Juventus new boy Mattia Caldara reveals Mario Mandzukic is ‘the toughest player I’ve marked’, while his ‘most impressive opponent’ was Douglas Costa.
In the second and final part of his Juve unveiling on Friday, Caldara also heaped praise on his family and Atalanta Coach Gian Piero Gasperini, claiming he ‘wouldn’t be here’ without them.
Juventus new boy Mattia Caldara reveals Mario Mandzukic is ‘the toughest player I’ve marked’, while his ‘most impressive opponent’ was Douglas Costa.
In the second and final part of his Juve unveiling on Friday, Caldara also heaped praise on his family and Atalanta Coach Gian Piero Gasperini, claiming he ‘wouldn’t be here’ without them.
“The objective is to play as much as possible. I’m aware that it’ll be complicated, but I’ll try to play for my chances and show I’m worthy of this jersey,” he continued at his official unveiling.
“Family? Without them I wouldn’t be here. I’ve always been close to them during times of difficulty, so I thank them, as well as my girlfriend, who is always close to me.
“I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who love me. Gasperini? He gave me so much in these two years, he told me not to be afraid and to show my qualities.
“I’ll always be indebted to him. Without him I wouldn’t be here because he extracted from me something me that I didn’t even think I had.
“The toughest player I’ve marked? It’s always been Mandzukic in terms of physicality and character.
“Ronaldo? It’s better that I don’t have to think about marking him! Thank goodness he’s my teammate…
“Allegri? I understood him immediately because he’s won so much. He knows how to manage great players, he knows when to have a joke and when to be strict.
“We haven’t said much until now, but he also agreed with my arrival. Most impressive opponent? Douglas Costa.
“He always gets past at least two players, he’s phenomenal. I lived those games [against Juve] with even more motivation because I wanted to show that I was good enough for them.”