Nick Woltemade of Juventus reacts during the Serie A match between Juventus and AC Milan at on September 06, 2026 in Turin, Italy.
Nick Woltemade has joined Juventus on loan(Image: 2026 Image Photo Agency/Getty)
Newcastle United loanee Nick Woltemade is set to make his first start for Juventus tonight in their Europa League clash with Dutch outfit NEC.
Or at least that is the view of some outlets in Italy this morning, with others still believing he will be on the bench against NEC.
Life is never dull for Woltemade, it would seem, and he appears to have walked into his second managerial pressure cooker of 2026. Only a few months ago, there was a public debate on Woltemade's role at Newcastle and tension around former head coach Eddie Howe on whether to play him, and where, in midfield or attack. Just a few weeks into his loan stint with Juventus, his role in the team is unclear, but he will start against NEC in Turin.
First up, the man who signed Woltemade in Luciano Spalletti is under fire from Juve fans who called for his head after the 3-2 loss to Sassuolo, and the nature of it wasn't good as they lost in stoppage time when a point would have been just about respectable in Serie A. Spalletti isn't wanted by sections of the Juve faithful, who are demanding the appointment of Antonio Conte as manager.
Conte's emergence could spell trouble for Woltemade and Newcastle, with the Magpies understood to be open to a sale at some stage, and the Germany international just wanting a run in a team somewhere. To add a bit of spice to Woltemade's week, he was linked again with Bayern Munich, who wanted to sign him in 2025 but refused to pay the £69m Newcastle were branded as 'idiots' for coughing up last summer.
A cut-price sale to Bayern would dent Newcastle's pride and prove Karl-Heinz Rummenigge right, but by the same token, sporting director Ross Wilson and CEO David Hopkinson weren't at the club when that purchase went through, and it was deemed the work of Andy and Eddie Howe, according to some sources.
Either way, Woltemade could do with a goal or two against NEC in Turin this evening, but at least he has a manager who understands what pressure is. Spalletti, who might start him in attack, said in the build-up: "Learning to accept pressure is a medicine; it helps you live properly.
"I learned that a long while ago. Even aged 10, I had to help after school when my family was going through a difficult period, so imagine my caring about 'pressure'.
"I care a lot about my profession, and the backlash after a defeat doesn't really interest me because that's something I can't control.
"I decide what to give my attention to and when not to give my attention, and in this case, I've chosen not to focus on it."
Even Woltemade's place in the team was up for debate in Italy this morning, with Sky Italy claiming he was in and La Gazzetta dello Sport claiming he'd be on the bench! You'd pay a Euro for Woltemade's thoughts on life at the moment, that's for sure.
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