Parmesan Promises and Christmas Surprises: Spalletti Sets the Record Straight on David's Turin Tale

Context and Clarifications

Head coach Luciano Spalletti of Juventus addressed the rumors that Jonathan David has become a withdrawn figure in the locker room and was not invited to the Christmas dinner.

Reports had suggested David has faced adaptation challenges since joining Juventus on a free transfer in the summer.

Spalletti dismissed these claims with a light touch, joking that the Canadian once committed an "Italian sin" when he first arrived in Turin.

Reactions from the Club and Teammates

In a press conference ahead of the Juventus–Roma clash in Serie A, Spalletti noted that the key issue remains performance on the pitch, while acknowledging the chatter surrounding David.

The Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport described the 25-year-old as "shy and withdrawn," and pointed to a language barrier that has made locker-room integration slower, though it added he isn’t avoiding teammates.

Several Juventus players pushed back against the rumors. Federico Gatti posted on Instagram: "I want to take a moment to clarify... it’s unbelievable to publish such news on the eve of a game of this magnitude." He added that the truth is what matters and the rest is noise.

Manuel Locatelli and Matia Berin also shared photos with David in recent days, smiling beside him, while Gatti’s remarks sought to calm speculation.

Spalletti addressed the situation again at Friday’s media briefing ahead of the Roma match, underscoring that the focus must be the next game rather than gossip.

Punchline 1: If rumors were goals, this kid would be the league leader by now.
Punchline 2: And if Turin’s dressing room language is the barrier, just shout "pass the pesto" and hope for a clean sheet.