In an exclusive interview with Tuttosport, Padova sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli says Hakan Çalhanoğlu would be a “clamorous” signing for Juventus, who are among the clubs watching as the Inter man’s renewal talks have stalled.
A “Blasphemous” Hunch
It was the summer of 2017, defined by Milan’s catchphrase about moving on to “the formal things”. Among the signings stood out Çalhanoğlu, taken from Leverkusen for €23.3m. He had no clear role and hadn’t played for a year because of a suspension. Yet Mirabelli decided to back him, against everyone. Ten years on from that winning deal, which Juventus now hope to emulate, Mirabelli is enjoying his Padova, where he is sporting director and head of the technical area.
Why Padova, and Why Serie C
Asked how much of his DNA is in Padova, he says: “A lot: I feel it as my creature in every respect.” He says he managed to bring everything he earned in the past into the adventure. “People, unfortunately, only remember my years at Milan, my time at Inter as a scout, the year at Sunderland in the Premier League… But the truth is that I started from the bottom.” He rose through the lower leagues to Serie B, “the only league I’ve never won”, and hopes to do it at Padova: “It would close the circle.”
He chose Serie C “because of the complexity of the mission”. He knew returning to B would be hard, with Triestina and Vicenza having invested far more, but “thanks to the excellent work of my collaborators and the environment” Padova won the league against expectations and secured an important survival the following year, with ownership passing to the Banzato family. He calls it a privilege to work with a solid, ambitious Paduan family at a time of more funds and foreign owners, and says the aim is promotion to Serie A within three years.
Asked whether it is revenge for what happened at Milan, he says no: the spell in Milan was short because of the change of ownership and left a bitter taste because they weren’t allowed to complete a long-term project. “Rome wasn’t built in a day…”
The Çalhanoğlu Bet
Of his many deals at Milan, the one he is still proudest of is Çalhanoğlu: “Without any doubt, the most beautiful and winning bet of my career. We’re talking about what, for me, remains the most complete midfielder in Europe. He has incredible, out-of-the-ordinary qualities.”
He began following him while working at Inter. They couldn’t get him from Leverkusen because of a legal case over a double registration as a minor, which cost him a suspension. That is why he calls it a bet: he wanted him at Milan at all costs although he hadn’t played for a year and was effectively off the radar. “I was criticised enormously. But, I repeat, I was convinced I had a boy of enormous potential in my hands.”
The biggest debate concerned his role. They spent hours with Montella and later Gattuso working out where he could play best. At Leverkusen he had played everywhere: as a central midfielder, a number 10 and a wide player. At first he was used on the left, on his weaker foot, so he could cut inside and shoot. “But for me it was clear he had all the requirements to become a great playmaker. When I suggested it to the right people, they called me mad…”
Asked about the uneven years that followed, before Milan let him go on a free to Inter, he says: “Don’t make me think about it… Unspeakable, unbelievable.”
“Carnevali, Take Him Straight Away”
With Inter’s renewal talks apparently at a dead end and Juventus among the clubs watching, would a signing like that transform the Bianconeri’s midfield? “Absolutely yes, I’m convinced. To my friend Carnevali, with whom Juve are in excellent hands, I’d say take him immediately, without thinking for a second. It would be a clamorous deal for Juve and for Çalhanoğlu himself. The Bianconeri lack a player with his characteristics.”
Some would balk at a player turning 33 in January. Mirabelli disagrees: “With the qualities he has he can play and keep making a difference until 40. As the years pass he gains more and more awareness.”
On Spalletti and This Juventus
On Juventus’s season: “There are several shortcomings, but you certainly can’t point the finger at Spalletti, who is a great coach. One for Juve. I don’t know if the same can be said of the players he coaches. I believe no coach would do better than him with these players. Not even Guardiola, who is the best around. If Luciano manages to finish fourth, it will be a miracle.”
He says the team lacks profiles worthy of Juventus’s history. Çalhanoğlu would be “a crucial addition. The first piece of the puzzle. Then, though, the others would have to be added…”
Strikers, Stars and a Defence Under Strain
The need extends to a left-back and the physical striker Spalletti has demanded all summer. Choosing between Sørloth, Balogun and Scamacca, he picks “the Azzurro”, Scamacca: “an important player who, in my opinion, hasn’t yet expressed his full potential.” But one signing won’t be enough: “Juventus must start bringing in talents of a certain type again. They got us used to dominating the league and now they struggle to qualify for the Champions League. What are we even talking about?!”
If he returned to a big Italian club, the Juventus player he would take from Spalletti is Kenan Yildiz: “A fantastic player, one for Juve.” Or Locatelli, who “on his return from injury will be among the pillars of the new Italy of Mancini. Manuel, in the right context, is a top player. His qualities can’t be argued with.” Whether he is a playmaker or a central midfielder: “He can do both. It depends on the profiles he shares midfield with. In a three with Calha and McKennie, to be clear, I’d see him as a central midfielder.”
On Bremer and Alajbegović: Bremer is a Juve player, “but he certainly can’t shoulder all the defence’s duties alone. The BBC worked as a whole. But I think even a Barzagli or a Chiellini would struggle in this Juve.” Of the Bosnian: “I like him a lot, he has talent and can become a Juve player. At the moment he isn’t yet.”
