The post-match mixed zone at the Stirpe Stadium on Sunday evening was, by any measure, a warm and characteristically candid place. Three of Juventus’s most prominent contributors in the 1-0 win over Frosinone — Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, and Francisco Conceição — spoke to DAZN and the assembled media with the kind of lightness that only a winning start to a new season can produce, combined with the honesty that these three particular players have made their professional hallmark.
Kalulu: “We Could Have Had Many Goals — Ask Me About the Fanta at Matchday Ten”
Kalulu was the most animated of the three, arriving at the microphone still carrying the energy of a performance in which he hit the post, dominated his flank alongside Conceição, and looked entirely at ease in the new Juventus structure Spalletti has built around him.
“Could it have ended differently with their crossbar in the final minutes? It could also have ended with many goals on our side — I could have scored in the first half too. A good match from us today. Their supporters wanted a big performance in front of their own fans, but we start again from this victory. The first game of the season is always tough.”
On the right flank becoming a genuine threat alongside Conceição: “If I am honest, last year too we had the desire to show that we on the right could also cause problems for opponents. Now we know each other better and we can do a great deal. It is true that the manager helps me, pushes me enormously to leave my comfort zone — and I end up becoming a more complete player. I am very happy.”
And on the Fanta — the Italian fantasy football game that has made Kalulu one of the pre-season’s most discussed selection choices: “The fantasy managers are relying on me? How many goals and assists will I get? I’ll keep my prediction to myself — I’ll tell you at matchday ten!”
Bremer: “I Can Score Many Goals — but Defending Well Comes First”
The man who headed Juventus to their three points spoke with the grounded, forward-looking honesty that characterises every post-match interview he gives. “I am happy for the goal I scored. It is only the beginning of the season — we could have closed the game out in the first half, and that is what was missing from last season. There is a great deal of work still to do.”
On Kolo Muani’s return as a permanent teammate: “Now that Kolo Muani has arrived — he is an exceptional person — we can improve together.” On his own goal-scoring ambitions: “It is one of my qualities, I always work on it. After a difficult year — a full year away from competitive football through injury — I am happy to help the team. In a tight game like this it is important to exploit set pieces. As for the fantasy managers — I can score many goals. But the important thing is to defend well. Before the goals, I need to return to my best defensive levels.”
In the press room, he reinforced the point he has made throughout the summer: “Not conceding goals — that is not a coincidence. We are satisfied with our defensive record. The work of the midfielders helps us enormously.”
Conceição: “The Important Thing Was to Win — We Have Many Solutions”
The author of the decisive assist — a cross that picked out Bremer perfectly at the far post — was equally direct in his assessment of the performance and the squad’s attacking options. “What Bremer said is right. We controlled the match and could have scored two, three, or four goals but we didn’t manage it. The important thing was to win — and we did. The attacking combination? We have many solutions and that is good because it makes the team more competitive. We are working to improve compared to last season, and having many options will help us.”
Kalulu’s Final Word: “Not a Coincidence — They All Surprised Me”
Back in the press room, Kalulu delivered the quote of the night. Asked whether any new arrival had surprised him above the others, he navigated the diplomatic minefield with a smile: “If I name one, it means the others haven’t surprised me and they’re just so-so. They have all been brilliant.” A diplomatic masterclass — and, from a defender who hit the post in the opening game of the season, the kind of relaxed confidence that bodes well for the nine months ahead.
