JUVE’S LUCIANO SPALLETTI DEMANDS MORE FROM RANDAL KOLO MUANI AFTER SERIE A OPENER
Luciano Spalletti, manager of Juventus, expressed that Randal Kolo Muani, the new forward for the team, needs to elevate his performance following their recent 1-0 victory against Frosinone Calcio on Sunday. Kolo Muani, now aged 27, has rejoined Juventus after a loan stint at the club last season, signing a new five-year contract valued at 38 million euros (approximately $44.35 million) earlier this month.
His acquisition comes in the wake of Dusan Vlahovic’s transfer to Besiktas, with Kolo Muani stepping in to fill that void. During his first tenure with Juventus, the forward netted 10 goals in 22 appearances before PSG loaned him to Tottenham Hotspur for the 2025-26 season. Despite this promising record, Spalletti indicated that Kolo Muani’s performance during the Serie A opener fell short of expectations.
In his remarks to DAZN, Spalletti highlighted that Kolo Muani should have found the back of the net during the match, where Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer was the sole scorer. Spalletti noted, “We went out and signed him (Kolo Muani), we’ve looked after him and we know his worth, but he needs to realize he hasn’t played for two years and there must be a reason for that.” He elaborated, “Sometimes you think you’re at an exceptional level, but then you’ve left something behind and you have to go and get it back.”
Spalletti acknowledged Kolo Muani’s capabilities, stating, “Kolo knows how to hold onto the ball, find space and is physically strong, but these are the sort of matches where he needs to score goals.” This statement underscores the coaching staff’s expectations for Kolo Muani to quickly adapt and contribute significantly to the team’s success moving forward.
Juventus will next face Parma on Saturday, as they seek to build on their promising start to the 2026/27 Serie A season, which launched on August 22nd, to compete closely with Serie A rivals including Inter, AC Milan, and Napoli. Observers of Italian football will undoubtedly be watching Kolo Muani’s progression with keen interest during these upcoming matches.
