Juventus manager Thiago Motta opted to bench talented youngster Kenan Yildiz for their recent Serie A match against Parma.
Despite Yildiz’s impressive performance in the Derby d’Italia, where he scored a brace, Motta chose to start Timothy Weah instead.
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Motta explained that Weah’s ability to stretch the field was crucial against Parma’s defensive tactics.
“Weah played well at the San Siro and today, too, scoring a goal,” Motta told Sky Sport Italia after the match, as reported by TMW.
“By coming on later, with a more open game, Kenan was the ideal player to create situations, even dropping deep.
“I also liked Thuram and Koopmeiners. Today, we needed to stretch the pitch; we did it many times.
“He [Yildiz] has freedom in the last meters, but it was normal for us today to want to stretch the pitch against such a closed team.”
Yildiz was introduced as a substitute but was unable to significantly impact the game.
While the young Turkish player has shown great promise, Motta’s decision to bench him highlights the competitive nature of Juventus’ squad.
Yildiz has three goals and two assists in 13 appearances in all competitions for Juventus this season.
