A teammate speaks up
He could have sidestepped it. Given the polite answer, moved on, said the usual stuff. Pierre Kalulu went the other way.
Asked on Thursday about Randal Kolo Muani’s struggles in front of goal, the Juventus defender spoke up for his compatriot. “I know Randal well and he works hard, even if I know he is going through a rough spell right now. But he will no doubt be a big help to the team, and I am convinced he will have a very good season.”
The timing is the part worth noting. Juventus host NEC Nijmegen at the Allianz Stadium that same evening, in their Europa League opener.
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A Juve side already hearing the word crisis
The backdrop is far from ideal. The Bianconeri are coming off a late defeat at Sassuolo, conceded in the closing minutes. In Italy, talk of crisis has started before September is even out. So the visit of NEC feels like a night for damage control as much as a first European outing.
Kalulu, meanwhile, is trying to make himself at home. A product of Lyon who moved on to AC Milan and then Turin, the defender wants to be seen as a first-choice regular rather than a handy utility option. Thursday night gives him that chance.
Kolo Muani is still waiting for the spark
The forward’s season has started badly. After spells at Nantes, Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain, Kolo Muani remains the sort of player whose worth has never been measured by goals alone. His movement, his running, his work with his back to goal all count too. A centre-forward gets judged on the numbers eventually, though.
A public show of support from a teammate will not score a goal for him. It can stop a dressing room fraying while a player goes through a rough patch. Whether Kalulu’s backing turns into anything tangible at the Allianz Stadium is another matter entirely.
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