Luciano Spalletti was very clear about the reasons he did not want Manuel Locatelli in his squad when he was managing the Italian national team. The explanation came after his surprising decision to select Nicolo Fagioli for Euro 2024 while leaving the Juventus captain at home. It was a choice that puzzled many observers, yet Spalletti communicated his reasoning directly to Locatelli and later addressed the matter publicly.
Spalletti’s Original Concerns
Locatelli has remained a key figure at Juventus despite being overlooked by Italy, and he is now working under Spalletti again at club level. This has given him a new opportunity to prove the manager wrong. However, his style of play has not changed significantly, and Spalletti continues to view him as overly conservative in possession and decision-making. This trait was the primary reason the manager felt Locatelli was not suited to his Italy squad, and it is now becoming an increasingly visible issue at Juventus.
The situation has raised concerns within the club, as Spalletti’s tactical demands are clear and uncompromising. Players who do not meet those expectations risk falling out of favour, and Locatelli’s reluctance to take more risks appears to be hindering his chances of establishing himself as a central figure in the manager’s plans.
Growing Tension at Juventus
According to Calciomercato, Spalletti remains unimpressed by the midfielder’s performances and believes that his approach does not align with the intensity and creativity required in Juventus’ midfield. As a result, there is a growing possibility that Locatelli could soon be sidelined at the Allianz Stadium.
The report also suggests that Juventus may even consider selling him in January as they explore options to bring in midfielders who are better suited to Spalletti’s style. Such a move would represent a significant shift for a player who has long been regarded as an important figure within the squad, yet the evolving demands of the new manager may ultimately force the club to reassess his role.
3 Comments
Loca would suit middle table teams very well.
His pass is not bad, defense is OK, but terrible at tempo control. He’s easy to be predicted coz he can’t dribble forward or hold the ball waiting for a better passing target. He’s mediocre at shooting/scoring as well.
I understand that he is a die hard fan of the club and it’s sad to see him leave …I don’t mind if he stays as a rotation.
Loca fits in a 4-6th team. He’s good at playing safety, but that doesn’t create any chances. He is slow, and isn’t a creative player. He is a fighter, but unfortunately he doesn’t fit in a team fighting for the scudetto.
I don’t really blame Loca for that. It’s very said before and I’ll say again. It was Allegri who moulded him into that. Allegri really took that part of his game away from him. If you look at how he played for his first few months at Juve before Allegri came. He was playing progressive and even dangerous passes. When Allegri got here. He put and end to that and had Loca focus solely on defense.
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