TMW
Andrea Cambiaso, left back of the Juventusspoke to our microphones from Juventus’ retreat in Germany in Herzogenaurach at the Adidas HQ. TUTTOmercatoWEB.com brings you the full interview of the Juventus player.
Your first feelings about your return to Juventus after the European Championship?
“I’m back from vacation, these 20 days, I’m very happy to be here, to return to this incredible company. Physically I’m fine, come on, fine!”.
Can you introduce us to Thiago Motta?
“A coach with a great mentality, a great desire to work, and very demanding. And so he does very well. We are a relatively young team. He can help us a lot.”
Have you already talked about your position on the field?
“I’m lucky, I’m quite versatile. In different positions. These days he’s using me more as a left back. We’ll see about that, during the year there are different complications, injuries, we’ll see…”
Did you find Thiago Motta different?
“I’ve always seen him motivated, ever since his time at Bologna. Thiago is the same in terms of mentality, he’s someone who is very demanding. I repeat: great mentality, great focus in training and this is only a positive thing, that’s it.”
Goal: Scudetto?
“Well, we’ll see. In the sense that the club also said several days ago that the minimum objective is the Champions League. And I would say that the objective is that. Then we’ll see. He certainly has a great mentality. He wants to face every match, starting with the friendlies, in the best possible way. And that must be our mentality. Face every match, then we’ll see”.
How did you see the new arrivals?
“They are guys who are very, how can I say, very predisposed to training. That’s the main thing, that’s it. All the guys, starting from Thuram to Adzic, who is younger, are guys who have a great desire to improve. That’s the best aspect. Guys who are hungry. I saw a great approach.”
Can you be Juve’s Calafiori?
“Let’s say that then it’s all a question of seeing the free spaces, that’s it. It’s not that I’m the only one who can do it. There are several players who can do it. The coach asks for this from all the players. I don’t know if I can be that, that’s it. I’ll certainly make myself useful.”
What kind of team will this Juve be?
“I don’t know. For sure, I repeat: we will have to face every match with the right nastiness, with the right desire. The right mentality, that’s it. Then from there to say in one, two, three, four months… it’s difficult to say. For sure it will be a team that will give it their all, I have no doubts about that”.
Do you feel like a leader of this Juve?
“I feel it every day that I come to the pitch and in training since last year. Last year I grew a lot mentally, I want to feel responsible, because responsibility makes you grow in self-esteem and desire to play, that’s it. So yes, absolutely, I have to say that I’m feeling this. And I want to have the responsibility, the pressure on me. I think I can give my best in these situations”.
Anyone you’ve said to these days: ‘this is cool!’?
“Yes, they are all strong guys, then I won’t tell you the ‘who’. Otherwise you’ll make headlines… And that’s not the case. But certainly also the guys, let’s say the old ones in quotation marks, I saw them very well. I quote Miretti: he is a player who for me has great qualities and this year I saw him very well, also because in the summer he trained a lot, he showed up in excellent conditions”.
Has anything changed in these first training sessions?
“We are always the same, in the sense that Juve is the club that moves forward. The coaches and players change, but Juventus and the club moves forward on its own path. It is always Juventus that will try to win every match.”
Was it difficult to turn down the Premier League?
“No, it was absolutely not a difficult choice. I renewed before the European Championship and I am the happiest man in the world. It was absolutely not difficult.”
Juve better than the Premier League?
“Today I can tell you that Juve is better.”
Have you overcome the disappointment of the European Championship?
“It was definitely not a very positive experience, let’s say. Because these are competitions that happen to you only a few times in your life. It was bad to go out like that, but that’s already in the past. I will definitely work much harder than before to try to play with that shirt again. It’s one of the most beautiful things in football. Let’s move on, it’s already in the past. We can move on”.
Do you have any personal goals for this season?
“My personal goal is to do well in every match. Last year I was able to make a decent contribution in terms of goals and assists. I can still give a lot. I don’t set goals for myself because, let’s say, I don’t need them. My goal is to improve every day, to try to give my best.”
How do you feel about playing in a 4-man defense?
“Do you like it, given that last year we played differently? Yes, yes, of course. Already two years ago with Thiago in Bologna we played with four. It changes something from a tactical point of view, in terms of balance. But let’s say that I’m lucky enough to have played both with a 4 and a 5. It doesn’t change much for me personally”.