Juventus’ team bus was pelted with rocks before entering the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for a crucial Napoli clash in the Serie A on Sunday. Luciano Spaletti returned to his former club after a gap of two years as he entered Napoli’s home as a rival manager. The Bianconeri took adequate safety measures to avoid hostilities but their vehicle was still attacked right before the game.
Spalletti managed Napoli for two seasons from 2021 to 2023 and in his final season, the Italian coach guided the club to their first Serie A title in over three decades in the 2022-23 campaign. Right after guiding the club to a title win in the summer of 2023, the 66-year-old parted ways with the club.
After leaving Napoli, Spalletti managed the Italian national team for two years before returning to club this summer as he replaced Igor Tudor in October after Juventus’s nightmare start to the 2025-26 campaign. The experienced coach returned to his old home for the first time in more than two years time on Sunday as the Bianconeri locked horns against the reigning Italian champions in a crucial Serie A clash.
In his two years in Naples, Spalletti saw the local fans from close quarters and the manager very well knew how the Napoli fans would burst firecrackers near the visiting side’s team hotel at night to spoil to opposition’s sleep a day before the game.
To avoid such hostility from the home fans, Spalletti did not travel to Naples until the matchday and stayed at a hotel, which is close to Napoli boss Antonio Conte’s residence. However, despite taking such shrewd measures, Spalletti could not avoid confrontation with the local fans as the team bus was pelted with stones, according to DAZN Italia. The incident happened on the way to the Stadio Maradona and some of the windows of bus were smashed, although no members of the visiting squad were harmed.
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Spalletti is still not satisfied with the performance of his players, even after guiding the club to their first Champions League win of this season against Bodo/Glimt. After the European clash, the coach had said: “It would have been a shame to let it go in the second half. We struggled in every sense of the word because the team doesn’t take responsibility, lacks courage, and takes a bit of heat from what’s being said. It’ll be hard on them; here too, there were attitude issues that hung in the balance. We need to grow and take a mental step. We need to find solutions, because the team has a bit of horsepower in its engine.
“It was crucial to have the appearance of a team that plays openly, even if it struggles at times. They have great speed in tight spaces on this pitch, but in the first half we did our part, failing to capitalise on certain situations. It’s an important victory that the players deserved. We dedicate it to ourselves and to those who came all the way here to see us.”
Juventus suffered their third loss of the new season in Serie A as Rasmus Hojlund’s brace helped Napoli reclaim the top position in the Serie A table. The Manchester United outcast opened the scoring in the seventh minute of the match before Kenan Yildiz scored the equaliser around the hour mark. Hojlund, though, ultimately stole the limelight as he scored the winner in the 78th minute and secured all three points for Conte’s men.
The Italian champions will be back in action in midweek as they take on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in an important Champions League fixture away from home on Wednesday.
