Former Juventus midfielder Angelo Di Livio, speaking to Il Bianconero during an appearance on Tiki Tacco, reflected on the club’s current situation and his memories of the past, urging Juventus to rediscover its ruthless edge.
Memories of the Lippi era
Di Livio reminisced about his early experiences in Turin, recalling the competitive but united atmosphere under Marcello Lippi.
“He was just a kid when he arrived, but you could already see he was going to be extraordinary,” he said, referring to one of his former teammates. “In that Juventus, we were all perfect from the first to the last. There was competition, but also great friendship. I have fantastic memories — he and Del Piero were a real handful. They never slept, always playing PlayStation. I shared a room with Del Piero, and he’d always come to our room saying, ‘Grandpa, you go to sleep, we’ll take care of the rest.’”
Reflecting on that era, Di Livio added: “Marcello Lippi was a phenomenon. He had intuition and made bold choices. He was smart and a bit lucky, surrounded by real players who fought against everyone. Today, unfortunately, I don’t think Juventus are truly competitive yet. Watching them against Milan, I didn’t see that hunger to win. It wasn’t a terrible performance, but Milan deserved more at one point. Juventus must become more convinced in what they do.”
What is missing today
Turning to Igor Tudor’s current side, Di Livio believes some players still don’t grasp the meaning of wearing the Juventus shirt.
“Tudor knows the club,” he said. “But I think some players haven’t understood where they are, and I even see fear. Some have been paid huge sums — like Koopmeiners, who looks like the twin brother of the one we saw at Atalanta. David and Openda still need to grow. There are things to fix, and I hope Igor can get his hands on them. Personally, I’d have played Vlahović. The draw against Milan was a point earned, but that winning mentality is still missing — and that’s surprising.”
The weight of the shirt
Speaking from experience, Di Livio underlined what it means to wear black and white.
“You can’t deny it — the Juventus shirt is heavy,” he said. “I came from Serie B, Alessio from Atalanta — the impact is there. It’s a club where nothing’s missing, but if you’re Juventus level, you must prove it. We’ve been waiting a year for Koopmeiners. What kind of player are you? At what level? Players have categories. The pressure can weigh on you, but you have to prove yourself. You’re still carrying last year’s transfer market on your back, and that’s tough.”
On Koopmeiners
“When you’re criticised, you have to show character,” Di Livio continued. “He doesn’t seem to have the strength to react, and that worries me. At Bergamo he was a wonderful player — I was delighted they signed him. But right now, he doesn’t belong in the starting eleven. If he doesn’t understand that he has to fight to win his place, then he’s not a starter, he’s just an alternative.”
“Juventus can’t have transition years”
The former winger was clear about the club’s identity: “Alessio is right to be angry. Juventus can’t have transition years — maybe just one, and that’s it. Juventus must go back to being hated by everyone. I still have a bit of faith in this squad. They just need to free their minds and be a bit bolder.”
The importance of Bremer
Finally, Di Livio pointed to the defensive leader as a key figure for Tudor’s plans. “The most important thing right now is to recover Bremer. Bremer is the defence. I think Tudor will stick with a back three and move Kalulu deeper.”
