Spalletti: ‘No Juventus calculations, not happy with Milan performance’

The Bianconeri have opened up a three-point lead over Como and Roma in fourth place, but the Champions League qualification is still far from secure.

“When I hear people talk about fourth place, I hear certain calculations, but you don’t get there with calculations, you do it by maintaining a certain consistency,” warned Spalletti.

“We must focus on the Champions League and not on fourth place. We know full well what we did to get back into the top four, but there is a difference between needing to prove something and needing to defend something.”

Juan Cabal and Arkadiusz Milik are out for the season, with Dusan Vlahovic back on the bench, but the big question mark is around Kenan Yildiz.

“We all know how important Yildiz is for us, so we have to evaluate the bigger picture for his health. He had this little inflammation, his last two training sessions went very well and he felt no pain. We have no doubts on his presence in tomorrow’s game.

“Vlahovic is the same situation, he can give us a big hand in the remaining matches this season and we don’t have someone else with his characteristics.

“Yildiz always has this positivity, a sunny disposition, even when he had difficult moments. He is already looking to the future, I met his splendid family, his teammates love him too. I feel fortunate to be training him.”

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 01: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Juventus FC at Stadio Olimpico on March 01, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Spalletti was pushed on some other subjects, including that epic Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich Champions League semi-final, which felt like a different sport to Juve’s dismal 0-0 draw with Milan.

“The Champions League is not a tournament that rewards security, but rather those who shake things up. In our football, we tend to like staying in control, but the Champions League relishes chaos, pace and being unpredictable,” replied the coach.

“This is where modern football is heading, and we must adapt. Look, I was not happy with the performance at San Siro either, because it reduced us a little bit, we started playing the game they wanted us to.

“We brought home a result, but didn’t make an impact, and that left me with bellyache the next day. I told the team that too.”

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 14: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Spalletti did take the opportunity to aim a little sideswipe at rivals Inter when discussing Juve’s Champions League record.

“We had some good results in that tournament, we won away to Bodo/Glimt, where some people ought to rewrite their articles about our game, seeing as they were a little presumptuous…”

So how could Italian football be forced into these changes and adapt to the modern game?

“I think teams should be obliged to start at least one under-21 player, it would be a shock to the Calcio system.”