When Luciano Spalletti was in charge of the Italy national team, Manuel Locatelli struggled to establish himself as a key figure. During several international windows, the midfielder was largely absent from the squad, with Spalletti opting for other options instead. On one occasion, Nicolo Fagioli was selected ahead of Locatelli, despite having played very little football after being banned for most of the season. This decision raised questions at the time about how Spalletti viewed Locatelli’s overall suitability.
Those concerns resurfaced when Spalletti took charge at Juventus. Some supporters feared that Locatelli’s role at club level could diminish, given their previous history. However, those worries have so far proved unfounded. Juventus has performed well in recent weeks under Spalletti, and Locatelli has continued to meet the demands placed upon him in midfield.
Crucially, Locatelli has retained the captaincy, a position that carries significant responsibility within the squad. If Spalletti had serious doubts about the midfielder, it would have been expected that he would remove him from that leadership role. That has not happened. Instead, Locatelli remains a central figure both on and off the pitch, suggesting a level of trust from the manager.
Manuel Locatelli (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
As Juventus prepares for its upcoming league match against Cagliari, Spalletti addressed the situation directly. Speaking to journalists, as reported by Tuttomercatoweb, he offered a detailed explanation of how he views Locatelli’s role within the team and why he values him so highly.
Spalletti said, “From my point of view, there are those who are better suited to creating chances and others who are better suited to balancing the team. For me, he’s perfect and there’s no better player to play this dual role. Now he’s fully immersed in the role. I see him constantly improving. For me, he’s a good captain.”
These comments underline a clear shift in perception. Rather than sidelining Locatelli, Spalletti has placed confidence in him as both a tactical asset and a leader. For the midfielder, this backing represents an important endorsement and reinforces his status as a key component of Juventus’s plans moving forward.
The post Spalletti backs Locatelli to keep the Juventus captaincy appeared first on Juvefc.com.
