Juventus began their Europa League campaign against NEC with Alex Del Piero urging the club to treat the competition as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience, following the disappointment of defeat to Sassuolo.
Speaking before the opening matchday of the league phase, the former Juventus captain said the Bianconeri should not approach the Europa League as a lesser tournament. In his view, that mindset would quickly turn a potentially valuable campaign into another source of pressure.
A competition Juventus can still win
Del Piero said few observers would have considered Juventus serious Champions League contenders when looking at the squad assembled by the club. The Europa League, however, remains within reach if the team can rediscover its standards.
“I do not think many people would have looked at Juventus’ squad and expected them to win the Champions League,” he said. “But this team can win the Europa League. Of course, they have to find themselves again. If they believe it is a second-tier cup, then there will be problems tonight as well.”
He framed the competition as a difficult assignment for both Juventus and Milan, two clubs starting new chapters while carrying the expectation that comes with their names.
“For Milan and Juventus, there is unfortunately a great deal to lose in this competition because it is not the Champions League,” Del Piero said. “If you do badly, it does not create anything positive. Losing in the Champions League is one thing; in the Europa League, people assume it should be manageable.”
The Sassuolo response
For Juventus, the NEC match was also presented as an immediate test of character after the Sassuolo loss. Del Piero said the players needed to show an emotional reaction, not simply speak about the importance of Europe.
“The Sassuolo match must give the players a different emotional response,” he said. “There has to be a clear signal, morally and in the way they approach the game.”
He added that intensity has become decisive in the modern game, particularly for sides undergoing changes under relatively new leadership. Milan are further into their rebuild under Amorim, while Luciano Spalletti began his Juventus work during the previous season.
“It is not enough to say that you want to do well in this competition,” Del Piero said. “The team must remember the Sassuolo defeat and show that they are not that side. Today, intensity is everything. Milan and Juventus have both started new paths. Milan perhaps more so with Amorim, while Spalletti began last season. Unfortunately, there is little time, so everyone has to move quickly.”
Spalletti’s squad challenge
Del Piero also pointed to the importance of Juventus using their full group. With five substitutions available, he said Spalletti must ensure every player understands that matches are increasingly decided beyond the starting XI.
“Spalletti has probably told Kolo Muani, and all the other players, that games are won by 16 players,” he said. “Substitutes are hugely important and five changes are a major resource. Coaches need plans A, B and C, and they must communicate that to the squad.”
For Del Piero, Juventus’ task against NEC was not merely to wait for a decisive moment from Woltemade or Kolo Muani. The greater requirement was to restore the spirit expected of the club.
“Juventus do not simply need a goal from Woltemade or Kolo Muani today,” he said. “They need to find their soul, their heart and their desire.”
