“It was not easy,” Luciano Spalletti reflects after Juventus sweep aside NEC

September 18, 2026

It-was-not-easy-Luciano-Spalletti-reflects-after-Juventus-sweep-aside-NEC — @EsteNews

Key Takeaways

Luciano Spalletti insisted the 5-0 win over NEC was far from straightforward, saying that “it is certainly a mental massage to win a match like this” after previous setbacks.
Nico Gonzalez confirmed he voluntarily passed penalty duties to Nick Woltemade, stating, “the penalty taker was me, but we needed the striker, both him and Kolo Muani, and in my opinion that is a gift that also gives them a bit of energy.”
Spalletti lauded Gonzalez’s inspiring presence on the pitch, noting that the forward “has this drive, this strength of a leader” that pulls his teammates forward.

Turning doubt into conviction on European night

Juventus opened their UEFA Europa League campaign in emphatic style with an authoritative 5-0 victory over NEC. Despite the wide margin on the scoreboard, the Italian side had to navigate early pressure from their Dutch visitors before turning the tide and dominating the match.

Reflecting on the psychological boost following recent setbacks, manager Luciano Spalletti emphasized how crucial it was for his players to respond immediately on the pitch. “It is certainly a mental massage to win a match like this because they did many things well, so usually those defeats always create doubts for you and being able to overturn the doubt into a choice makes you more complete,” Spalletti explained.

Spalletti was keen to point out that the contest was far from simple in the opening exchanges, with NEC coming out aggressively. “And now it can seem that it was quite easy, but it is not like that, because if you go to see the match that this team played a short time ago against Bodo/Glimt, I can show you what kind of match they played, even though they lost,” the manager noted. He praised his squad for staying calm under heavy pressure: “There was the risk of being intimidated within what is their frequency, their continuous attacks, their pressure, instead they used it in the correct way, instead of being intimidated they let them come, then they created space and went to strike with a long ball.”

Nico Gonzalez leads by example

Winger Nico Gonzalez delivered another standout performance, earning praise for his infectious energy and unselfish leadership. Gonzalez even stepped aside to let teammate Nick Woltemade open his Juventus account from the penalty spot.

“Yes, the penalty taker was me, but we needed the striker, both him and Kolo Muani, and in my opinion that is a gift that also gives them a bit of energy, a bit of confidence, because we need them,” Gonzalez explained when asked about the spot-kick.

Having matured into a key figure in the squad, the 28-year-old emphasized his dedication to the collective effort. “I am calm, I am happy. This is also thanks to the coach, to the team who give me that confidence that one needs every now and then,” Gonzalez said. “Today I am this, I enjoy it, and what I like to do is to show it on the pitch.”

Gonzalez also highlighted the close-knit atmosphere within the dressing room, describing how the group fights for one another: “Today it is a stronger group, a group that in my opinion is more united, and inside you can see how one dies for the other.” Looking ahead to their upcoming league encounter against Atalanta, he added: “Today you no longer win with the shirt, and what counts is on the green.”

Spalletti praises Gonzalez and squad depth

Spalletti had warm words for Gonzalez’s commanding presence, pointing to the Argentinian’s high work rate as a catalyst for the entire team. “Nico’s character, that flare of coming at you, can be touched with your eyes, with your hands, with your mood, with the sensitivity you have, because you can see that he has this drive, this strength of a leader,” the coach said. “You cannot be absent from the fact of ‘I am coming with you’ because he takes you and drags you along, and then he scored another beautiful goal.”

The manager also took time to assess midfielder Pape Sarr, who featured from the start. “He is a player who has meters in his legs, a player of grit, of running,” Spalletti said. “He was inside the match very well and gave us a hand precisely with the quality he has, and he is a runner of great quality.”