Tuttosport: Muani Disappoints, but Spalletti Refuses to Give Up on Him

Turin — Spalletti's attitude after the draw with AC Milan was very clear, perhaps clearer than ever: he will never get off the Kolo Muani train. Not now, and not later. At least not before the end of this season. On one hand, this is indeed the case — he simply cannot do otherwise, because throughout the summer he personally and persistently pushed for this signing, hoping to convince the club to bring him back to Turin. More importantly, he still believes that inside this body is the striker that Juventus urgently need. Even though his performances so far have been disappointing, he still believes this.

Against AC Milan, Spalletti kept a close eye on him for the entire 90 minutes, using every stoppage to loudly remind him of what was needed. There were both harsh criticisms and several affectionate gestures, which were captured by the cameras and appeared during the two hydration breaks. But so far, it seems none of this has worked.

The night at the Allianz Stadium produced an almost flat electroencephalogram. This was especially noticeable compared with the first two matches of the preseason, when Kolo had not scored yet but had at least provided several link-up plays, accurate passes, and reassuring attacking numbers.