Celta-Juventus: Coach says, “If you have something to say…”

“If you have something to say…”: the phrase captured the tension between Francisco Conceiçao and his coach during the Europa League match between Juventus and Celta at Balaídos, which Celta won 2-1. The winger appeared unhappy after being taken off in the 65th minute, and the episode was raised at the post-match press conference.

Asked about the incident, the coach replied: “He’d be better off being angry with himself. If he has something to say… I think he’s angry with himself for his performance. If he had that attitude, even if my team tells me he didn’t, we’ll see how to put it right.”

The Portugal international, for his part, denied having argued with a member of the coaching staff. “I didn’t argue with anyone. I came off the pitch, gave the bench a little tap and left; I didn’t argue with anyone on the staff. Obviously, I want to be on the pitch, but I didn’t speak to anyone from the coaching staff: I went to the dressing room to change my shirt and came back,” he said.

The disagreement followed Conceiçao’s substitution, with the coach questioning his attitude and saying they would consider how to address the situation. The player, however, rejected the suggestion that he had spoken with the staff.