Locatelli reveals ‘reality’ behind ‘ugly’ Juventus defeat

Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli says it was ‘ugly’ to lose the final home game of the season and blames it on the lack of personality in the team: ‘This is the reality.’Juventus suffered a 2-0 home loss to Fiorentina on Sunday, slipping to sixth place in the standings, two points below a Champions League spot with just 90 minutes left in the 2025-26 campaign.Locatelli was the only Juventus player talking to the media after the defeat.“There has been a technical and tactical coach since the coach arrived, but it’s hard to comment or find positives if we don’t reach the target. It’s hard to understand why we played such a game; perhaps we were a bit under pressure,” he told DAZN via Tuttosport.Locatelli: Juventus ended the season ‘badly at home’Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor at the end of October and signed a contract extension until 2028 in April.Yet, Juventus are in a tricky situation with just one game remaining as they need to beat city rivals Torino next weekend and hope for favourable results from Roma, Como and Milan to qualify for the Champions League.TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 19: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus applauds the fans following his side’s victory in the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Bologna FC 1909 at Allianz Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)“It’s ugly, we ended badly at home, and it’s hard to comment on such a game,” continued Locatelli.Players were booed at full-time, and protests continued outside the stadium after the match.“It’s fair. If we play these types of games, they are justified in protesting. We had a goal, and if we don’t reach it, it’s fair that the fans boo us,” continued Locatelli.Spalletti hinted that Juventus players struggled to cope with the pressure, and Locatelli seemed to agree.“There are games that must be won, even when you play badly, and we don’t have such a thing,” said the Bianconeri captain.“It’s something we must improve quickly because there’s no time, and those who have played here know it. This is the reality; surely, we were not able to cope with the pressure that comes from playing here. I think it’s evident that if we can’t win a decisive game like this one, many things didn’t go the right way.“It’s not a tactical problem when you arrive late on second balls, or when you misplace passes that you can’t get wrong,” he concluded.“We needed to show more motivation than they did. It’s not a technical or tactical problem, but the desire to win the game that we didn’t have.”