[ad_1]
CLAIREFONTAINE – These days the national teams of Europe are meeting to prepare the sides of League of Nations. Among these, in addition to the selection of Roberto Mancini, there is also the France of Didier Deschamps, who has reconvened Adrein Rabiot after the frictions that preceded the World Cup won in 2018. The midfielder of the Juventus answered questions from journalists from Clairefotnaine’s retreat and spoke of his arrival in Turin, his thoughts on Pirlo and about Italian soccer.
Have you changed since you left Paris?
“I have necessarily evolved. Two years in football today is ten years out. Between my years in Paris and those in Turin, I have changed a lot as a footballer. It’s very different. A different football, another language, another life. And as a man it is the same. When we start from a place where we feel good, with some comfort, this changes us and allows us to evolve. I’ve been through a lot in my life, not necessarily always very beautiful. Made me grow“.
The results of his first season at Juve?
“I am happy with my season. It did not necessarily start well, it came from a fairly long period of inactivity, it was difficult to get into the locker room. It has improved and it has also gone very well. It is a positive thing. That is what I remember. Instead of starting well and ending badly, I was able to fight, not let go, move on and get what I wanted. It also allows me to return to France, so this season I judge it well“.
How did you get to Juve?
“I had to fight, I am a very optimistic person who loves competition. From the moment I managed to find my place in Turin, I tried to keep it, not give up. I was playing with France in mind, this gave me a boost“.
Your role preferences?
“This too has often been misinterpreted, inflated or amplified. Like many players, I have been trained for a position, left midfielder, that’s where I feel best. Of course I can move on to other positions. It is good to clarify. It is not a refusal to move from one position to another. This is not the case at all. This is where I can best express myself, put my qualities at the service of the collective. So I can evolve anywhere and do it well. “
Pirlo, his new coach at Juve
“I’ve only been working with this coach for a week, but I think it will be very different because he has evolved with Juve as a player and his squad is made up of former players. He is a young squad, different from Sarri, perhaps closer to that. Who is the team? Juve and what are they looking for. I hope it works. He is a former great midfielder, it is important to me. In the principles of the game that he wants to implement, I’m fine, this can help me. For a midfielder like me, with a coach like Pirlo, it’s practically the best. “
His relationship with the media after his departure from Paris
“Life away from the media is calmer. But it is part of the environment, of everyday life, that’s all. For a while I was able to ignore it. Sometimes, even very often, they won’t let me go. But now I take it more calmly. I am not a person who talks a lot. There are also some positives, which is also good. It should be balanced. “
Serie A superior to Ligue 1?
“I would say yes. There are more teams in Serie A that are more difficult to play for than in Ligue 1. In France there are more talented players who can make a difference for themselves. The hardest thing about Serie A is the pace, the intensity, the tactics. The teams are very careful, everything is very tactical. The intensity of work during the week is also different. I think this is the case in all Italian clubs.“.
On PSG defeated in the Champions League final
“Of course he was cheering for PSG. Even with what might have happened, my Parisian heart and the fact that I grew up in the club made me cheer for Paris. Obviously some of them let me down, especially Kimpembe. He’s a friend and he deserved it. There was also Coman on the other side who I know well. I was also very happy for him. I was a PSG fan and was disappointed for some and happy for others too.“.
About Ancelotti
“At first Carlo Ancelotti brought me to the first team. I was only with him for six months because then I was transferred to Toulouse and he left at the end of the season. It has been an important six months. He was a good coach to start with, to get to this team. Talk and exchange a lot. When you are young it is important to join a team like the one that started to grow well with excellent players. I had a good relationship with Ancelotti, he helped me a lot. We learn from all coaches, both tactically and humanly.“.
On his relationship with Matuidi in Turin
“We talked a lot, he helped me fit in and gave me a lot of little advice on so many things. She had some experience. He was an important person“.
On closed-door football
“Finding motivation is sometimes very difficult. The audience is really important. In the Champions League second leg against Lyon at home, we were 2-1 at one point. If there had been fans to pressure us, I honestly think we would have come third and qualified. The fans allow us to motivate ourselves and destabilize the rival. Without them it feels like training“.
His return to the national team and with Deschamps
“I am very happy to be back in retirement with the team. Even with Didier Deschamps things are going very well. We had the opportunity to discuss, to talk a little about what happened in 2018, but also about this match and a little bit about Juventus.. “
Did you believe in a comeback in blue?
“Yes. I’m not going to say no. What happened is what happened. I know the manager didn’t get stuck on that kind of thing. It is primarily concerned with performance. Follow the players. I’ve had some pretty tough times in the last few months. Obviously, it was no excuse to return to France. But as long as I can play again and regain my level, why not? “
Can you tell us something about the meeting with the coach?
“I’d rather keep it to myself. It is a discussion between coach and player, between men, with four eyes. It’s better that way. I don’t think there was a dark period with the coach. The question can be linked to the letter (sent to justify his refusal to be reserve, ed). We discussed it with the coach. There has never been any insult or aggression against him. He knows it well. A difficult moment with the coach? That is not what I would say. There were no problems with the manager.“
There are no excuses to make then
“Nothing happened between the coach and me, nothing personal. There is nothing that he took for harm, neither against himself, nor against the president of the Federation. It was nothing personal, nor against other players present. It sounds a bit familiar to me. I miss when I hear “Are you going to apologize?”
How did you experience the 2018 World Cup?
“I was happy, as I already told the coach. I don’t have a grudge or anything. On the contrary, I followed France and I am happy with this victory.“.
Your goals with France
“I hope good things. I hope the coach will allow me to play again, which is the most important thing. To be able to show myself and affirm myself in this team. I got there early enough. I did not perform in the best possible way. Above all, this is the goal. I am in a good mood, I am very happy, with the people I know, in a place that I also know. The European is far enough away. My goal, of course, is not to be a substitute, but among the 23 summoned. We’ll see later“.
Competence in your role
“There was already competition. There have been some excellent players in France for several years. I would not say that we have gotten worse, it has improved. You have to improve yourself and measure up to earn a place on this team“.
[ad_2]
