Club News
November 6, 2025 – 10:00 pm
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was loath to see his beloved Juventus sell Dean Huijsen for a relatively low transfer fee.
The NBA veteran is an avid Bianconeri supporter who’s been keeping a close eye on his club and is apparently displeased with many of the decisions made by the management.
While the Montenegrin understands the reasoning behind sacking Igor Tudor, he feels that the latter would have done a better job had he been given enough time to implement his ideas.
“Juventus has certain standards. We know very well that for coaches, if results don’t come, then changes will follow,” said Vucevic in his interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Spalletti, of course, is an experienced coach, and I think he can do well. But I have to say I feel sorry for Igor; when he arrived, he provided the right impetus, achieving the desired result and leading us [Juventus] into the Champions League at the end of the season.
“I think he did a good job, perhaps he didn’t have enough time to put his footballing beliefs into practice.
“Furthermore, the impression I got was that he wasn’t the club’s first choice, so working well in such a context isn’t easy. I’m also disappointed that it went this way because of his sense of belonging to Juve.”
Nikola Vucevic opens up on Juventus, defends Igor TudorThe basketball star then added that the recurring managerial changes have been taking their toll on the club, resulting in the lack of consistency.
“There are some good players at the club, but we haven’t yet managed to find a minimum level of consistency, both in terms of results and play.
“I think the changes on the bench and the many players who have alternated recently have had a decisive impact.”
Nikola Vucevic (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Vucevic disgruntled with Juve’s decision to sell Dean Huijsen
Vucevic then ranted about Juve’s decision to sell some of their finest youngsters in recent years. The 35-year-old is still incredulous about Huijsen’s sale to Bournemouth for just €15 million in 2024, as the young defender went on to complete a €50 million transfer to Real Madrid a year later.
“Do you know what bothers me the most, as a die-hard fan? I just can’t accept the sacrifice of so many excellent young players, sold even for attractive prices, who are now doing very well elsewhere.
“I find the sale of Dean Huijsen for €15 million absurd, for example. He’s a player who’s currently doing great at Real Madrid and is considered one of the best young defenders in the world, and unfortunately, there are many other examples.
“Honestly, I find it quite absurd to sell young players who have developed in the youth academy to replace them with more experienced ones, who cost more money, and ultimately have a limited impact.”
Finally, Vucevic revealed he had already met Juventus winger Filip Kostic and club icon Alessandro Del Piero.
“I saw Filip Kostic in Belgrade this summer, then I bumped into Del Piero a while back at a Serie A event in New York.
“I, of course, always follow all the games, hoping things can change for the better with Spalletti’s arrival,” concluded the Bulls star.
Michel Sakr
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.
