Soccer
Luciano Spalletti said his Juventus team must “perfect ourselves” during pre-season if they are to stand any chance of challenging at the top of Serie A in 2026-27.
Spalletti is preparing for his first full season in charge of Juventus, and has seen his team win three of their five pre-season outings so far this summer.
The Bianconeri’s only defeat came last time out against Scudetto holders Inter, with Spalletti acknowledging the gulf in quality between the two teams at full-time.
Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season, enough to qualify for a spot in the Europa League, though it is now the second time in the last four seasons that they have failed to finish inside the top four of the Italian top flight after 11 consecutive campaigns of doing so.
It also saw Spalletti fail to finish inside the Champions League places in Italy for the first time since 2008-09, when he led Roma to a sixth-place finish.
Spalletti’s side face Palermo in their penultimate pre-season friendly at Optus Stadium on Tuesday, and the Juventus boss urged his team to take the encounter seriously.
“In the first half against Inter we had some hesitation, even if we were up against the top of the class,” Spalletti said.
“At 2-0, you might even have thought we couldn’t recover, but instead the team reacted well in the second half. They played fast, attractive football and scored a beautiful goal.
“We go forward calmly, always putting something more into the legs and the head, because we have to perfect ourselves, and that’s exactly what pre-season is for.”
https://t.co/PjB5iM33lz pic.twitter.com/e6cwXRWiC0
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) August 10, 2026
Juventus handed debuts to Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegovic against Inter, with the latter missing a glorious opportunity late on to snatch an equaliser for his new team.
Spalletti confirmed ahead of facing Palermo that Federico Gatti will be rested because of a minor muscle problem, while Mattia Perin is set to start in between the sticks in place of normal number one, Michele Di Gregorio.
The clash pits Juventus against Palermo for the first time since February 2017, with Paulo Dybala scoring twice in a 4-1 victory in Serie A at Allianz Stadium.
Since that clash, Palermo have dropped as low as the fourth tier of Italian football, but under the guidance of former Juventus forward Filippo Inzaghi, they finished eighth in Serie B during his first season at the helm.
“Palermo are a Serie B side, but they have many players who know Serie A well and a very motivated coach,” Spalletti added.
“Inzaghi will surely become a top coach. He was a champion as a player, and I know him well as a person too. He’s very humble.
“It’ll be a difficult game, in a beautiful setting with a great crowd.”
Read MoreSoccerNews Editorial Team