Spalletti likens Juventus tenure to 'rollercoaster'
Juventus are looking to bounce back from their first loss under Luciano Spalletti when they host Pafos in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Luciano Spalletti says that Juventus have kept him on a rollercoaster during his short tenure so far, but he is confident they are moving in the right direction ahead of facing Pafos in the Champions League.
Juventus suffered a 2-1 defeat to Napoli in Serie A on Sunday, their first since Spalletti took over from Igor Tudor in October.
Prior to that loss, Spalletti had led Juve to four victories and three draws, winning three in a row before facing Napoli.
The Italian admitted he "damaged" Juventus with his tactical choices against the reigning Serie A champions, but he expects them to quickly put that result behind them.
"It was a painful lesson for me, so seeing as I should've predicted it wouldn't work, I made it more difficult for them," he said.
"In the second half, when we changed system, I saw a different energy and balance to the team. We had equalised and got the match on track, but then we conceded another goal, and it all became more difficult.
"I have the same intentions and certainty as when I accepted the Juventus job. I see them improve in training, and the more I see these players, the more I get angry and am at the same time relaxed. They keep me on a rollercoaster, really.
"You see some things and believe, at last, they've got it and will repeat it more often, but instead, it gets cancelled out, and we start from scratch.
"However, I will not change based on a result, I will keep trying to understand and explain what will come in future."
Juventus are 22nd in the Champions League table on six points, having only won one of their five matches so far – a 2-1 win over Bodo/Glimt last time out.
At home, Juve have drawn both of their games (4-4 v Borussia Dortmund and 1-1 v Sporting CP); they last failed to win three in a row there in the competition in April 2018 (D2 L1).
Juventus have never faced Pafos before, but they have won all six of their European matches against Cypriot sides by an aggregate score of 25-3, scoring at least four goals in each of the last four.
Pafos are two places below their opponents, but level on points with them, and Spalletti is wary of the threat posed to his side.
"Pafos are a tough team, they have many Brazilian players in the squad who can play good football," Spalletti said.
"They were only embarrassed by Bayern Munich, and had some top opponents in the tournament.
"We must be wary of their counter-attacks, because they try to intimidate you, then if you break that first press, they sit very deep. We mustn't lose cheap balls, make sure the preventative marking is all prepared to avoid dangerous situations."
