u/TrunkOfDellGriffith

The Meet & Greet event at the Allianz Stadium Megastore featured Juventus players Pinsoglio, Koopmeiners, and Kenan Yıldız, who greeted supporters and signed the newly released team kits. A large number of fans attended. The event also included a brief media session in which Yıldız answered questions from the press. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

Reporter: I obviously love getting new kits right away for next season. Two delicate matches are coming up which will be fundamental for Juventus to be in the Champions League.

Yıldız: I’m ready for them. There’s a bit of pressure with all the people outside, but we’re calm. They’re two important games, and we’ll do our job. As a striker, when you get to the end of the season, it’s been an intense year; not just physically, but mentally as well.

Reporter: Let me ask you: how are you doing, how do you feel, and what messages has Spalletti given you these days?

Yıldız: Of course, it is been a very long season, a tough one too, but it is not over yet. That’s why we keep pushing hard. The coach is always with us, always straight with us, always giving 100%, even today. That’s the maximum you can ask for.

Reporter: You’ve scored 19 goals in Serie A with Juventus, right? You’re one away from reaching 20. Have you thought about that number? It’s a nice milestone and also because you have never scored against Fiorentina.

Yıldız: I didn’t know that, sorry, I really didn’t know. But yes, it would be a nice goal.

Reporter: Listen, Kenan, everyone has always talked about the Champions League as the objective. At one point you were behind and things were looking bad. It’s true that there’s still an objective to reach, but now even second place has become close, and that would give a completely different look to this season. Is that an objective?

Yıldız: The objective is always the maximum. And right now, the maximum is second place. We’ll try for the second place and for the Champions League.

Reporter: You’re signing autographs for the fans. You’re obviously a symbol of this Juve now; the Number 10, launching the new kit. Do you feel this is a Juventus more and more at your level, one where you can give your best and be the leader?

Yıldız: Yes, of course. Seeing all these people here for me and for the other players is a great sign. I always give my best for the fans, for the club. That’s the only thing I can do.

Reporter: The other day, John Elkann spoke to the fans and mentioned two or three people when talking about the future. Yours and Spalletti’s name were among them. Do you feel more and more like the future of this Juventus? A Juventus that can fight for the top sooner or later?

Yıldız: Of course. Juve is in my heart. I thank him for saying those things, but like I said before, the only thing I can do is always give my maximum for myself, for the team, and for Juventus, which is in my heart.

Reporter: Did you tell Vlahović that he has to stay?

Yıldız: Yes, but that’s not something I can decide.

Juventus introduced the Juventus Home Jersey 26/27, available now.

During post-match press conference after Lecce-Juventus game, Spalletti said that the team picked up the tension he felt entire week because of the game that they played against Verona on Sunday and he considered that as a positive sign. He explained that players’ strong start and the personality they showed on the pitch reflected the right attitude but the team still fluctuated between dominance and sudden drops in focus causing turning simple situations into complicated ones and that allowed Lecce back into the game. He insisted that the victory was deserved despite the fluctuations and praised several aspects of the performance, complimenting his players.

He reiterated that he had requested a physical center‑forward upon joining the club, though the club had not been able to acquire one at the time. He added that the team also lacked a creative or consolidating presence between the lines, whether a second striker, attacking midfielder, or technically gifted player in tight spaces, something that had been evident in the many situations near the edge of the box where simple choices became complicated. He described Vlahović as a strong, well‑defined specialist who excelled in his role because it matched his natural qualities.

Regarding the second disallowed goal, the coach said that in cases decided by mere centimeters, it was essential to see both the exact moment the ball left the passer’s foot and how the offside line was drawn. He acknowledged that the system for setting the line was precise but stressed that both elements had to be evaluated together.

One of the reporters asked how Yıldız was doing, pointing the impression was that he did everything he could to be involved, but then there were certain things he wanted to do but couldn't quite pull off, Spaletti said: “In my opinion, he played a great match tonight. I even kept him on the pitch too long. But he made four or five long runs tracking his full‑back, fighting for the ball, and he has to do that, because he must, even if it penalizes him on the other side of the pitch. Because if he doesn’t make those runs, then the opponents gain an advantage in that single episode, because you’re missing the work of a player who becomes fundamental for the team’s balance. But tonight, I found again the Yıldız I was expecting in many phases of play.”

 

Match Result: Lecce 0 -Juventus 1

Yıldız earned an average rating of 6.3 after combining data from major soccer stat sites and Italian press. Here’s a quick summary:

SofaScore: 7.0

FotMob: 7.5

Sky Sports: 6.0

Corriere della Sera: 6.0

Corriere dello Sport: 6.0

Tuttosport: 5.5

La Gazetta Dello Sport: 6.0

***

Corriere della Sera reported that it had been without water for almost fifty days and that it was turning on only intermittently. Corriere dello Sport wrote that it was a version of Kenan that finally looked real; more lively, involved, and inspired compared to his recent underwhelming performances caused by physical issues. The newspaper added that he was improving only in small steps, and that this was why he faded toward the end. It noted that his offensive output amounted to just a weak right‑footed shot. Tuttosport suggested that Yıldız’s underwhelming performance might be attributed to his poor physical condition or perhaps the high expectations for him to always produce a decisive play. The publication remarked that he was not performing at his best and, furthermore, noted that he failed to get the rest of the team functioning effectively. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Yıldız becomes a major problem for any opponent who allows him space to move. The publication noted that he effectively put Danilo Veiga through the "meat grinder" during their duels. Regarding his physical condition, the analysis observed that his stamina held up for nearly an hour this time; however, he eventually ran out of steam and faded from the match before being substituted.

***

Stats:

83 Minutes

xG - 0.16

xGOT - 0.0

xA - 0.21

xG + xA - 0.37

Goals - 0

Assists - 0

Key Passes - o

Shots on target - 0/2

Pass Accuracy - 88%

Touches - 71

Dribbles - 1/6

Tackles - 6/8

Clearances - 1

Recoveries - 5

Duels - 10/19

Juventus

• Reached 19 career Serie A goals at the age of 20 years and 321 days, surpassing Alessandro Del Piero for the 4th-most goals scored by a teenager/U21 player in Juventus history, in Juventus’ 1–1 draw against Sassuolo on 21 March 2026.
• Signed his contract extension on 7 February 2026.
• Reached 100 Juventus appearances in the Champions League Phase away match against Bodø/Glimt on 25 November 2025.
• Was nominated for the 2025 Kopa Trophy and eventually finished in 5th place on 22 September 2025.
• Wore the Juventus captain’s armband for the first time in a 1–1 Serie A draw against Hellas Verona on 20 September 2025.
• Scored his Club World Cup goal on his Club World Cup debut against Wydad AC on 22 June 2025.
• Received the first red card of his professional career against Monza on 27 April 2025.
• Scored on his Italian Super Cup debut in Juventus’ 1–2 loss to AC Milan on 3 January 2025.
• Received the Juventus No. 10 shirt ahead of the 2024–25 season.
• Won the Golden Boy Web Award on 27 November 2024.
• Scored on his Champions League debut in Juventus’ 3–1 win over PSV, becoming the youngest Juventus player ever to score in the competition, on 17 September 2024.
• Scored on his Coppa Italia debut during a 6–1 Round of 16 victory against Salernitana, coming off the bench to score a spectacular solo goal in the 88th minute on 4 January 2024.
• Scored his first goal for the Juventus first team on 23 December 2023 in a 2–1 Serie A victory against Frosinone, making him the youngest foreign goal scorer in the club’s history at 18 years and 233 days old.
• Was officially promoted to the Juventus first team in November 2023.
• Made his Juventus first-team debut vs. Udinese in Serie A (3–0 win) on 20 August 2023.
• Scored his first-ever professional goal, a long‑distance strike vs. Ancona (2–1 win), on 23 September 2023.
• Made his professional debut for Juventus Next Gen vs. Virtus Verona, coming on in the 61st minute on 16 December 2022.

 

Bayern Munich

• Became a free agent in July 2022 at 17 years old after spending 10 years at Bayern Munich.
• Played for Bayern Munich U19 in the 2021–22 season.
• Played for Bayern Munich U17 in 2021.
• Joined the youth academy of Bayern Munich in 2012 at the age of 7.

 

Turkish National Team

• Played for the Turkish National Team at EURO 2024 when he was 19 years and 45 days old.
• Scored his first goal for the Turkish National Team against Germany in an international friendly on 18 November 2023.
• Played for Türkiye’s senior men’s team in the 2023–24 season.
• Played for Türkiye U21 in the 2022–23 season.
• Played for Türkiye U17 in the 2021–22 season.

During the press conference, Spalletti seemed disappointed with the match. He accepted that things have become more complicated after drawing against Verona at home, in front of the fans.

When he was asked whether the enthusiasm of the fans about the possibility of catching up with Milan put extra pressure on the players, he said that when the team doesn’t manage the game, their opponents can put them in difficulty if they are good at exploiting those moments. He added that he had highlighted the dangers of matches like this throughout the week, pointing out that nothing is already won in football and that being committed, consistent, in control, concentrating, and staying alert for the unexpected are the key elements to winning a game. According to him, the match was not lost due to a lack of effort, but because of a lapse in mental patience after conceding and a technical inability to break down a compact defense without a dedicated playmaker. He noted that Yıldız handled that role fairly well but had already spent a lot of energy. He pointed out that costly turnovers and failing to attack free space or execute simple, decisive passes near the goal prevented the team from scoring. Regarding Vlahović, he said he was impressed not just with his goal but also with his immediate display of character and personality. He added that although the team’s late‑game fitness, character, and tactical pressure were encouraging, the performance was irrelevant because they failed to secure the win.

When he was asked whether maturity is a skill you can learn or something that only comes with time and experience, he said that the team is mature in their abilities but fails to recognize the moment when what they know and have is no longer enough. The team needs to understand that they must do something different from their usual qualities. He pointed out that they all have good human qualities, but they need to have that sharp edge in moments like these, and they should get back to work instead of complaining during the game when something goes wrong. He said they missed the chance to secure a Champions League spot with this match, and now there is no room for error in the remaining games.

Match Result: Juventus 1 - Hellas Verona 1

Yıldız earned an average rating of 5.9 after combining data from major soccer stat sites and Italian press. Here’s a quick summary:

SofaScore: 7.0
FotMob: 7.4
Sky Sports: 5.5
Corriere della Sera: 5.5
Corriere dello Sport: 5.5
Tuttosport: 5.5
La Gazetta Dello Sport:  *.*

***

Corriere della Sera reported that although he was tough, his usual sharpness was diminished because of his shaky physical condition. Corriere dello Sport wrote that Yıldız, returning to the starting lineup after three weeks, had tried to find a spark, but it hadn’t been his day either. Tuttosport said that his stamina had been so low that it had forced him to ration his plays to the bare minimum, and that apart from a couple of early dribbles he had vanished from the radar, leading Juve to stop looking for him. La Gazetta dello Sport reported that he was completely exhausted and unable to keep up, to the point where even repeated attempts to push forward ended in failure.

***

Stats:

90 Minutes
xG - 0.03
xGOT - 0.0
xA - 0.12
xG + xA - 0.15
Goals - 0
Assists - 0
Key Passes - 2
Shots on target - 0/2
Pass Accuracy - 82%
Touches - 68
Dribbles - 3/6
Tackles - 0/0
Recoveries - 5
Duels - 6/10

During the press conference before Verona match, when one of the reporters during the press conference, noting how unusual it was for such a young player to describe his relationship with his coach as “fantastic,” asked whether the coach had experienced a similar bond with other young players in his career and what he valued most in Yıldız on a human and character level beyond technical qualities, he said:

“It has happened because my job depends on these kinds of connections professionally. On a personal level, it is only about these connections. I like building a relationship with my players, sharing ideas, explaining certain things and seeing that we can take the best of what is needed for the good of the club, the good of the team, the good of our fans, the good of everyone who loves this sport. There are people with whom it becomes easier because they have human qualities, a sense of team, a sense of friendship, a sense of love, a sense of wanting to share the entire professional journey. And he is one of those. He is one of those who has the sun stamped on his face in terms of his reactions. Even when he has not been going through a favorable moment, he always has this positive, willing expression, this desire to transmit what it means to be a happy, positive person. And that is how he is right now, but he is already projected into the future. He transforms the moment he is in and improves it with his way of being. I have had the good fortune of meeting his family, a wonderful family, and you can see the qualities he has through his family. He has everything. His teammates adore him because of the way he relates to people. If you see him leaving the training ground, he is one of those who stops the most. Sometimes, because of schedules or commitments, someone might not stop but he is one of the ones who consistently does. On Saturdays, when we arrive at the hotel and the fans are waiting, he does everything: photos, autographs, whatever is asked. And he is happy to do it. He does it without any hint of boredom. He is thrilled, just like everyone else is. Of course, there are timings to respect, but he is already a champion who makes me feel lucky to coach him.”

Another reporter, pointing out Yıldız’s toughness in playing through a long‑standing issue and recalling an episode in which Yıldız insisted he was available despite doubts, asked whether the recent management of the player was due to a worsening of the problem or simply a natural concern about avoiding injury with the World Cup approaching. Spalletti replied: 

“No, it is something that is being evaluated in a complete and correct way, especially with regard to the boy’s health. We know and he knows how important he is for us. We know that he wants to be available and we want him to be available. However, he had this small inflammation that can get worse or can get better, so it’s a matter of managing it even though in these last training sessions, including today’s and yesterday’s, he did very well. He doesn’t feel any pain, and we have no doubts about his presence in the match.”

After a difficult two-week period managing a recurring knee injury (patellar tendinopathy), Yıldız seems like showing signs of recovery. He may no longer need medical injections for the inflammation for the first time since the Atalanta match. These treatments previously forced him to rest for at least 48 hours each time, severely limiting his availability. He has only managed three full training sessions with the team since April 13 and his lack of fitness was obvious during his brief appearance against Milan.

Spalletti plans to gradually bring him back into team training, possibly starting Wednesday. They won’t rush anything and will monitor how his knee reacts each session. There’s cautious optimism that he could start on Sunday against Verona.

Source: Tuttosport

During the post‑match press conference of the Milan–Juventus game, Spalletti said his team played a smart match because it was a risky one, where you could concede easily. He explained that the opponent is deceptive, making you think everything is under control by creating hiding spots and suddenly appearing from unexpected areas. He said he was satisfied with his players’ performances but admitted that the team did not do much in the first half, which was too slow and lacked quality in breaking lines or creating combinations. He also pointed out that the priority was to secure at least one point. He said that the team has greater potential than it showed and needs a stronger mentality, one that pushes them to explore new solutions and create situations that can surprise opponents. He admitted that this aspect was lacking on the night. He added that a few players who could normally make a difference have not been training regularly, which forces the staff to be cautious. Despite this, he felt the second half contained some positive moments and that the draw was a fair result that keeps them competitive against strong rivals.

One of the reporters asked the coach whether giving Yıldız only ten minutes was a decision based on how he had looked during the week, whether using him more would have been risky, and whether the coach expected him to perform the way he did in the final minutes. He said: “I actually didn’t see him at all during the week. He came in yesterday morning to do those 5 minutes plus another 5 minutes of the little scrimmage we do at the start, because we always play a small-sided game as soon as we step on the field to create rhythm. It’s always like that, always a scrimmage. The players want to play those little games, they want to have fun. We fire the ball at them from the locker room, they start running, scrimmage, whoever scores. And I saw him in those 10 minutes there. Then during the week he trained very little. It seemed to me that after the first two sprints, and you probably noticed it too , from a conditioning standpoint, from a breathing standpoint, he was lacking. So we’re just happy to have seen him back out there. And in my opinion, he actually played 15 or 16 minutes, not 10, because I think he came on around the 80th minute, plus 6 minutes of stoppage time. So you wanted to criticize me, I know. You prepared it by giving me a discount on the minutes. That disappoints me.”

After the final whistle, Yıldız was seen staying behind and running sprints across half the pitch in the empty stadium. It seems like these were a personalized cool‑down. Since he’d recently had discomfort in his left knee and only played a few minutes, Juventus likely wanted him to get a controlled post‑match workload to protect the joint and avoid stiffness.

Match Result: Milan 0 - Juventus 0

Yıldız earned an average rating of 6.5 after combining data from major soccer stat sites. He was a late substitute, so the Italian press didn’t rate him. Here’s a quick summary:

SofaScore: 6.5

FotMob: 6.5

***

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that he played less than expected because of the knee inflammation, which needs to be managed. The newspaper added that patience is required.

***

Stats:

10 Minutes

xG - 0.0

xGOT - 0.0

xA - 0.01

xG + xA - 0.01

Goals - 0

Assists - 0

Key Passes - 0

Shots on target - 0/0

Pass Accuracy - 83%

Touches - 21

Dribbles - 2/2

Tackles - 0/0

Recoveries - 0

Duels - 3/4

At the press conference before Milan–Juventus, when Milan coach Max Allegri was asked whether, speaking of young players who had broken through, he had expected such a trajectory from Yıldız when he first brought him into Juventus, he said: “Kenan has important qualities, but it’s not like I launched him. I think that, at that time, Juventus had done a very good job from the youth academy all the way up to the second team where these players were then brought into the first team. Many of those young players of great value have since left. So the credit isn’t mine; the credit goes to those who raised them from age 10 to 18. Yıldız arrived later, like Huijsen and others. Everything depends on the work done below the first team. But I believe he can still do much better.”

Yıldız has continued to train separately from the rest of the squad throughout the week due to persistent inflammation in his left knee, an issue that has been troubling him for quite some time. The medical staff is monitoring his progress closely, but his availability for this weekend’s derby against Milan at San Siro remains uncertain.