Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti offered a scathing assessment of former Tottenham loanee Randal Kolo Muani after the club secured a narrow 1-0 Serie A victory at Frosinone on the season’s opening weekend.
The French forward, who struggled during his time in north London last term despite helping maintain the club’s top-flight status, completed the entire match on Sunday following his return to Turin this summer for another stint with the Italian giants.
Nevertheless, his display was marred by a glaring error as the international shot over an unmarked ball from point-blank range with the goal unguarded.
After the encounter, Spalletti unleashed criticism and demanded greater output from his number nine, stating there was a reason behind Kolo Muani’s inability to establish himself anywhere except during the previous two campaigns.
He commented that the club had chased him, developed him, and recognised his value, yet he needed to grasp that he had not featured regularly for two years, and there was an explanation for that situation.
He noted that sometimes players consider themselves at an extraordinary standard when they have actually allowed something to deteriorate and must reclaim it. He acknowledged Kolo Muani could retain possession, exploit space, and possessed physical attributes, but these were the fixtures where he needed to provide goals.
Kolo Muani managed just five goals in 41 Tottenham appearances last season, and the north London club declined the opportunity to acquire him on a permanent basis, allowing him to head back to PSG.
He has now returned to Juventus, where he previously spent half a season on loan, though this arrangement is a permanent transfer rather than a temporary one.
Although Kolo Muani displayed glimpses of quality while at Tottenham, excelling in the Champions League against Eintracht Frankfurt and finding the net during February’s North London Derby versus Arsenal, Spalletti’s remarks validate Spurs’ choice to pursue alternative options.
Notably, Spalletti employed comparable terminology several weeks earlier when addressing Juventus’s interest in Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
He suggested Juventus needed to determine why the Italian had lost his starting position at Spurs to Antonin Kinsky after returning from injury.
Spalletti later admitted he could not establish the reason behind that situation, though the club ultimately proceeded to sign Vicario on an initial loan that could transform into a permanent deal the following summer.
Vicario made his Juventus debut on Sunday and preserved a clean sheet as the club began the new campaign with three points.