Kolo Muani misses sitter at Frosinone, Spalletti publicly rebukes him

Randal Kolo Muani wasted his official return to Serie A on Sunday evening. Starting for Juventus away at Frosinone, the French striker missed a clear opportunity at the far post, just six meters from goal, sending his effort high over the bar before Bremer secured three points for the Bianconeri with a header in the 22nd minute (0-1).

The missed chance did not go unnoticed in the Turin dressing room. Luciano Spalletti, Juventus’s new head coach, chose not to spare his new signing in his press conference. “We went to get him and we know his value, but he needs to realize that if he hasn’t played for two years, there must be a reason,” said the former Italy manager bluntly.

The coach did, however, soften his remarks with a slightly more constructive conclusion: “He knows how to keep the ball, how to get into space, he’s physically strong, but these are matches where he needs to score goals.” A clear message about the expectations placed on a player signed for over €40 million this summer.

Kolo Muani’s trajectory in recent seasons has indeed been a mixed one. Loaned by PSG to Juventus in the first half of last season, he impressed with 10 goals in 22 appearances. A record sufficient to convince the Turin club to exercise their purchase option, despite a less convincing second loan spell at Tottenham. Not selected by the French manager for the 2026 World Cup, the 26-year-old striker knows his margin for error is shrinking. The victory at Frosinone provides a starting point, but Spalletti has clearly decided to raise his voice from the very first match.