Luciano Spalletti, the head coach of Juventus, has acknowledged a misjudgment in his handling of summer acquisition Loïs Openda, despite the forward exhibiting exceptional dedication. Openda has experienced a challenging debut season at the Allianz Stadium, scoring only twice in 34 appearances across all competitions.
The Belgian international was acquired by Juventus on loan from RB Leipzig last summer, with an obligatory purchase clause activated upon the team securing a top-ten finish in the league. Throughout the current season, Openda has accumulated minimal playing time, barely exceeding 1,100 minutes across all competitions for Juventus, and has featured for just 688 minutes under Spalletti’s management since October.
When questioned about the Belgian’s limited opportunities this term, Spalletti stated (via Sky Sport): “That is another mistake I have made. I have to make decisions, but I am sure I will get something wrong. He is committed and demonstrates outstanding professionalism. I haven’t played him much because I thought others could give me better results.”
Openda is anticipated to receive even less game time in the remaining three matches of the season, as Dušan Vlahović has recovered from injury and may even feature from the start against Lecce, as Spalletti indicated during his press conference.
Juventus initially paid €3 million for Openda’s loan, with the permanent transfer fee set at €42 million.