Gleison Bremer has taken on the captaincy of Juventus in the most difficult of circumstances — and on the eve of the club’s European season opener against NEC Nijmegen, he spoke to UEFA’s official channels with the depth and honesty that is becoming one of the defining characteristics of his tenure in the role.
“Scirea Was Legendary — I Want to Leave My Own Sign”
The opening reflection concerned the extraordinary lineage of defenders who have worn the Juventus shirt before him — and the weight of a legacy that could crush a less grounded personality. “Many defenders have made history here, leaving their mark at a generational level. I think above all of a player like Gaetano Scirea — a legendary defender for this club and for the national team. Obviously, it would be very difficult for me to compare myself to them, because the pressure is enormous. But I hope to manage to leave my mark. It is impossible to make comparisons — but I want to leave my own sign, and I will always give everything on the pitch so that I can be remembered in the history of Juventus.”
“I Am a Very Aggressive Defender — Spalletti Has Given Us a Direction”
On his own technical identity and the influence of the manager: “I am a very aggressive defender. I use my physical strength — which is one of my qualities — as well as my speed. I am also good in the air. I always try to play in a way that allows me to distinguish myself. These are some of my main characteristics, but there are others on which I am working a great deal with our manager, Luciano Spalletti, and where I can still improve. He has given us a direction — a path to follow. We have grown a great deal with him. He is a manager of the very highest level, a champion, and he is helping us day by day to reach our objectives.”
“The Europa League Is Enormously Prestigious — We Want to Go As Far As Possible. Who Knows — Maybe Even Win It”
The European dimension received the most ambitious treatment. “I played this competition with Torino, several years ago now. It is a truly difficult tournament — we faced Wolverhampton in the playoffs, they were a great side that had just been promoted to the Premier League, and unfortunately we were eliminated. With Juventus, we reached the semi-finals — unfortunately we did not manage to reach the final and have the opportunity to lift the trophy. The Europa League is a great competition, very prestigious. We want to go as far as possible. And if we manage to push all the way to the end — who knows: perhaps we could also win it.”
“Aristotle and Sun Tzu Got Me Through the Cruciate — Philosophy Gave Me Serenity”
The most personal passage of the interview revealed a dimension of Bremer’s recovery from his 2024 cruciate ligament rupture that had not previously been made public. “After the injury, reading gave me greater serenity and helped me face that period — I managed to disconnect from football, and philosophy comforted me a great deal. There are some quotes from Aristotle that I particularly like, as well as The Art of War by Sun Tzu. These were readings that gave me serenity — they helped me enjoy life and understand that life is not made only of football. There is my family. There are many other things to think about. All of this allowed me to face life with greater calm.”
