Juventus director Gianluca Pessotto spoke to Radio Sportiva about the current state of the club, its future ambitions, and the progress under manager Luciano Spalletti. During the interview, he also shared his thoughts on young star Kenan Yildiz and drew a comparison with Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero.
“We want to return to winning in Italy and in Europe,” Pessotto declared. “That’s our ambition and the daily goal of everyone working at the club. Given our DNA, history and quality, we will succeed in becoming protagonists again, just as we were in the past.”
Reflecting on Juventus’ historic run of nine consecutive league titles, Pessotto recalled the emotions surrounding their first triumph of that cycle. “It was the moment that changed our history and started a winning era. It was an incredible emotion because no one expected such a long series of victories. The beauty of our stadium and its atmosphere provided the prelude to something truly special.”
On Spalletti and Juventus’ Development
When asked about Luciano Spalletti’s impact, Pessotto urged patience and highlighted the challenges of modern football schedules: “Time is needed to work. With so many matches, daily training becomes more complicated because players need to recover. Every minute is important, and patience is essential. The coach has great qualities — it’s a matter of time — but it’s clear the team must continue to grow in ambition. Time will tell if we’re on the right path. I’m confident; every experience teaches us something about where we want to go. We’re still in an intermediate phase, but the signs are positive.”
On Yildiz and the Comparison to Del Piero
Pessotto praised Juventus’ youth development programme, celebrating the rise of several promising players: “The work done with young players has been incredible. We’ve seen several come through to the first team with a complete and linear path. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved — Yildiz is the jewel in the crown, but there are many others like Miretti, Savona and Huijsen. Even when their path continues elsewhere, it remains a source of pride for everyone.”
When asked about Kenan Yildiz being compared to Del Piero, Pessotto was thoughtful yet cautious. “Comparisons are always difficult. When I arrived at Juventus I was 25, and Alex was 21. What they have in common is their mentality — something we noticed from the start. Yildiz immediately had the goal of becoming an important player, just as Alex did. Mentally, he was a killer. That’s what all players should do: work every day to become better.”
