Juventus Coach: 10 Players Ask To Be Replaced When Losing To Real Madrid

Juventus had to admit Real Madrid's superiority in the last 16 of the 2025 Club World Cup (Instagram/@juventus).

JAKARTA - Juventus coach, Igor Tudor, said 10 players asked to be replaced when his team lost to Real Madrid in the last 16 of the 2025 Club World Cup in Miami, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, early morning WIB, due to exhaustion due to weather.

Gonzalo Garcia's goal in the second half sealed a 1-0 win for Real Madrid as well as brought them to the quarter-finals.

Although the temperature in Miami peaked at 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) - lower than the hot temperature in the last game - Tudor's coach said his players had difficulty overcoming the condition.

Despite rotating his team on a large scale during the tournament, Tudor said that the match against Los Blancos was a game that was too difficult for his players for several reasons.

"His condition was very difficult today. Ten players asked me to be replaced. They were very tired."

"There are many factors that influence it. It's the end of a long season and there's a lot of pressure on the players who drain their energy."

"The condition where they play is very difficult, the humidity is too. All of these conditions make things much more difficult. The heat, it's another thing that makes it more difficult," said Tudor after the match.

FIFA's decision to schedule a tournament - the first Club World Cup to be followed by 32 teams - has been criticized by many parties, including Liverpool's former manager, Jurgen Klopp, who spoke of the tournament last week.

Meanwhile, Tudor said Juventus had a positive experience in the United States. He said his players now needed to rest.

"I think it's time to rest now. We'll rest for three weeks."

"So, I don't think (2025 Club World Cup) will have a negative impact on us. However, yes, we need to rest, start again, and be stronger."

"The players really gave everything. We played all our best cards and unfortunately it wasn't enough."

"If there is a lesson, we know we can compete with some of the best players in the world."

"This is a valuable experience when you play against clubs with higher levels," said Tudor.