Michele Di GregorioJuventus goalkeeper, gave a long interview to the microphones of Sportitalia during which he discussed various topics, first of all his new life at Juventus and how it has changed this summer: “Everything has certainly changed a bit, from the structures to the way of working, through to the objectives and the pressures It’s a challenge, an experience that, even if a few months have passed, I can define as beautiful.”
In these first months you have had to deal with several absences, but you are at your best in the championship. What moment are you experiencing?
“I believe that, being a very young team and with many new additions (we are the second youngest in the championship) we are on the right path, we work in a certain way, following what the coach tells us. There are many teams ahead in very few points , we are among those; I think that, for now, the balance is positive”.
Do you talk about the Scudetto in the locker room?
“Actually, no. We’re talking about always trying to train well, keeping the level high on a daily basis, watching match by match both in Serie A and in the Champions League. Always trying to give the best possible performance.”
Speaking of the Champions League: what idea do you have about the Juventus dimension?
“Looking at the progress made up to now, we have 7 points. We are halfway through this great ranking of the new format; we are well in the running, as mentioned for the championship”.
How is the feeling growing between you goalkeepers and the Motta staff?
“The more you work together, spend time together, the more you know each other and understand the requests. I think you are seeing an attitude of a very compact team, a very united group that wants to fight on all balls and in all matches to do the best The more time passes, the better things will get.”
Do you think about it every now and then that you defend the goal that was Buffon’s for several years?
“Inevitable. Even before setting foot here at the sports centre, it’s the first thing I thought about. Historically, very strong goalkeepers have come through. Buffon has made the history of this team and this role, he’s certainly beautiful and encourages me a lot.”
You have been compared to Peruzzi. What do you think you have that is similar to him?
“I think it’s a comparison more in terms of characteristics. And perhaps also a little aesthetically, not being too tall and with an important physicality. I’m very pleased, Peruzzi was an incredible goalkeeper.”
We are in the National period. Is aiming for blue also among your ideas?
“I’m very happy for the first call-up because just as as children you dream of playing in Serie A and the Champions League, you also dream of wearing the blue shirt. The first call-up was an objective, just as it will be an objective to be able to get into the group and stay there as long as possible.”
Can you tell us how the opportunity to join Juventus came about and the first emotions you felt?
“So, it turns out that a few days had passed after the championship and my agent, after a chat at the end of the season, told me that there was this possibility and it’s normal that it left me a little taken aback because in any case I knew I had done a good job. season, but then when the interest of a club like Juve materializes, it takes a few days to realize it. It was a very beautiful and strong emotion.”
I would like to talk about your journey: you grew up in the Inter youth sector, you could have aspired to the position of third goalkeeper in the First Team, but instead you made a different choice. You chose to start again from Serie C, to play, to work your way up: I ask you if you would make this choice again, to start from the bottom and how important the adventure at Monza was.
“If I could go back I would make all the choices I made again because they formed me both as a footballer and as a man starting from C where you still come up against very different realities from those you are used to facing in the Youth Sector. So they really train you a lot. And the fact of having followed a path where I always aspired to play, I didn’t care where and in what category, helped me in playing time, in making mistakes and improving myself. So yes, would I do it all again in Monza? with a goal which was to go to Serie A. And having succeeded was exciting both personally and for the whole world. Monza, for the presidency. It was really beautiful and even the two years in Serie A were very difficult, because the impact with Serie A is always different. But we took away some satisfaction, so for me, these are years that I will carry with me forever.”
Considering that the goalkeeper generally has a different relationship with his coach, in the sense that he is more in contact with them, I ask you if there is a coach who you believe has changed your career. And then if there is a save in your career that you remember with more emotion.
“But at the level of trainers I think I was still lucky, to have met trainers who were different from each other, but from whom I was able to extrapolate some details or some different concepts. A bit of everyone. Certainly having trained for two years with Magni he helped me because he came from a big club like Milan and had already worked with goalkeepers like Donnarumma. And he was also a great help to me. The save that comes to mind now that I’m here is Juve -Monza the one about Di Maria.
Tell us your next dream that you want to realize: if you close your eyes and reopen them in June. What do you wish you had achieved?
“Certainly if I had to express a dream I would do it to the fullest and it would be to have won everything. And then afterwards there is reality, there are opponents, there are paths. And therefore it is never easy to win. But this is the my dream: to try to have an important season and help the club, the team, my teammates, to give my best and then try to collect everything that can be collected.”
Who is the most elegant? Who is the most talkative and who is the most reserved? Who is the funniest of the group?
“Locatelli is the most elegant, while Perin is the most talkative and Douglas Luiz the most reserved. As for Gatti, he has the worst taste in music, while Vlahovic is the king of jokes and McKennie the nicest. Danilo is the wisest and most my main point of reference for advice”