Fabio Capello criticized Dusan Vlahovic's reaction to being substituted against Monza as he called for more from the Juventus striker.
Juve came from behind to beat Monza 2-1 on Sunday and return to victory in Serie A after a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Venezia the week before.
Vlahovic has scored just seven goals in 15 league games this season, four of which have come from the penalty spot, while the Serbian international has performed below his expected goals (xG) of 9.68.
The former Fiorentina striker managed just two shots against Monza, although he did make a team-high eight touches in the opponent's penalty area.
Despite the win, Vlahovic, who did not score or assist, was visibly frustrated when he came off the field in the 85th minute, and Capello was unhappy with his behavior.
He told Gazzetta: 'I hope he was angry with himself and not [Thiago] Motta.
“I don't understand such behavior. It shows a lack of respect for the coach and the teammate who entered the field.
“Dusan was probably annoyed because he didn't score, but that's not okay.”
Last night in #MonzaJuve we achieved our 1700th @SerieA_EN victory! pic.twitter.com/5jCflCJQ4i
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) December 23, 2024
Capello was less than effusive in his praise for Juve's performance overall as the Bianconeri failed to put the game to bed despite numerous second-half chances.
“It was a good first half,” he added.
“They just concentrated on defending in the last 25 minutes and went back into their penalty area. I expected something different.”
Despite an unbeaten start to the season, 10 draws from their opening 17 games mean Juventus are already nine points behind leaders Atalanta, although Capello believes reigning champions Inter, who are third, are still favorites for the title.
Referring to Inter's 2-0 win over Como on Monday, he said: “They weren't sharp as usual, but they deserved to win.
“Even like Lautaro [Martinez] doesn't keep scoring, [Simone] Inzaghi remains the favorite for the Scudetto.”
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