Loïs Openda Reflects on Juventus Stint and New Chapter at Lyon
Loïs Openda still refuses to call it a mistake.
The Belgian striker’s year at Juventus never caught fire – one goal in 34 games tells its own story – but as he looks to relaunch himself at Lyon, he insists the decision to leave RB Leipzig for Turin in 2025 shaped him rather than broke him.
A move that never really fit
Speaking to L’Equipe, Openda dissected that solitary, stuttering season in Italy, a campaign that promised a new dimension to Juventus’ attack but instead left him on the fringes.
He arrived with a clear plan in mind.
“I spoke with Damien Comolli, who was then the club director, and he explained how he intended to use me in a difficult league,” Openda recalled. The message was clear: Serie A would be a challenge, but there was a role for his pace and direct running.
Reality bit quickly.
“In Italy, the team that really exploits depth is Inter. Roma are only just starting to understand it,” he said. For a striker who lives on space in behind, Juventus’ more measured, possession-heavy approach became a tactical straightjacket.
Sharing a pitch, not a profile
Competition was fierce and, crucially, stylistically awkward.
“The coach wanted me, but Vlahovic and David were already playing in my position,” Openda explained. He found a natural understanding with Jonathan David, whose movement and combinations suited his own.
“I had good chemistry with David, but the team wasn’t used to playing with a player who runs in behind, and Vlahovic tended to keep the ball to himself.”
It was a revealing line. Dusan Vlahovic, the reference point of the attack, often came short, demanded the ball, and acted as the focal point. Openda, by contrast, thrives on verticality, on being released early and often. The clash of profiles left him as the odd man out in a system that never truly bent to his strengths.
Under Tudor and Spalletti, chances but no breakthrough
Openda worked under Igor Tudor and then Luciano Spalletti during the 2025-26 campaign. Two strong, detail-obsessed coaches. Two different interpretations of how Juventus should play. Neither unlocked him.
He featured regularly enough to be noticed, but rarely in the conditions he craves. Thirty-four appearances across all competitions, just one goal. The numbers underline the frustration.
“I tried to get my chance, and sometimes I did, but towards the end of the season, I realised that to play, I had to leave,” he admitted. Not a complaint, more a cold assessment of his situation.
The decision to move on was not born of regret over the transfer itself, but of clarity about what his career needed next.
No regrets, only lessons
For all the disappointment, Openda refuses to rewrite history.
“It wasn’t a mistake, and it allowed me to work on aspects I hadn’t considered,” he said. “I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I’m sure that in other circumstances, it would have gone better.”
That last line lingers. Different coach. Different structure. A team willing to stretch the pitch and play early into space. In that parallel version of Juventus, perhaps Openda’s pace becomes a weapon instead of a puzzle.
Instead, the reset button has been pressed in France.
A new chapter at Lyon
Now 26 and on loan at Lyon, Openda has started to stitch his confidence back together, scoring two goals in his first eight appearances this season. Lyon paid €3.5m for the loan for 2026-27, a significant outlay for a temporary deal and a sign they believe there is still a high ceiling to reach.
There is, however, no option to buy. This is a showcase, not a farewell.
For Openda, it is a chance to prove that the player Juventus never quite figured out can still become the forward Leipzig once unleashed – and that the year in Turin will be remembered not as a dead end, but as the season that forced him to redefine how, and where, he can truly thrive.
