Gleison Bremer reflected on his time with Juventus so far and their Europa League ambitions ahead of their play-off match with FC Nantes.
The Bianconeri dropped down to the second tier of European competition after a disastrous Champions League campaign that saw them finish third in a group containing Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and Maccabi Haifa.
Juventus’ Champions League group stage outings saw a number of lowlights, picking up just one win and losing their other five games.
Speaking in a press conference, Bremer first discussed Juventus’ goals for the Europa League this season.
“It’s an important competition, we have to get to the top but one game at a time. It starts tomorrow. We are a good team, a good group, we had a few matches not up to scratch, but we won eight games in a row in the league. The team is there.”
He reflected on his first half-season with the Bianconeri following his move from Torino last summer.
“Positive: I had a few matches that weren’t up to scratch, but I found myself, I’ve grown and next year will be important.
“My negative matches? I’m not looking for excuses. I did badly, with Monza and Napoli I wasn’t up to the mark.
“Five years ago, nobody knew me, last year I won the title of best defender. Resilience, that’s my secret, I look ahead.”
He was asked why he called next year important for himself and Juventus.
“They gave us a 15-point deduction, we don’t know if that’ll stay or not.
“We have to finish the season and think about the next one, the expectations will be different starting from scratch.”
The Brazilian defender touched on the club’s defensive stability this season.
“The defensive phase comes from the forwards but the whole team is doing well and we have to continue like this.”
He was asked if the Europa League could give Juventus a route back to the Champions League.
“We have to give our best and look at every match as a final and then see what happens.”
Finally, Bremer discussed what he knows about the upcoming opponents Nantes.
“They’re a tidy team that plays the ball well, very French. We must be well, up front we have quality to score goals.”