Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus made the wrong decisions in key moments as Atalanta secured a 3-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final win.
Luciano Spalletti delivered a frank assessment after Juventus were knocked out of the Coppa Italia following a 3-0 quarter-final defeat to Atalanta in Bergamo. Despite arriving in strong form and having beaten La Dea in the Coppa Italia finals of 2021 and 2024, the Bianconeri were left frustrated as the hosts capitalised on crucial moments.
The turning point came midway through the first half when VAR intervened to award Atalanta a penalty. Ederson’s cross was deemed to have clipped Gleison Bremer’s hand, a decision that initially went unnoticed even by Atalanta players. Gianluca Scamacca stepped up and converted confidently, shifting the momentum of the tie in the home side’s favour.
FT |⌛️| Final whistle.#AtalantaJuve #CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa pic.twitter.com/gIfARZqszW
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 5, 2026
Juventus attempted to respond by introducing new signings Jeremie Boga and Emil Holm, hoping fresh legs would tilt the contest back their way. Instead, it was Atalanta’s substitutes who proved decisive, with Kamaldeen Sulemana and Mario Pašalić finding the net to seal an emphatic victory.
Speaking after the match, Spalletti admitted his side were second best when it mattered most. He praised Atalanta’s structure and execution, while acknowledging Juventus failed to make the right decisions under pressure. According to the coach, the difference lay in clarity and sharpness during decisive phases of the game.
Spalletti also highlighted a recurring issue that has troubled Juventus this season: poor decision-making in key attacking moments. He pointed to situations where his team had numerical advantages but opted for safe or ineffective options instead of playing decisive passes, suggesting a lack of experience or instinct in those situations.
The Juventus boss expressed disappointment that his team lost organisation late in the match, abandoning structure in search of individual solutions. While he felt the scoreline did not fully reflect the number of chances created, he admitted the team’s unity suffered as frustration grew in the closing stages.
Juventus now exit the Coppa Italia at the quarter-final stage and must turn their attention back to Serie A, as well as upcoming Champions League play-off fixtures against Galatasaray.
