Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini has affirmed that Dusan Vlahovic will remain with the club until June 2026. He also expressed optimism that Teun Koopmeiners would gain confidence during today`s match against Atalanta.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 17:00 UK time (16:00 GMT) at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin.
Both Juventus and Atalanta maintain an unbeaten record in Serie A this season. However, Juventus recently conceded goals and dropped points for the first time in a 1-1 draw against Verona.
Historically, Juventus has struggled against Atalanta at home, failing to secure a win since March 2018 and managing only two draws in their last seven encounters on home turf.
With Napoli facing a challenging fixture against Milan on Sunday, this match presents a crucial opportunity for Juventus to close the gap on the league leaders.
Chiellini Discusses Vlahovic and Koopmeiners` Situations at Juventus
“I anticipate a very important 90 minutes. We`ve had a good week of training and recovery, but Atalanta always poses a significant challenge, and we haven`t beaten them here recently. A strong performance is absolutely essential,” Chiellini stated to DAZN Italia.
Coach Igor Tudor has made tactical adjustments, notably fielding Teun Koopmeiners in midfield against his former team, Atalanta, instead of Manuel Locatelli. This raises questions about whether this is his primary role, given he was deployed as a trequartista last season.
“Koopmeiners is a true midfielder; he played in a slightly different capacity against Inter. However, for the Atalanta game, he needs to be dynamic. We have four midfielders rotating, and we hope this match helps him regain much-needed confidence,” Chiellini further explained.
Vlahovic is currently on the bench, having scored all his goals this season as a substitute. With his contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign, speculation arises whether the striker will be sold in January.
“It`s quite straightforward: Vlahovic will remain a Juventus player until June 30, 2026. Therefore, the ongoing reports are simply unrealistic,” Chiellini clarified.
“Vlahovic is not leaving; he is a Juventus player. We expect him to perform well in upcoming matches. He`s training diligently, demonstrating an excellent attitude, and proving it on the pitch.”
