Zbigniew Boniek believes Juventus are in a “compromised and difficult situation” and are no longer contenders for the Scudetto.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Bianconeri forward spoke to Radio Anch’io Sport, a day after Juve’s 2-0 win at Lecce. Weston McKennie and Douglas Luiz scored in the first half as Luciano Spalletti’s side ended a 35-day wait for a league victory, moving up to seventh with 14 points.
Boniek was not impressed. “I see and hear various critics, some who want Conte, some who criticise Spalletti. I’ll just say that when I watch Juventus, I don’t see a team of champions, just good players. And that makes the difference,” he said. “Today they’re not at the front of the Scudetto race, and you can see that in how they suffer in Europe.”
He also downplayed the win at Lecce. “The first goal came from a free kick, somewhat by chance, with the goalkeeper fooled by McKennie. It’s not as if they dominated. In the past they had more quality.”
Boniek on Spalletti and his Juventus stadium star
Boniek also joked about Spalletti’s famously complex way of speaking. “He’s very demanding and particular. I’ve been in Italy for 44 years, and when I hear him speak on TV I have to get the dictionary out to understand what he’s saying.”
The Pole won the Scudetto and the European Cup during three seasons in Turin in the 1980s, but his relationship with the club has been strained since the Calciopoli era, when he strongly criticised the management of Luciano Moggi.
In 2010, he was voted among 50 former players to receive a star at the new Juventus Stadium. However, after protests from supporters’ groups, the club suspended his award and held a new vote, with Edgar Davids taking the final star.
“I’m not here to criticise my old team. Without criticising them, they gave me a star at the Stadium and then took it away,” Boniek said. “I’ll stop there.”