Luciano Spalletti launched a passionate defense of his team following Juventus’ 2-1 away victory over AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League. The hard-fought result ended an impressive run for the Dutch side, who had gone undefeated in 17 consecutive European home matches, winning 14 of them. Despite the achievement, the Juventus manager expressed growing frustration with the persistent narrative that his team’s victories are routinely downplayed by critics and pundits.
Speaking after the match, Spalletti challenged the perception surrounding his squad’s performances, stating that whenever Juventus win, observers tend to dismiss the opposition as weak or ridiculous. He pointed to his side’s earlier 5-0 victory over NEC, which was initially scoffed at despite NEC subsequently proving their pedigree by accumulating seven points in the competition. Spalletti called on commentators to exercise humility and afford his team proper credit for demonstrating courage and tactical quality on challenging European away grounds.
While acknowledging that Juventus endured a tense finish as AZ Alkmaar pushed late in the game, Spalletti remained highly satisfied with the overall performance against a formidable opponent. The victory secures three crucial points for Juventus in their Europa League campaign as they continue to build momentum across continental and domestic fixtures.
