Italiano: Vlahović is the strongest player I have coached in my career

Vincenzo Italiano, the head coach of Turkish side Besiktas, has confirmed that Serbian forward Dusan Vlahovic is the strongest player he has ever coached during his career, expressing his surprise at the decline in Vlahovic's appearances with Juventus.

Italiano stated in remarks to "Corriere dello Sport": "Beşiktaş is an ambitious club and has a great desire to win. Vlahović is the strongest player I have ever coached, and I don't know why he hasn't had more space at Juventus, and looking at the numbers, he has scored some goals."

Italiano has started his stint with Beşiktaş positively, leading the team to good results at the beginning of the season, before suffering a recent defeat against Adanaspor, causing his team to fall one point behind the leaders Galatasaray.

The Italian coach made a name for himself in Serie A through his experiences with Spezia, Fiorentina, and Bologna. He was also close to managing Napoli last summer before his direction changed towards Beşiktaş, where he quickly became a fan favorite, with supporters dedicating special chants for him in the stands.