Loïs Openda Reflects on Juventus Move and Chemistry with David

Loïs Openda has no regrets about his ill-fated move to Juventus, even as he admits the chemistry he once enjoyed with Jonathan David never materialised alongside Dusan Vlahovic in Turin.

The Belgium international, now trying to relaunch his career on loan at Lyon, looked back on his solitary season in Serie A in an interview with L’Equipe, relayed in Italy by Gazzetta. At 26, with two goals in eight appearances so far in Ligue 1, he is still living with the lessons of that year in black and white.

“I had good chemistry with David”

Openda arrived at Juventus in 2025 from RB Leipzig with a clear idea of the project laid out for him.

“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 plan sounded tailored to his strengths: space to attack, room to run.

Reality in Serie A was harsher.

“In Italy, the team that really exploits depth is Inter. Roma are only just starting to understand it,” he said, underlining how rare his preferred style of play remains in the league.

The competition for places was immediate and unforgiving.

“The coach wanted me, but Vlahovic and David were already playing in my position,” he continued. “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.”

A runner in a team that preferred to come to feet, Openda often found his movements ignored. The partnership that might have flourished with David never truly took hold in a system that didn’t lean into his pace.

One goal, two coaches, and a tough reality

Across the 2025-26 campaign, Openda worked under Igor Tudor and Luciano Spalletti, but the change in the dugout did little to alter his fortunes. He finished the season with just one goal in 34 appearances in all competitions, numbers that told their own story.

“I tried to get my chance, and sometimes I did,” he admitted. “But towards the end of the season, I realised that to play, I had to leave.”

The decision to step away from Juventus was not born of bitterness, more of clarity. Minutes were scarce, his profile didn’t quite fit, and the clock on his career was ticking.

No regrets, only lessons

Despite the struggle, Openda refuses to label the move from RB Leipzig to Juventus as a misstep.

“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.”

There is no rewriting history, only an attempt to use it. For now, that means Lyon. The French club paid €3.5m to secure him on loan for the 2026-27 season, without an option to buy.

A short window, then, and a clear challenge: turn the lessons from Turin into goals in Lyon, or risk that Juventus season becoming less a blip and more a turning point he never quite escaped.