Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini admits “love and respect” for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, but doesn’t want to fuel transfer rumours.
The Frenchman will face his former teammates for the first time at Old Trafford tomorrow night, and the midfielder has been linked with a return to Turin.
“I’m sorry that everything we say about the lad is filtered through the lens of the transfer market,” Chiellini told Sky.
Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini admits “love and respect” for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, but doesn’t want to fuel transfer rumours.
The Frenchman will face his former teammates for the first time at Old Trafford tomorrow night, and the midfielder has been linked with a return to Turin.
“I’m sorry that everything we say about the lad is filtered through the lens of the transfer market,” Chiellini told Sky.
“There’s a lot of love and respect for a lad who we saw grow and then take flight, and I think that affection is reciprocal.
“It’s beautiful and normal for that to be the case.”
Juve have won both Champions League matches so far while the Red Devils dropped points against Valencia, for whom is this match more important?
“For both teams it’s a nice match to play. I don’t think it’s a knockout game for United, just as it isn’t for us.
“It’s a match in a historic stadium between two teams who want to prove they deserve to lead the group. We know it won’t be easy, and that we’re facing a team with a lot of champions and a great Coach.
“I watched the first half of their match against Chelsea and for a football fan it was a pleasure to watch: two different philosophies and a match that was in the balance until the end.
“For someone who loves football this is also a spectacular match, and for those on the pitch there are emotions which you have to manage.
“We have a deep squad with plenty of players on the same level, so we’ll see who the Coach [Max Allegri] picks, but we’re ready and we want to play a great match tomorrow.”
Allegri suggested that Saturday’s draw with Genoa was due to his players being distracted by this game…
“We didn’t have this on our minds, but it’s pointless denying that it would have been better not to make that false step,” Chiellini responded.
“In the end we learn from our mistakes and improve. We always take the positives from the game which don’t go the way we’d hope.
“Tomorrow is a Champions League game, in this spectacular stadium, and like I said before we’re facing a team of champions.”