Juventus manager Igor Tudor has shared his thoughts (as quoted by IlBianconero) ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, reflecting on his journey with the club, the unique atmosphere of the tournament, and the special qualities of rising star Kenan Yildiz.
Speaking to FIFA’s official channels, Tudor described the excitement surrounding Juventus’s participation in the Club World Cup:
“It’s something new, it’s something beautiful. It will definitely be exciting because it’s the first time and there are all those strong teams there. A tournament is always a tournament.”
Reflecting on the spirit of competition, he said:
“It’s a beautiful thing that as kids we loved. When we played tournaments as children, everyone was enthusiastic, everyone wanted to take part to see who was the strongest. Now it’s all the strongest clubs in the world together.”
Tudor also highlighted the anticipation within the squad:
“It’s something particularly beautiful not only to play but also to watch. Yes, we are excited.”
On Juventus’s ambitions, he was clear:
“Everyone expects the maximum. Juventus is a club that always plays to win. We go there to do our best, fighting game after game.”
Tudor spoke passionately about the unifying power of football:
“It’s beautiful because football unites even from that point of view. We all come together to love that toy called the ball. I always say it’s the most beautiful toy ever invented in the history of humanity. The ball unites everyone. On that green rectangle, there are no differences. That’s the beauty of all sports, and especially this one, which is the most famous in the world.”
Discussing the upcoming atmosphere in the United States, Tudor shared:
“Yes, I’ve already been to America a couple of times with the club as a player. It’s a different culture in the sense that every place has its own things to discover, its own beautiful things.”
He expressed confidence in the tournament’s organization and the universal desire to win:
“I’m sure it will be organized with the highest quality, which is important. From that point of view, it’s great, but in the end, everyone wants to win. They go there to win. Everything is fine, but then it’s nice to go there and show yourself, competing with the best.”
Tudor emphasized what makes Juventus special:
“Juventus is special above all for the work culture that has always been the foundation of this club. A club where hierarchy is respected, where there is a great desire for daily sacrifice, resilience… everything. Always giving your best. This is what this winning club represents. Another thing is that so much has been won thanks above all to mentality.”
On his own sense of belonging, Tudor stated:
“I feel I’m in the right place. When people ask me, I’ve been here a month, I answer like this: I feel good, motivated, eager, surrounded by quality people who also care about me, who want to try to do their best. I also feel happy and proud.”
Tudor also revealed his childhood passion for basketball and admiration for Michael Jordan:
“As a child there were the Chicago Bulls, where there was a fellow countryman of mine, Tony Kukoč, and he played together with other greats of that time like Rodman, Pippen, and, I say him last but for me he represents the greatest athlete of all time in all sports, Michael Jordan. He’s not an idol, but he’s always been admired as something above everyone else. He was poetry, a domination I haven’t seen anywhere else in other sports. Basketball is beautiful, it’s fascinating, many play it, everyone.”
On what Jordan represents, Tudor added:
“He’s an idol from that point of view. The ability to confirm yourself, never take anything for granted, to suffer, to sweat, to work to always be stronger than the others. That’s what that player represents. That person above all.”
Tudor spoke about his own drive to win:
“Of course, you play to win, and as a child, you’re born with it in small things, playing with friends. I’ve always had this thing, the desire to win. Then when you move to this side, as a coach, you understand that to win there are other things, many things that need to be done, and that victory must be the consequence of that.”
He also discussed what he looks for in players:
“There’s the mentality of the players you have to choose, the winners, the doers, the hungry ones, those who don’t want to lose even a training match. If you choose those, you’ve already done a good job. You’re already much closer to winning.”
On Kenan Yildiz, Tudor was full of praise:
“He’s very important because he’s one of those players who play in roles that make the difference. That’s what fans like: the goal, the assist. Those players are always more in the spotlight, at the center of attention. There are fewer and fewer like him, a mix of number 10 and number 9. He’s someone who sees the goal and makes you play well. They are rare.”
Highlighting Yildiz’s mentality, Tudor concluded:
“He has a quality that you don’t see from the outside, it’s his mentality. Always being on point, always present in every training session and every exercise without fear and with a personality that… needs to be cultivated, needs to be sought in players. It’s not something you take for granted in the new generations. There’s less and less personality. When you find someone who has that mentality, those qualities, you have to hold on tight to that player.”
