Ahead of the Derby d’Italia, Gianluca Zambrotta has shared his thoughts on the “new” Juventus under Igor Tudor, praising the coach and analysing the team’s attacking options and seasonal goals.
On Tudor
Speaking about his former teammate to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Zambrotta was full of admiration:
“Do I like Tudor? Yes, I always have. We shared some great moments and even spent time together off the pitch. He is a wonderful person, and he has always done well. Giving him trust was an excellent choice.”
He continued with emphasis on Tudor’s qualities as a leader:
“He is a great person. He is very transparent, direct, and clear, he says things to your face. The dressing room is with him, he has the right attitude and you can also see it on the pitch, he is present. A coach must be as transparent as possible, open to dialogue and credible.”
On Openda and Zhegrova
Regarding some of the latest signings, the ex-Bianconero was optimistic:
“They are excellent acquisitions. For economic reasons, instead of Kolo Muani they chose Openda. He is younger and did well at Leipzig: he is quick, fast, and versatile because he can play as a second striker. Zhegrova, even though he has been out for about nine months, has quality and will be able to regain form and fit into Tudor’s system. He takes players on, dribbles, creates superiority, but he must get back to 100%.”
On Kalulu on the Right
Zambrotta also commented on the defensive setup and Pierre Kalulu’s role:
“He has been playing there for some time: you cannot expect him to be Cafu or Dani Alves, but he can alternate with Joao Mario. In the 3-4-2-1, the front three are the most important players, but so are the wing-backs: they need to beat their man and run the whole flank. Joao Mario on the right and Cambiaso or Kostic on the left are good solutions. With so many attacking players, you need full-backs with pace to give balance.”
Addressing the issue of Cambiaso’s suspension against Inter, he added:
“Inter have Dimarco and Dumfries on the wings, who push a lot, so at least one player with defensive skills is needed — for example Kalulu on Dimarco, who is sometimes Inter’s most dangerous man. On the other side, Joao Mario could be the right alternative against Dumfries, he played a good match in Genoa.”
Juventus’ Objective and the Scudetto Race
For Zambrotta, the target is clear:
“The objective is to try to win: always. It is in Juventus’ DNA. There may be seasons that go worse, but Juventus must always fight for the Scudetto until the end. The team to beat is Napoli: because of last year, because Conte has stayed, and because of the transfer market.”
Two Strikers and the Trequartista Question
On the tactical flexibility of Tudor possibly fielding a second striker alongside one trequartista, Zambrotta said:
“It could happen, but Tudor has done it only rarely, usually during the match. But with three players who score goals and have done well in recent seasons… Better to have them than not (laughs).”
On Vlahovic
Finally, he gave his view on Dusan Vlahovic:
“I have always liked him. Last year maybe he suffered from being the only striker to rely on. Now perhaps he feels less burdened and is playing more freely: for strikers it’s sometimes enough just to unlock themselves, and then they go on a run of goals. We’ll see in the summer. As for Juventus–Inter? I hope Juventus win!”
