Capello: Correct Juventus decision on Spalletti but ‘it won’t be easy’ to catch Como
Fabio Capello believes Juventus are right to extend Luciano Spalletti’s contract regardless of Champions League qualification, but argues that ‘it won’t be easy’ to catch Cesc Fabregas’ Como and finish in the top four.
Juventus’ 1-1 draw against Sassuolo over the weekend pushed the Bianconeri three points below fourth-placed Como, who secured a comfortable 5-0 win against Pisa.
Capello examined the Bianconeri’s performance in his latest interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, highlighting what didn’t work for the Old Lady.
“First of all, Yildiz. He scored okay, but he lacked consistency, especially in the second half,” said the ex-coach.
“Unlike usual, he didn’t take responsibility for getting the team out of trouble. Juventus attacked more on the right, where Conceiçao did have a good game, but it wasn’t enough to win.”
Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik were introduced in the dying minutes, while Lois Openda and Jonathan David spent the whole game on the bench.
“The false nine is fashionable. Anyway, the first two were coming back from long injuries, while evidently, the other two are not considered up to the level required by the coach at the moment,” Capello said.
Juventus are expected to offer Spalletti a contract extension before the end of the season, regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions League.
“Obviously, it’s more complicated. There’s no denying that Luciano has given something to Juve, despite a few unlucky results, and for this reason, the club has decided to continue with him without waiting for the end of the season,” noted Capello.
“In my opinion, it’s the right choice, even if there’s no signature yet. Not finishing in the top four, however, would limit possibilities in the transfer market and have repercussions on the whole environment.”
Juventus are level on 54 points with Roma, three points behind Como, but Atalanta are also still in the race for the top four despite sitting 7th with 50 points.
“Como are riding a wave of enthusiasm. They win, play well, and score easily. Fabregas is very good, but sometimes overcomplicates things with some overly elaborate ideas,” concluded Capello.
“However, it won’t be easy to catch them, especially since they have the advantage over Juve in head-to-head matches, and that +3 is practically a +4. Roma are not in great form, and against Lecce, you could see they were still feeling the effects of their Europa League elimination. They’re also paying for absences, especially those of quality players such as Soulé and Dybala. They struggled, but still managed to take all three points and remain in contention for a Champions League spot. Atalanta also won and are chasing from a bit further back. There are still many matches left; it’s too early to make predictions, but they all have the duty to believe.”