Luciano Spalletti says Mohamed Salah “gives the Ballon d’Or to every coach” he works with, while describing Kenan Yıldız as a “genius” and a player capable of breaking football’s rules.
In a wide-ranging interview with Tuttosport, the Juventus manager discussed his career, the club’s identity, his response to criticism and the players who have influenced him most.
Spalletti arrived for the interview wearing sunglasses and carrying a bag which initially resembled a doctor’s case. He said it contained carefully prepared notes.
“These are notes. I never improvise anything,” he said. “I prepare everything. It took me three days to be here ready for this interview, and I think that is a form of respect for those who want to know me better.”
‘At Juventus, you coach a mentality’
After managing Roma, Napoli and Inter, as well as the Italy national team, Spalletti said Juventus represented a different challenge.
“At Roma, I was coaching a fan base. At Napoli, I was coaching an entire city. At Inter, I was coaching a great tradition. With the national team, I was coaching an entire nation,” he said.
“At Juventus, you coach a mentality. It is the history of football.”
Spalletti said leading Juventus brought “a mixture of deep sadness and immense happiness”, along with pride and responsibility. He added that the club competed according to its own standards rather than those of its rivals.
He said he had agreed to renew his contract because of his belief in the squad, himself and the club’s history.
“I did not hesitate or doubt,” he said. “I needed some time to test myself in this world, and then I had the chance to renew and begin laying the foundations for the work ahead.”
Spalletti acknowledged that Juventus were undergoing change under a new management structure, although the ownership remained the same. He said the team needed time and maturity, while admitting its start had not gone well.
“The defeat by Sassuolo still hurts us, but we are on the right path,” he said. “We are recovering the level, rhythm and collective performance we produced for a long period last year.”
Salah, Vlahovic and Yıldız
Asked which players he believed he had helped develop, Spalletti named David Pizarro at Udinese, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli and Salah at Roma.
“Kvaratskhelia came from a particular type of football, but Salah gives the Ballon d’Or to every coach he works with,” he said. “The level of the player always makes the difference.”
Spalletti identified Adam Ounas, whom he coached at Napoli, as the player he felt he had not developed sufficiently.
He said Dusan Vlahovic needed to regain his calm and find the right emotional balance, because he could make mistakes whether given too much or too little energy.
Yıldız, meanwhile, was praised for his unpredictability.
“Every movement he makes is a work of genius,” Spalletti said. “He breaks the system. He is crazy in his creativity.”
The manager compared Yıldız with Kvaratskhelia rather than Salah, saying the Juventus forward needed more playing time but had a similar ability to create unexpected situations.
Spalletti also said leadership did not always require a player to speak loudly. Yıldız, he said, had been given responsibility and was a natural leader, much like Nestor Sensini at Udinese, whose charisma commanded attention even when he barely spoke.
Spalletti named Gianluca Vialli as his greatest inspiration from Juventus history, praising the former striker’s strength, smile and respect. He also cited Marcello Lippi and Giovanni Trapattoni as the club’s outstanding coaches, and recited a historic Juventus line-up featuring Zoff, Gentile, Cabrini, Bonini, Brio, Scirea, Bettega, Tardelli, Rossi, Platini and Boniek.
He said his family had encouraged him to accept the Juventus challenge. On criticism, Spalletti added: “I have always criticised myself. I take only what helps me improve from excessive criticism or praise.”
For Spalletti, a coach must create a joyful environment, unite the players and help them think in the same way. Modern football, he concluded, was increasingly chaotic, with positions constantly changing.
“The difference lies in those who can read what the ball is going to create,” he said.
