Antonio Cassano did not hold back in his criticism of Juventus following their disappointing 2-2 draw against Venezia over the weekend. Despite a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League just days earlier, Juve failed to carry that momentum into the Serie A match. Facing a Venezia side that has languished at the bottom of the table for much of the season, the Bianconeri were expected to cruise to a comfortable win and solidify their credentials as title contenders. Instead, they required a late penalty from Dusan Vlahovic to salvage a point and avoid what would have been a humiliating defeat.
The result was particularly disappointing given the expectations placed on Juventus to dominate the match. Cassano, speaking to Tuttojuve, harshly criticised the team’s performance, labelling it a significant regression compared to their display against Manchester City. He commented, “Against Venezia, three steps back. Terrible in terms of game idea, game development, personality, from all points of view. Great confusion, they struggled immensely against a team that will struggle to save itself. They risked losing deservedly.”
Koopmeiners scoring against Cagliari
Cassano also singled out Teun Koopmeiners, who has struggled to replicate the form he showed at Atalanta before joining Juventus. His performance in the Venezia match drew particular ire, with Cassano stating, “Koopmeiners on Saturday is unthinkable. He will no longer be the one from Atalanta. Vlahovic? Terrible.” These sharp words underline the growing frustration with the Dutchman’s lack of impact in Turin, a concern that is becoming more prominent as the season progresses.
While Koopmeiners must take responsibility for his poor form, the team as a whole also needs to improve. The Venezia draw exposed glaring issues in Juve’s consistency, creativity, and ability to dominate weaker opposition—areas they must address if they hope to challenge for silverware this season.