"Allow me to dedicate a thought, with all my heart, to my friend Silvio Baldini for the loss of young Valentina, on behalf of my whole family and all of Juventus," he said, reflecting on the passing of Italy U21 coach Baldini's daughter at the age of 30.
Asked how he found the group on their return, Spalletti described a squad conscious of last season's shortcomings but focused on the campaign ahead.
"The first few days developed along an organised script. I found a team aware of what it didn't achieve last season, but aware of what we want to do this season. We've had matches of the highest level and others not up to our standard, and we want to work on our flaws to do better."
Reflecting on the 52 days since the end of last season, during which much has changed at the club, Spalletti was candid about his own role in how things unfolded.
"My thoughts go to my own work and what I could have done better. I always have to think about what I could have done differently that ended up determining how our season finished. We all know more is needed, I've lived these days with a discomfort inside me because we live off results, we're conditioned by results.
"My thinking has gone into organising things so we have a different path, starting from tomorrow, we'll find a team further ahead in terms of preparation, the league starts in a week. We've analysed what happened, what we failed to do last season. We're on the right path but it was a bit about how we walked it, and the pace we'll need to walk it now definitely needs to change. Knowing when to break away, to stand up on the pedals and attack when the moment's right, is the most important thing to do. Juventus isn't built to sit in the wheel, so we need to know how to make these breaks."
Asked what he wants to see from this Juventus side, Spalletti turned the focus back on himself.
"I go back to repeating that I have to coach better than I did last season. Good examples always come from creating evidence, showing a behaviour. Our squad needs to be strengthened or reinforced and in some areas probably also completed. We all know this, maybe absolutely everyone knows it, it's about doing deep work knowing that what can put us in difficulty is the timing determined by the World Cup being played.
"Because then, once the league starts, there's little time to work and it would be nice to have that time as soon as possible. But there are objective difficulties that every club has. Only a few clubs have already done something, us included. We're at the cooling break of the transfer market match, there's still a bit to do, a bit of time, but we're all very organised and convinced and coordinated on the path to follow and the things to do."
On the club's ambitions for the season, Spalletti was measured. "Right now we're analysing a season where we didn't get the result but it wasn't a wrong season. There's room to improve in certain moments, to improve on always having the same level of behaviour, of performance. We're convinced we can think about competing to reach the Champions League, because that's what's expected of us given our name. We want to compete for the top of the table, but we have to be good at doing the things I mentioned before. Right now, talking about the Scudetto, we're quite far off."
Asked about the players returning from loan and the condition of Khephren Thuram, Spalletti explained the club's approach to giving them a chance to prove their worth.
"The transfer market isn't just about buying and selling any more. We can give them the chance to show their value because they're an asset for this club and we have to assess them carefully. I found the players particularly motivated to make themselves appreciated. Thuram needs to do a differentiated programme and right now he's finding improvements after the issue that stopped him at the end of last season."
Questioned on whether he expects a big transfer window and specifically about Dusan Vlahovic, Spalletti kept his answer largely technical.
"We have to do important work but I'm calm that it will be done, because our will is to sort out this squad. We're all in tune on the direction to follow. Then there are difficulties based on last season's league position and the demands involved. But the directors are very capable and able to bring in what we need. Vlahovic? What was within the boundary of my competence at the end of the season, I did, and I'm talking about technical assessments. Then there's the financial side which isn't my department, I haven't spoken to him again but he knows how I think about him. I've seen that our directors always have the door open, but to get in you have to ring the bell."
On Kenan Yildiz's condition, Spalletti was warm: "We have a top-level staff and we're waiting for him with open arms because for us he's a lot of things. In our view Yildiz will come back and rejoin the group straight away. Then if needed we'll do work suited to his needs and probably follow a differentiated programme to try to give him the best we can offer."
Asked about new signings Jeff Ekhator and Zeki Çelik, Spalletti offered praise for both.
"He's a reliable player with a warrior's character. I think it was a good idea from Juventus to bring him home. He won't have any learning problems and he's a very good lad who everyone in football knows. Ekhator has important potential and the directors did well to bring him home, because he has important qualities and all the characteristics to become a complete number nine. He's at an age where he needs time given to him, but in terms of characteristics he's visibly strong.
"He's had those qualities since he was born, he needs to go through a process of completion. He's extremely motivated and you can see his eyes light up at being part of this club."
On the open nature of the transfer window, he added: "It can affect us but it's something we have to know how to live with. Given last season's disappointing final result, it's possible we're forced to sell someone and then we'll be ready, or at least by eight in the evening you might get a notification that a new player has been signed, like yesterday, to have a complete squad... But we have to know how to live with it. What happened yesterday shows we're dealing with a strong club that knows how to surprise you. Announcing player names in advance complicates negotiations."
Finally, asked what guarantees he had received from the club's hierarchy, Spalletti spoke about his relationships with the directors he has worked with.
"I've always had a relationship with all the executives and directors I've worked with in my career. With some I've also had different points of view, but with the club I'm not talking about executives, I'm talking about players. These are things that have happened and probably the difficulty when you join mid-season is you don't have much time to build relationships. François Modesto was with me at every moment of the day, director Comolli came to be with us very often.
"For me everything was in order. I know Carnevali and Massara well, I've worked with Massara and I know his level is top-class as a director. I've never worked with Carnevali but the mutual respect has united us for years and lets us have complete trust in each other. They're people defined by their past. I have complete faith that they'll go and put those building blocks in place to complete the areas we need to have a strong squad that lets us have serious ambitions. This aspect, the pitch and the desk, can determine a lot in terms of the quality of our football and our team next season."