Luciano Spalletti is eager to collaborate with Dusan Vlahovic, who he says is content at Juventus. Spalletti will manage his second game for Juve on Tuesday when they face Sporting CP in the Champions League. The former coach of Napoli and Italy secured a win in his debut match, leading Juve to a 2-1 victory over Cremonese in Serie A.
Vlahovic played against Cremonese but didn't score. Despite this, he remains Juve's top scorer across all competitions this season with five goals. Although there were rumours of his availability for transfer during the summer and his contract ending soon, Spalletti indicated that Vlahovic is happy in Turin. "Dusan has a slight advantage because he's used to the pressure of wearing such an important shirt," Spalletti said.
Igor Tudor's time as coach ended after an eight-game streak without a win, but Juve have now won their last two matches. Spalletti noted the team's discipline and stated, "We didn't need to bring any order. " He emphasised that common sense is the best rule and acknowledged that rules have always existed at Juventus.
Spalletti is focused on understanding the team better and providing guidance. He mentioned learning from the players and stressed the importance of desire and effective use of time. Juventus have remained unbeaten in four encounters with Sporting CP (W2 D2), including their latest meeting where Juve knocked out Sporting from the Europa League quarter-finals in 2022-23 with a 2-1 aggregate win.
"We're lucky to play in the Champions League; it's the pinnacle of football," Spalletti remarked. To succeed in this competition, he believes having a clear team identity and protecting it with personality is crucial. He urged for courage in executing their plans without excuses, stating, "This is football. We have to go out there and choose to do certain things. "
The team prepare for their match against Sporting CP. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 3, 2025
Spalletti has spoken with Vlahovic multiple times during training sessions. He shared that Vlahovic would be thrilled to remain at Juventus and isn't concerned about his contract situation, focusing solely on playing football.
