Spalletti: Without Personality, You Can't Play for Juventus, and This is What We Need

Luciano Spalletti, the head coach of Juventus, spoke after the 2-2 draw against Torino in the last round derby of the Italian league, emphasizing the importance of personality within the team and the need to strengthen the ranks with players capable of raising the level.

He said: 'I am the coach and I must analyze what happened. It is clear that the results of other teams may have affected us, as everyone was asking about that during the break when we returned to the locker room, but here the personality of the individuals shows. It's not the same to have two more points or less, and it's not the same to change because of a result from elsewhere. We need to improve in this aspect.'

He added: 'The difference is always made by the personality of individuals. Personality and mentality sometimes agree, but the personality of someone who listens to nothing and always pursues their goal makes the difference. You may win or lose the confrontation, but those who think this way remain steady because they continue to the end. Everyone on the field has doubts, but if you live within these doubts, it becomes difficult. If you always have doubts, you lack personality and cannot play for Juventus. Personality is very difficult to teach; you can teach technique and tactics, but some players have this trait, and it shows on them. We have paid the price for some matches where we experienced fluctuating levels.'

He continued: 'These are matters we have already discussed with Comolli, we must include players who raise the level, because at some moments we fail to respond, and this explains why we played some matches brilliantly and in others, we drowned in a glass of water.'

He added: 'Last season Juventus qualified for the Champions League in the last round against Venezia. This season we lost some matches, but not many. The team was always training well, even this week, and was doing the right things. Amidst all these matches and pressures, we also thought about resting them, because they have to feel free. There is a lot of pressure on these players. I find no other solutions than giving them rest and not subjecting them to training. We were right not to enter a camp and not to do that. We treat them as mature individuals; otherwise, we will end up describing the season as a failure without giving direction or meaning.'