Giorgio Chiellini insists it’s not just the ‘BBC’ which makes Juventus’ strong – “if we don’t concede many goals, it’s a collective success”.
The Bianconeri have played with both a back-three and a back-four this season, with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli joining Chiello to make up the ‘BBC’.
“The number of goals conceded is relative,” Chiellini explained to France Football.
Giorgio Chiellini insists it’s not just the ‘BBC’ which makes Juventus’ strong – “if we don’t concede many goals, it’s a collective success”.
The Bianconeri have played with both a back-three and a back-four this season, with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli joining Chiello to make up the ‘BBC’.
“The number of goals conceded is relative,” Chiellini explained to France Football.
“Sometimes we’ve had luck. Against Lyon for example, we could have conceded one or two more goals. It comes down to a few centimetres.
“What’s certain is that Juve have managed to evolve in a very compact way, remaining very balanced and very solid.
“Obviously at the back we’ve been playing together for years, for our club and for the national team. There’s a symbiosis between us.
“It’s not just limited to two or three defenders and a goalkeeper though, there’s a symbiosis with the whole team.
“The efforts of each player makes it possible to reduce the gap between each position, to be more compact.
“We have crazy work rate on the flanks, both offensive and defensively, and midfielders who guarantee the balance of our team.
“If we don’t concede many goals, it’s a collective success.”
Chiellini is seen as a warrior on the pitch, is it a label he likes?
“It’s true that compared to some more technical players, who act on instinct, I’m less fluid, less ‘clean’.
“It’s also clear that I stand out more by winning challenges than I do in my overtures. The main thing though is what I bring to the team, my usefulness in the collective, more than any aesthetic considerations.
“Off the pitch I’m a quiet, calm, well-balanced person who hardly ever gets worked-up. On the pitch though I’ve always been a battler.
“Over time though I’ve sought to temper myself, to remain as calm as possible, to be less impetuous. If you can’t channel your energy you’ll commit mistakes.
“You need to find the right dosage to tame the ‘machine’ in all circumstances.
“I play because of a passion I feel very strongly every day. I work to improve myself every day that I go to the training ground.
“That means I also behave accordingly off the pitch, be that in terms of eating or sleeping. You can’t neglect anything.
“The more you advance, the more you approach things 360 degrees.”
Click here for parts one and three of Giorgio Chiellini's France Football interview.