Spalletti praises Grabara after Juventus' 5-0 victory

Luciano Spalletti left the Allianz Stadium on September 17, 2026, considerably happier than when he arrived, having guided Juventus to a commanding 5-0 victory over NEC Nijmegen in the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD1. Following the match, Spalletti singled out debutant Kamil Grabara for praise, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio to Sky Sport Italia.

"I am extremely satisfied. They went onto the pitch clear-headed, turned doubts into decisions, and executed them well," Spalletti stated. "They managed to make the most of their desire to do something. Nico was good on the first goal to hook onto that ball."

Grabara notably kept a clean sheet in his first appearance, and Spalletti expressed his admiration: "Let me congratulate Grabara, who showed composure and the ability to play with his feet. In these games, goalkeepers become the extra man, and if you can find a free man inside the pitch like that, spaces open up for you."

Despite his satisfaction, Spalletti pointed out areas for improvement, specifically mentioning the space conceded behind the defensive line while defending his decision to alter the team's shape.

"For what we showed, we could have been more compact and left less space behind the back line. Given how it went, the choice to change something was the right one. This is a way we can use to interpret games, and it is how we won some matches last season. Now we have so few players that we have to adapt."

Spalletti also refrained from underestimating their opponents, noting NEC's strong performance in the Eredivisie, where they finished third last season. "Tonight the players stayed focused. They were tripling up on every player and could have become dangerous if they had taken over. They do not worry about anything; they have lost some games heavily, but in the next one, they go even harder," he said.

On another note, Spalletti addressed the efforts of Randal Kolo Muani, revealing that the striker was feeling frustrated by his lack of goals. "He has depth in his running, which is easily highlighted with these spaces. He also took a couple of kicks and has to know how to withstand the physical impact. He needs to put more strength into it because he is strong and healthy. Last night, with the training camp optional, he was the only one at dinner and slept alone. He suffers enormously from not being able to contribute."