Manuel Locatelli gives an interview for himself |Juventus-fr.com
During the interview with the microphone of La Province, Manuel Locatelli talked about his football life. He noticeably returned to his love for Juventus, and even the coaches who helped him. Check out some of his statements in this article.
His love for Juventus since childhood:
« Anyone who knows me knows that I was born Juventino, like the rest of my family, and I remember telling my agent that one day I should become a Juventus player. Posters of Juventus players from that era still hang on the walls of your room in Galbiate. »
His favorite players?
« Above all, Del Piero. A genius. And Nedved too, so much so that I showed him these photos when I moved to Turin to become black and white. »
Today he plays against Juventus:
« It is a responsibility because I know I have potential and I know what society thinks of me. So it’s a continuous demonstration and I hope I’m on the right track. I was lucky, and I will always tell my children, that I played my first game for Juventus when Cristiano Ronaldo was last in black and white. Against Udinese. And then I faced Messi… These two are something different from everyone else. They have nothing to do with football. I am happy that I was on the field during their time. »
What is he like as a player?
« Good question… Do I sound technical? Conjunction that can be flexible. I’m not young anymore, but I’m not too old either. I have matured so much now. I was lucky enough to start playing at a high level very early on, so now I’ve gained experience that is definitely benefiting me. »
Coaches who helped him:
« Brocchi is the one who started me and it is so in my heart. With Montello I found continuity, with Gattuso I started to play a little, but there were a lot of flaws on my part. Among other things, he is a coach who knows how to get everything out of a player. I liked De Zerbi the most, which changed my life. As for Allegri, I respect him for the victories he has achieved in his career. But he’s my current coach and I can’t make him angry anymore. That wouldn’t be right. »
Critics:
« There was a time when I could no longer express myself at a high level. And it was in those moments that the teachings I received helped me, head over heels, not to end up in a meat grinder. After all, football is like that, on Sunday you do well and you are the strongest of all, on Sunday you do poorly and they break through. And then you have to know how to maintain balance. That’s a secret, for which I thank mom and dad. »
He thanks Robert De Zerbi:
« Everyone contributed, but if I hadn’t met De Zerbi on the way, I wouldn’t be at Juve now. At Sassuolo they said I was incomplete and I knew I had to become a different type of player to change the opinion of the critics. I had ups and downs with him, even fierce fights, but he always knew how to stimulate me. I believe that our special relationship goes beyond football. I owe him Juventus, as mentioned, but also the national team. I won the European Championship playing in Sassuolo, which is a circumstance I would not ignore. »
