21 October 2026
The Men’s First Team return to UEFA Europa League action with a home match against French side Stade Rennais F.C. on Thursday night.
Ahead of the 18:45 CEST kick-off at the Allianz Stadium, Luciano Spalletti and Randal Kolo Muani spoke to the press.
RANDAL KOLO MUANI
“We had a tough match at the weekend, but it’s great to have another chance straight away to put it behind us, look ahead and show what we’re capable of on the pitch. Tomorrow we’ll have to give it our all to put in a good performance. After the last match, the captain spoke to the team; it was a positive discussion. Just like in a family, there are sometimes problems, but we have to move on.
“I don’t think we lack character. There are new players, like me, and we’re working to settle in as quickly as possible. Spalletti has always given me lots of advice and his trust is important. It spurs us on to push beyond our limits. In training, we work on putting his ideas into practice; then it’s up to us to prove our worth on the pitch.
"Playing alongside [Nick] Woltemade? It’s the manager who picks the team, I get on well with all my teammates. Against Stade Rennais, we’re aiming for our third win in the Europa League, even though we know it won’t be easy. On a personal level, I hope to earn a call-up to the national team again thanks to my performances for Juventus.”
LUCIANO SPALLETTI
“Those of us in this line of work are driven by results, and I’ve learnt to remain level-headed and clear-thinking even when they fluctuate. Winning makes everyone absolutely delighted, but right now we’re trailing and haven’t achieved the results we wanted. We need to dig even deeper, and the first thing we need to show on the pitch is a response, from the players and from me. I feel the team is behind me. At the last meeting, I let the lads have their say and was reassured by the seriousness and honesty of their views, as well as their willingness to find new solutions to get back to our best.
“It all depends on me, because I’m the one who chooses the line-up, how we line up on the pitch and the tactics. Sometimes, however, the match takes a different turn from what we’d imagined, and we need to be better at managing certain situations. For tomorrow, I’m asking the team to think things through more, to be less impulsive and less individualistic. We need to be more of a team, more of a unit, more united.
“The key is to do things with conviction and give it our all. Kolo Muani and Woltemade will be in the starting line-up. Stade Rennais are a physically strong side who like to play open football and have key players such as Esteban Lepaul. They’re having a good season, are just one point behind the league leaders, and this will be an important test for us.”
