"I'll hit you...", Luciano Spalletti threatens his player during Juventus's victory

Juventus manager Spalletti threatened to hit defender Juan Cabal during Thursday's 2-1 Europa League win at AZ Alkmaar after defensive errors nearly cost the team victory.

Luciano Spalletti lost his temper on the touchline during Juventus's 2-1 Europa League victory at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, threatening to strike defender Juan Cabal after a series of defensive lapses. With Juventus leading comfortably, errors from Lloyd Kelly and Cabal allowed the Dutch side to pull back into the match. Meerdink scored in the 88th minute before Cabal's mistake led to an equaliser that was ruled out for offside. Spalletti's fury boiled over, shouting at the Colombian left-back and gesturing aggressively: "I'll hit you if you don't pay attention," according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

After the match, Spalletti did not dwell on the outburst but criticised his team's lack of focus. "What convinces me least at Juve is when we concede a goal and then say 'Why didn't he come?' The decisions we don't make are worse than the bad ones we do make," he said. Appointed in October 2025, Spalletti's position is under pressure following an inconsistent start to the season, though the win moved Juventus to fifth in the Europa League standings.