Juventus Penalty Drama: Vlahovic, Yildiz, and Locatelli's Spot-Kick Controversy

The recent penalty miss by Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli against Sassuolo continues to fuel internal discussion, with new information suggesting striker Dusan Vlahovic and rising talent Kenan Yildiz were also keen to take the spot-kick.

This crucial penalty could have secured a victory for Juventus over the weekend, but Locatelli's attempt was saved by Arijanet Muric, resulting in a 1-1 draw in the Serie A clash.

This marks the third consecutive Serie A penalty that Juventus has failed to convert, each time by a different player. Prior to Locatelli, Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan David also missed from the spot.

Confusion Over Juventus Penalty Taker

Manager Spalletti addressed the situation, confirming to DAZN Italia, “Locatelli came over and told me he felt ready to take it. There were two or three players who wanted to step up, but Locatelli is the designated taker. It’s fine, anyone can miss a penalty, we are just disappointed about not bringing home the victory.”

Despite initial appearances, reports indicate that while Yildiz was near the ball, he wasn't the one actively pushing Locatelli to relinquish the opportunity.

Multiple sources now suggest that Dusan Vlahovic had requested to take the penalty, remarkably just minutes into his first game back after a significant thigh injury sustained in November 2025. Entrusting such a critical responsibility to a player still recovering and potentially lacking match sharpness would indeed have been a high-risk decision.

Vlahovic, however, had successfully converted his only other penalty attempt this season during a 3-1 win against Udinese.

Locatelli, too, boasted a strong penalty record before this incident, having successfully converted both his previous spot-kicks in the Champions League and Coppa Italia. He also notably scored a vital penalty late last season against Venezia, which helped secure Juventus's Champions League qualification.