NAPLES, ITALY - DECEMBER 07: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
NAPLES, ITALY - DECEMBER 07: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Fabio Capello feels it’s ‘hard’ to ask more from Kenan Yildiz and says that even if Luciano Spalletti was trying to motivate the squad, he should have delivered his criticism behind closed doors.
Juventus suffered their first defeat under Spalletti on Sunday as Antonio Conte’s Napoli beat the Old Lady 2-1 at the Stadio Maradona.
The Bianconeri had travelled to Naples on the back of three consecutive wins across all competitions.
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Former Milan and Juventus coach Fabio Capello of Italy managing the Red Team during a charity match for the Slovenian flood victims on September 15, 2023 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In August 2023 major floods occurred in two-thirds of the Slovenian territory due to heavy rain. Deemed as the worst natural disaster of the country. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images) (Bayern-Inter)
Fabio Capello (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
“Spalletti has just arrived, he’s trying to do things, bring ideas and give the team more personality,” Capello told Gazzetta.
“In the match against Napoli, maybe he was a bit intimidated by Conte’s side and, knowing the strength of their midfield, he decided to play without a centre-forward. It didn’t work well.
“Napoli are a team with quality, and when they defend, they do it with a lot of men, with compactness and without leaving much space,” Capello continued.
Capello: Yildiz ‘one of those players you have to leave free’
TURIN, ITALY - DECEMBER 02: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus is put under pressure by Matteo Palma of Udinese Calcio during the Coppa Italia match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus at Allianz Stadium on December 02, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus is put under pressure by Matteo Palma of Udinese Calcio during the Coppa Italia match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus at Allianz Stadium on December 02, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
“Spalletti is trying to find some solutions, and after three consecutive positive results, he wanted to pick up points. That’s how I see it. But you could see the difference between the two teams.”
Spalletti’s tactical choices raised eyebrows as the Tuscan tactician started Kenan Yildiz as a false nine, but Capello feels the biggest issue for Juventus lies elsewhere.
“Yildiz is one of those players you have to leave free. Of course, he has to get back into possession when you lose the ball, but then he needs the license to invent things,” he said.
“Players with quality and creativity have to be allowed to express themselves. It wasn’t the right context, against such a sharp and determined team, which actually positively impressed me.
“The ball moves slowly and rarely vertically, that’s something not easy to fix because it’s been going on since last year. That means it’s a problem of players’ characteristics.
Capello critical of Spalletti: ‘Hard to say…’
FLORENCE, ITALY - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Luciano Spalletti manager of Juventus FC looks on during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Juventus FC at Artemio Franchi on November 22, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
FLORENCE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Luciano Spalletti manager of Juventus FC looks on during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Juventus FC at Artemio Franchi on November 22, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
“The ball moves quickly when you have players with technique and vision, who aren’t afraid of trying a vertical pass. Thuram is a player who carries the ball, Locatelli sees the play, he could also play vertically, but perhaps there aren’t movements in that direction because his teammates prefer to receive the pass at their feet. The only one who asked for the ball in behind got injured, and that was Vlahovic.”
Even Spalletti’s post-match quotes didn’t impress Capello. The Juventus coach demanded more from Yildiz, who had been substituted minutes after scoring a temporary equaliser at the Stadio Maradona.
“I think that was something to be discussed internally when reviewing the match with the players; there was no need to say it to the media,” concluded the ex-coach.
“I think we all ask more of our players, but right now it’s hard to say that about Yildiz. He was probably trying to motivate them, but even sort of guilt trip towards Locatelli seemed a bit too much to me.”
Juventus’ next game is in the Champions League against Paphos on Wednesday, December 10.
The Bianconeri sit 7th in the Serie A table with 23 points, four below fourth-placed Roma.
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