16 February 2026
The Juventus Men’s First Team turn their attention to European matters this midweek, having already touched down in Istanbul ahead of Tuesday evening’s Champions League fixture against Galatasaray. The Bianconeri meet the Turkish side in the first leg of their playoff round tie, with kick-off set for 18:45 CET.
Ahead of the game, coach Luciano Spalletti was joined by player Weston McKennie for the MD-1 press conference.
WESTON MCKENNIE
“It’s a very important game for us. We want to win because we are Juventus, and we know that this club’s goals are always to win. I always put myself at the disposal of the team, I follow the coach’s instructions and I work for the group. It’s not the time to think about my contract, the only thing to think about right now is this game, which is important, we’ll think about the rest further down the line. I’m focused on the pitch, and my agent is focused on the rest.
“It’s not easy to manage the post-match things after a game like that against Inter. We always take things one game at a time and we’re concentrating now on tomorrow’s game. I played here a few years ago and I know that the fans here create an incredible atmosphere. We hope that, having Kenan [Yildiz] in the squad, they won’t whistle us too much. I’m a player that tries to cause a bit of chaos, while following the coach’s instructions and by doing that I want to put my opponents into difficulty, and we hope it works out tomorrow.”
LUCIANO SPALLETTI
“I don’t want to add anything to the words of the ownership and the directors of this club, they have already said everything about what happened against Inter. When you play over two legs like in this playoff, both games matter, and the second leg carries with it what happened in the first 90 minutes. These are not games where you can hide; every hesitation will be an advantage seized by your opponents, especially in stadiums and environments like this one. I really liked the attitude the team showed in Milan [against Inter]. I told the guys that I’m proud of them and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone. We must be good at withstanding Galatasaray’s early aggression, working our way through it, and playing our football. Through possession, we need to try to play the kind of match we want, we know that will be the key to aiming for success.
“We are not bringing what happened in the previous match in here, but rather what we are going to do: it’s better to clear the air and step back onto the pitch with the right enthusiasm and the joy of facing great opponents. This is a match that everyone rightly feels deeply; the boys are doing well and the group is at its best in front of a setting like this. There’s no need to raise the bar, we have to show that we are up to the level of these games. These kinds of games can be a turning point for anyone. We trained yesterday and I won’t see the players in action until tomorrow evening.
“We have to assess [Khephren] Thuram’s condition, as well as that of some other players. Galatasaray will try to seize advantages on the pitch, but we must not be intimidated by their ferocity and determination. We will try to break their first line of pressure because we want to play a match that reflects our qualities. We’ve come here to play in the opposition’s half, then we’ll see whether we manage to do that or not.”
