Buffon backs Spalletti to stay and succeed at Juventus

Former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes Luciano Spalletti is still the right person to lead the club, saying: "The problem can't just be the coach if you fire five of them in four years".

Spalletti is under pressure after a disappointing start to the season by Juventus, who suffered a damaging 3-0 loss to Lazio in Serie A at the weekend.

That defeat leaves them eighth in the league table on 11 points, already eight behind Inter and Lazio, who are level on points at the summit.

Juventus have lost two of their last five Serie A home games (W2 D1), as many defeats as they recorded in their previous 44 top-flight matches at Allianz Stadium (W24 D18).

Spalletti has overseen back-to-back wins to start their Europa League campaign, but there are already murmurs of discontent around his position, though Buffon believes it would be a mistake to let him go.

"If I have one hope, it is to see Spalletti continue his work until the end," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The problem can't just be the coach if you fire five of them in four years.

"It might not be the strongest Juve we've ever seen, but taking away [Kenan] Yildiz, [Manuel] Locatelli, [Khéphren] Thuram, [Jeff] Ekhator, [Arkadiusz] Milik and [Kamil] Grabara would be like taking [Fabio] Cannavaro, Buffon, [Francesco] Totti, [Alessandro] Nesta and [Andrea] Pirlo away from Italy.

"They have to rebuild, and instead they're lacking. Luciano never looks for any excuses, but he also played three days after Celta Vigo and a long journey after getting back home at five in the morning."

Juventus have accumulated just 11 points from their first seven Serie A games, failing to surpass that mark after the first seven games for the third time in the last 11 seasons, after 2021-22 (11 points) and 2022-23 (10).

At this stage, reports suggest Juventus will continue to back Spalletti, while defender Bremer is said to have apologised for his post-match outburst after Lazio.

He accused some of his team-mates of getting "scared" and "hiding", but Buffon also understood the defender's frustration.

"I did that as well, and it was always instinctively," Buffon added.

"I never planned a speech; I always thought it was right to speak in the moment. I knew that I had to say certain things at certain points.

"I understand Bremer's outburst. However, when you talk, you always have to be in the position where you're the one who is giving the most and can afford to make certain jabs.

"But you have to question yourself first. Sometimes I needed to be told off as well."