The young Portuguese Francisco Conceição has taken center stage with bold statements in response to his coach Luciano Spalletti’s comparison of him to the Egyptian legend Mohamed Salah, the current Liverpool player whom Spalletti previously coached at Roma. This comes at a time when Conceição and Juventus are striving to achieve their shared ambitions in the ongoing football season.
Conceição explained, in an interview conducted with press reports yesterday, Thursday, that he considers Salah a football legend from whom he learns a lot, emphasizing that he is still at the beginning of his football career and seeks continuous development. This statement reflects the player’s humility and awareness of the responsibility on his shoulders, especially after Juventus paid over 32 million euros to sign him in the summer of 2025.
Despite feeling comfortable and confident within the ranks of the Old Lady, Conceição expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s overall performance this season, pointing out that Juventus has not achieved the expected victories. The Portuguese international emphasized that expectations are very high at the club, which necessitates improving certain areas to achieve the desired goals. Conceição has scored one goal and provided an assist during 438 minutes played this season.
Following the disappointing draw against Cagliari in the Italian league, Conceição stressed the need to develop the team’s ability to break through opponents’ compact defenses. He explained that small details make the difference in such matches and that facing teams relying on defensive compactness presents a significant challenge. Conceição believes the solution lies in increasing the team’s attacking effectiveness, considering that this will greatly enhance the chances of winning upcoming matches. It is worth noting that Juventus currently occupies sixth place in the Italian league table with 11 points, five points behind leaders Inter and Lazio, and is preparing to face Celta Vigo today in the Europa League.
