Luciano Spalletti (foto: Getty Images)
Juventus beat Frosinone in their Serie A opener, but Luciano Spalletti demanded goals and a major improvement from Randal Kolo Muani.
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Juventus opened the new Serie A season with a victory, but coach Luciano Spalletti was far from satisfied with his team’s attacking performance.
The Bianconeri defeated newly promoted Frosinone 1-0 away from home. Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer scored the only goal in the 22nd minute.
Juventus attempted 20 shots but failed to turn their dominance into a more comfortable result. Frosinone stayed in the contest until the final whistle and struck the crossbar during stoppage time.
Spalletti reserved his strongest criticism for Randal Kolo Muani. The French striker completed the full 90 minutes but managed only one effort on target from three attempts.
“We went to get Kolo, we looked after him, and we know his value,” Spalletti said. “But he has to understand that he has not played for two years, and there must be a reason for that.”
The Juventus coach believes the 27-year-old must take an honest look at his recent performances and rediscover the qualities which once made him one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards.
“Sometimes you think you are performing at an exceptional level, but in reality you have left something behind,” Spalletti added. “You have to go back, recover it and find it again.”
Spalletti acknowledged Kolo Muani’s physical and technical qualities but stressed that a Juventus centre-forward must decide matches of this type.
“He knows how to hold the ball, attack the space and use his physical strength,” he said. “But these are matches in which he has to score. All the spaces were in his favour.”
Kolo Muani returned to Turin from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Juventus paid an initial €38 million, with performance bonuses worth up to another €12 million, and handed him a contract until 2031.
The France international had already spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Juventus, scoring 10 goals in 22 appearances. PSG then sent him to Tottenham for the following campaign.
Juventus brought him back to replace Dusan Vlahovic, who joined Besiktas. The size of the investment places immediate pressure on Kolo Muani to lead Spalletti’s attack.
The striker is also remembered for his late chance in the 2022 World Cup final, when Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez denied him in extra time. France later lost the final on penalties.
Juventus collected three points at Frosinone, but Spalletti’s message was direct. A narrow victory was enough on the opening weekend. From his most expensive summer signing, he now expects goals.