ARRIVAL IN TURIN – “Juve in those years was winning in the Champions League, it was something unreal. It was very special to see Zidane training alone on a pitch with people preparing him. Those are things that have stayed with me from those years. We always carried the goalposts ourselves and also the balls. Now there are 30 people carrying the goalposts and the balls. Different times. Now it’s much more difficult.”
HISTORIC GROUP – “I want to talk about Birindelli, Pessotto, Montero, Ferrara, and Del Piero. Alex would get very angry if we lost even just a practice match. The famous Juventus style. In life, I always do the same thing, I teach through actions and examples. Few words and consistency in not turning a blind eye when someone makes a mistake. Always staying focused in training, the match is the easiest part.”
BREMER’S RECOVERY – “Gleison is hugely important in every way: as a player and as a leader. The dressing room needs him and his charisma. He’s a guy as good as gold, always making himself available. Would he have been a starter with Ferrara and Montero? With a back two, maybe not, but with a back three, yes (smiles, ed.).”
COACHING JUVE – “Wonderful. I played little as a footballer, I retired early due to ankle problems. I’ve always had this feeling of not having given everything I could, and since I started coaching at 31, I dreamed of coaching Juventus, I felt indebted to this club.”
JUVE–INTER – “This match is worth more than three points, it’s easier for me to prepare for these games. Inter is a great team, they have mature players who come with significant experience. We’ll play our cards, we want to go with our strengths and work on their weaknesses. Then we’ll see who’s better.”
TITLE RACE – “It’s obvious that this team can fight to win it. At the start of the season, in a couple of meetings, I talked about the possibility of winning the championship and the objectives, then I close the door and don’t talk about it anymore for the whole season. I only talk about concrete things because talking about goals is useless, you have to achieve them, not talk about them.”
VLAHOVIC – “His is a very particular situation with his contract expiring. It will do him a lot of good, he’s 25, he’s still developing as a person. His best years are ahead of him, he’s halfway through his career. A strong player, his growth has been important, and he did it on his own, he found the strength to stay focused and on point in a very difficult moment. I try to give him love when he needs love, and when he needs a stick, I give him a stick.”
YILDIZ – “The other day I was talking with them, and I noticed that I never say anything to Yildiz in front of the others because he always does everything he’s supposed to do. We rarely say anything to him, both in terms of his play and his behavior. The difference is that inner motivation one has to succeed and to do, which must be there every day. Yildiz is showing he has it, and I hope he continues like this. He has all the attributes to become truly top.”
A PLAYER IN TODAY’S JUVE – “Zidane. Zizou is football.”