Juve: Spalletti’s anti-crisis plan to reach fourth place

The crisis unit is born and dissolves once the mission is accomplished. At Continassa, something is moving because the moment does not allow for distractions or light-heartedness: Juventus goes straight to the Champions League if they win in Lecce (Saturday), beat Fiorentina and take the derby with Torino, otherwise there would be a lot of dancing, and quite a bit. “We cannot fail to arrive in the top four… we cannot fail to win the last three matches of the season… everything is in our hands, if we are not banal, we are the team that knows what to do and where to go…”: the former Italian coach spoke like this to the group and, to the group, he will speak like this again today when work resumes.

Reporting

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Unpredictability and wickedness: the right mix to find quickly after the slip against Verona at the Allianz Stadium. The stalemate against an already relegated opponent triggered the red alarm and increased the risk curve: Spalletti reminded everyone of their responsibilities. “There are no percentages of physical form or belief: we are 100 percent, we have to be to get a Champions League spot…”, says Manuel Locatelli, captain of a dressing room that is a bit in a state of apnea. Unpredictability is the variant necessary to make Juventus the image of what its coach asks for. Badness is the condition without which “you can’t score goals…” (Locatelli dixit). The crisis unit is on the pitch, Lucio da Certaldo is the guarantee and the point of reference for getting out of trouble: immediately after the match on Sunday afternoon, the Tuscan coach used strong concepts to shake up his players, three days after the unexpected draw he will use calmer tones, but reflections that will have to strike the right chords. Spalletti, during his adventure under the Mole, has already adapted the method of videos of the best moments to show when something could have gone awry, removing certainties: it could happen again in these hours of transition from a match without smiles to one that will have to bring back full good spirits.

To be revitalized

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The crisis unit is, in fact, constituted: a typical week – rest only yesterday – and, above all, the team traveling not on the day of the match as per the custom inaugurated by the Tuscan coach since last December, but all on the plane on Friday after lunch with a retreat in Salento, in Lecce, the scene of a challenge that was, to say the least, cumbersome. Spalletti, for once, abandons the path of “invisible” training and focuses on a traditional agenda because, among the things that need to be put right, there is also the physical condition of those who are showing a bit of suffering. Starting from the defence, Bremer seemed to be headed for a restart from better days, then the amnesia that paved the way for Verona’s goal: the Brazilian must get back on the waterline in a new season not without setbacks due to bad luck. In the middle of the pitch, McKennie has failed in his last two outings: having dedicated himself to a long series of role adjustments risks taking its toll now that the Champions League appeals are over. And still in the middle of traffic, the youngest of the Thuram brothers appears, struggling with a slowdown in performance due to a less than perfect condition linked to discomfort due to bone edema. Up front, eyes on Yildiz and a left knee that has been inflamed for a while. Spalletti asks to show himself in the most beautiful and natural version: he will ask his boys as he asked them to free themselves from fear. “We are used to pressure, we know that we have to win three games out of three,” says Locatelli. Today on the pitch at Continassa, tomorrow too, as well as Friday. And on Friday the luggage was in the hold and the group was expected at Brindisi airport for the landing on the day before.