20 August 2021
Manuel Locatelli revealed that joining Juventus was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition as he spoke to the media at his official unveiling at Allianz Stadium on Friday. “It's always been my dream to play for Juve, ever since I was a boy,” he said, visibly brimming with pride.
LIFELONG JUVE FAN
“All my family support Juventus – we always have. I'm so excited to be here and doubly so because I'm joining a huge, fantastic club with a winning mentality. Next to my bed at home I have a photo with [Pavel] Nedved, [Alessandro] Del Piero and [Gianluigi] Buffon. [Claudio] Marchisio was another idol of mine and I've spoken to him recently. It would be amazing to follow in his footsteps. I want to slot in straight away. If I'm here, it's because I've deserved it and I'm ready for this next step. Juve was always my priority. Negotiations weren't easy and it got to a point where I was really worried. I'll give my absolute all for this club – that's why I'm here. I don't know if we're favourites for the Scudetto but we certainly want to win it."
POSITION AND TEAM-MATES
“Our midfield will be constantly moving but we still need to practise – I've only had one training session. The boss wants me to play the ball forward quickly and I'm ready to play wherever he wants me. Here I'll get to play with some of the guys from the Italy team. It was strange when I saw them because you could see they had a different mentality to the others. I spent a lot of time chatting to them and they've written to me over the last few weeks. Hugging Giorgio Chiellini felt incredible and so natural. He welcomed me like a younger brother. There are so many world-class players here. When you play against Cristiano Ronaldo and then you find yourself in the same dressing room as him, it's a special feeling. The same goes for [Paulo] Dybala."
ALLEGRI
“I had a few training sessions with [Massimiliano] Allegri at AC Milan a few years back. I remember them well. It's an honour to be coached by someone like him who's won so much. I'm looking forward to learning from him because I still have so much room for improvement.”
GOAL AGAINST JUVE IN 2016
“The goal I scored for AC Milan against Juve in 2016 was an incredible moment which catapulted me into a completely different world. I was very young and I really found it tough after that goal, because the expectations were very high. Fortunately, thanks to Sassuolo, I was able to find my feet again. After that goal, my grandmother, who is a big Juventus fan, said: ‘Well done, Manuel, but [Miralem] Pjanic’s free-kick should have been a goal too!’”
MANCINI AND DE ZERBI
“They’re different coaches. [Roberto] De Zerbi is very focused on the detail and I built up broad technical knowledge thanks to him. [Roberto] Mancini’s biggest strength is the calm he is able to convey to the players. He created a fantastic group with Italy and the Euros were an incredible experience.”
UDINESE V JUVE ON SUNDAY
“I’m not at 100% in terms of my fitness, but I’m ready to play. The coach will make that decision.”
NO.27 JERSEY
“I’ve changed number because this is a new adventure. The No.7 brings me luck so let’s hope it’s a good omen.”
