Luciano Spalletti didn’t hold back at his first press conference for the 2026-27 season, dropping a bombshell that’s got everyone buzzing. After just five days on the training fields of Continassa, the Juventus manager laid it all out: “We’re quite far away from the Scudetto right now.” That’s a stark dose of honesty for a team that finished outside the Champions League spots just a few months ago, landing in sixth place and booking a ticket to the Europa League. Talk about setting the tone for the season right out of the gate.
The Brutal Truth About Last Season’s Letdowns
Spalletti, now nine months into the job, knows the disappointment all too well. He’s seen the players from the last two summer windows who turned out to be massive letdowns still on the squad, alongside those who just barely scraped into Europa League. He made it clear the team needs to face the reality of their previous performance. “We’re analyzing a championship where we didn’t achieve the desired result, but it’s not a bad one,” he said. He believes they did many things well and the content was right. But, and this is the big but, there are areas where they desperately need to step up, especially in maintaining the same level of behavior and quality they showed in some performances. The coach is looking for consistency, and frankly, that’s what was missing last year.
Building for Champions League, Not Scudetto Yet
Despite the tough talk about the Scudetto, Spalletti isn’t completely without hope. He’s confident they can compete for the Champions League this year, but it’s going to take some serious work. “This year, we’re confident and in a position to believe that if we work the right way, we can compete for the Champions League, because that’s what awaits us and we want to compete for a high place in the table,” he stated. However, he warned, they can’t afford to make any mistakes. The transfer market has been slow under new leadership, and Spalletti admits “There’s a lot of work to do.” He acknowledged the team might even be “forced to sell someone” given last year’s poor results, but he’s trusting the directors to refine the squad and fix what’s missing.
New Faces and What’s Next for the Squad
So far, Juventus has brought in just two players: young striker Jeff Ekhator from Genoa and fullback Zeki Çelik, who arrived on a free transfer from Roma in a surprise move. Spalletti has high hopes for these new additions, particularly Ekhator. He praised Çelik as “a player with character, certainly reliable with the attitude of a warrior,” calling his signing a good idea. The coach hinted that more unexpected moves could happen, saying “Strong clubs know how to surprise players sometimes,” which is pretty exciting. The transfer market is wide open, and the team needs to get things done as quickly as possible. We’ll be watching closely to see what other pieces Juventus brings in as they try to close that gap to the top and compete for a high spot in the upcoming Champions League race.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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