Spalletti takes entire Juventus squad on retreat, injured players included, before Napoli clash

Luciano Spalletti has taken the whole Juventus squad into a retreat at the J Hotel before Sunday’s clash with Napoli, and the club’s injured players have joined in.

According to Tuttosport, the squad checked in on Friday morning and will stay until heading to the Allianz Stadium for the 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT] kick-off. Kenan Yildiz, captain Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram, all out with long-term injuries, rushed to the Continassa to be with their teammates. Kamil Grabara is the only absentee, as he is in Poland recovering from knee surgery.

Spalletti turns to Juventus retreat after Genoa defeat

It’s an unusual move for Spalletti. The 67-year-old has never seen a ritiro as a punishment, and the last time he used one was in April 2022, when his Napoli side threw away a two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat at Empoli. That was a light version, with players free to go home after dinner. This time, everyone stays together until Sunday.

The decision follows Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Genoa, after which Spalletti apologised to the fans. Juventus are level with Napoli on 14 points.

Spalletti hasn’t imposed any restrictions on behaviour, as he trusts his players. Tuttosport adds that only Gleison Bremer and Francisco Conceição have been disciplined recently.