Leonardo Bonucci believes that Juventus deserve to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season.
The 34-year-old Italian defender is one of the nominees for the Best Defender award at the Globe Soccer Awards this year, following his strong performances for Italy in their successful Euro 2020 campaign in the summer.
Speaking on the sidelines of Globe Soccer Awards, Bonucci looked ahead to the upcoming challenges in 2022, saying ‘with the European Championship victory we became legends, but now we have to qualify for the World Cup. And with the Bianconeri we have to get into the top eight in Europe.’
The Italian centre back is prepared for a tough start to next year, highlighting ‘with Juve we have a very demanding January, then there will be the Champions League Round of 16.
‘Juventus deserve to be in the quarter-finals in Europe, so we have to move forward. As far as Italy is concerned, after a great 2021, we have to achieve our objective of qualifying for the World Cup in March.’
Finally, Bonucci commented on his favourite moment of 2021, with the choice being relatively obvious. ‘Without a doubt the final at Wembley, the most beautiful moment of 2021. That match allowed us to become legends for the Italian national team and allowed the whole country to celebrate. It was something unforgettable, but we must not live in the past, but learn from it to build a great future.’
The first round of Juventus’ Champions League clash against Villarreal will take place in Spain on February 22, with the return leg coming in Turin on March 16.
The 34-year-old Bonucci, who is contracted to the Bianconeri until 2024, has made 21 appearances across all competitions so far this season, for a total of 1885 minutes. In that time, he has scored three goals and helped the side keep eight clean sheets.