Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti was pleased with the character and fighting spirit of his players in the 2-2 draw against Rennes in the third round of the main phase of the Europa League. However, the Italian specialist did not hide his disappointment with the disallowed late goal by John Lucumi, which could have brought victory to the Turin team.
After the match, the coach commented on the controversial refereeing decision, the performance of strikers Nick Voltemade and Randall Colo Moani, as well as the aspects of the game in which he expects improvement.
„I did not understand this decision and I will still study it. When I reviewed the video in the dressing room, I was surprised and disappointed. The Rennes player had a chance to clear and Lukumi didn't interfere with him at all. I thought I knew the rules, but after tonight I have serious doubts. The referee did a great job overall, but in this particular episode he wasn't up to par," Spalletti said.
Despite the missed opportunity to win, the coach praised Juventus' reaction, especially after the heavy 0-3 defeat to Lazio at the weekend. According to him, the players showed the necessary mental resilience to overcome the difficult moments against the French opponent.
„I am happy with the attitude they showed in the match. It was difficult to come back from a goal down, especially given all the circumstances, but my players didn't give up and fought hard. We could have done better in both situations where we conceded goals, even though we didn't do anything catastrophic. The goals we conceded could have put us out of the game, but the players kept finding a way out. In the end, they were rewarded for their efforts“, commented the specialist, quoted by the official UEFA website.
Spalletti once again stressed the importance of the character shown and the team's desire to get back into the match.
“I am pleased with the attitude of the boys, because at such a delicate moment getting back into the match was extremely difficult. They accepted the challenge, put pressure on the opponent and were rewarded for their efforts, provided we did not make any serious mistakes in the opponent's two goals“, added the coach.
Special attention was also paid to the interaction between Voltemade and Kolo Mouani, who started together as starters for the first time. The German striker distinguished himself with an assist for Zeki Celik's goal and converted a penalty for the equalizer. His attacking partner struggled more and was substituted ten minutes before the end of normal time.
“Today they performed well, but I think I can demand much more from both of them because their qualities go beyond what they showed tonight. Their overall contribution should not be just a mechanical sum of individuals. They can complement each other on the pitch and when they work in full synchrony, their impact will be tripled, not just doubled“, explained Spalletti.
The Italian also gave Rennes their due, highlighting the qualities of the French squad and the need for Juventus to show greater consistency against such opponents.
“Rennes is an excellent team with fast, technical players and an exceptional school. We have to prove our superiority over such opponents, otherwise we will simply be stuck in one place“, the coach stressed.
In conclusion, Spalletti drew attention to the tactical discipline and behavior of his players without the ball. He urged the team to act more courageously, to take the game forward and to exercise more active pressing, instead of retreating too deep into their own half.
“We have the habit of feeling comfortable when we retreat deep into our own half, but modern football demands something else. Gaining a few meters forward means dictating when to press and showing the mentality of a team that wants to control events“, concluded Spalletti.
After the draw, Juventus collected seven points and occupy seventh place in the Europa League standings, while Rennes is in 13th place with five points.