he does, it's to create numerical advantages in certain areas through his off-ball movement, which opens up the opponent's defense and allows him to burst into the resulting space.

His ambidexterity is balanced and excellent. I've also mentioned before that given his height, I expected his heading to be strong. In fact, he's not just tall with long legs—he also demonstrates sharp instincts in the penalty area with enthusiasm, even showing power and aggression by reading where the ball will drop and striking it forcefully. So in my view, these complex qualities he possesses are tremendously valuable to us. What we need to do now is maximize these qualities within the most appropriate tactical system. That's it.

Hello Coach, both you and Milan could be considered the two biggest disappointments of last season—as Serie A giants, neither qualified for the Champions League. What I'd like to ask is: with Milan having overhauled their entire sporting and technical strategy during this transfer window, and you yourself having restructured the club's management significantly, and even your technical approach—since this is the first transfer market where you've been deeply involved and fully imposed your will—do you see similarities in this "fresh start" for both Juventus and Milan? And do you think the "initial disadvantage and setback" from such a major restructuring and overhaul is genuinely difficult to overcome in just one season? I mean the technical restructuring, because you and your rivals are both starting from scratch, and compared to other competitors you're actually behind at the outset. If this initial lag from restructuring does exist... Inter Milan is clearly a more stable and complete team, and Napoli has largely maintained their core structure without much upheaval. So you're somewhat behind in the rebuilding process. This isn't something I'm inventing, Coach—you yourself just said frankly that there's a gap between us and the top teams that needs to be closed. So I'm not making this up...

In fact, "balance" and "extreme adaptability" are the key qualities that allow you to transform challenges into new opportunities when facing restructuring and unforeseen events. So proactive adaptation to the current high-volatility environment doesn't mean we're compromising or applying quick fixes. Quite the opposite—it's the capability and professional quality that a truly strong and flexible team must possess. We must absolutely and thoroughly dedicate ourselves to these details and high standards. We must not present the "restructuring" narrative within the team as a major obstacle hindering our development.

Because ultimately, being "a strong team" is not drafted at a desk or merely stated in words. You must prove it through action in real, constantly evolving competition and match situations. This is a quality demonstrated in the actual gameplay process. So in my view, this team is fully ready for the difficult battle ahead. The players showed excellent form this week. We've tried many new tactical combinations, and the entire team has discussed deeply how to address the exposed issues. Everyone has demonstrated high professionalism and commitment—or even better than before—while striving to present something different and exciting in tomorrow's match.

Of course, as I just said, real match situations will prove whether all this is effective. But we have the necessary strength and competitive conditions in place to commit and be a top team. During the recent transfer window, although we didn't execute 100% of our plan, this investment has significantly deepened the team and greatly expanded our tactical options.

So returning to the point about "many new players needing to adapt," which Giovanni just mentioned: this is an unavoidable reality on one hand, but on the other hand, it gives us new options and tactical patterns. As long as we can use these intelligently and reasonably in training and upcoming matches, we can transform into a different and stronger team. That's what we are.

Hello Coach, I'd like to discuss players who were left off the Champions League registration list. Did you have deeper personal conversations with them after the announcement? For some of these players, can we assume that the transfer market door hasn't fully closed for them during this window?

Regarding whether I spoke with them—the answer is clear. Yes, I did, because besides communication being the least I could do, it's a sign of respect. Before the market closes or final decisions are made, I've repeatedly hoped this situation wouldn't occur. As a head coach, there's nothing worse or more painful than having to cut players you work with every day, and who have given their full physical and mental effort, loyalty, and support to this team in training and matches.

Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, some of our original concepts and plans didn't ultimately materialize, forcing us to confront and accept this difficult and harsh reality. So I spoke with them deeply. In my view, they fully understand the situation and the club's decision.

Regarding your question about whether these excluded players might find a way out through the market—that's not something I need to worry about or be responsible for. Besides, it mostly depends on the players' own true intentions and future plans. From my perspective, I feel deeply sorry and apologize for this. Of course, there's a possibility they could return to the team in the future, depending on how circumstances and situations evolve. So I always encourage trying to find the positive and bright side in every unpleasant and difficult situation.

We must constantly ask ourselves: Is the current situation truly as bad as it can possibly be? Actually, there's no need to be quite so pessimistic, because around the next corner in life, there's usually an unexpected surprise waiting to set things right. We must live each day and face any obstacles we encounter in our professional and personal lives with such a comprehensive and long-term perspective. I've thought about this for a long time and spoken with them one-on-one for a long time. I feel deeply sorry. Genuinely sorry. That's what it is.

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