Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti sharply criticized his players’ performance following the team’s surprising defeat to Cagliari in Serie A, while at the same time praising the opposition for their determination.
Spalletti said several of his players drifted away from their tactical roles during desperate attempts to get back into the match, which ultimately disrupted the team’s balance.
The result came as a major surprise for the Italian coach, who had suffered only one defeat in all competitions since taking charge of Juventus, especially after winning six of their last seven league matches.
Despite dominating possession and controlling large spells of the game, Juventus squandered numerous scoring opportunities before Luca Mazzitelli scored the decisive goal for Cagliari.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Spalletti said: “Cagliari deserved the win because they fought for every ball, but we needed to be more decisive. There’s no point crying over spilled milk.”
The Juventus coach expressed frustration with the impact of substitutes and the team’s approach in the closing stages, noting that Edon Zhegrova and Francisco Conceição dropped too deep to receive the ball instead of staying in dangerous attacking positions. He also criticized defenders Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly for pushing forward, stressing that their primary responsibility is defensive.
The match saw a Juventus penalty overturned in the first half following a VAR review, while Kenan Yıldız was denied a certain goal after his effort struck the post.
With this defeat, Juventus missed a crucial opportunity to intensify their challenge for the Serie A title ahead of next week’s clash with defending champions Napoli, leaving them 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
Juventus will have little time to recover, as they face a tough European test in the UEFA Champions League against Portuguese side Benfica on Wednesday.
