Juventus owner and Exor CEO John Elkann opened up about the ‘extraordinary potential’ at the club under new head coach Thiago Motta, calling him ‘the person we need’.
The Bianconeri have entered a new era under the Italian-Brazilian coach, keen for a huge change following the end of Massimiliano Allegri’s second spell in the Piedmont capital. Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is already hard at work in the transfer market.
Juventus are looking to cut a number of unneeded players, including Federico Chiesa and Wojciech Szczesny, and have already identified a handful of targets like Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo.
Elkann interview
Speaking from the Paris Olympics to Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport via Calciomercato.com, Elkann first discussed the upcoming friendly between the Juventus first team and the Next Gen.
“No one in the world has such a long-standing relationship with sport as we do, and this goes beyond the idea of ownership.
“There will be a wonderful atmosphere here. We want to create a climate of sharing. The bond between our family and Juventus is very strong, with these initiatives we want to bring Juve into families.
“At the same time, we are working to involve those who cannot be physically close to us with a great social activity.”
The Exor CEO commented on the arrival of Thiago Motta in the dugout.
“With him we’re getting closer to a new generation, our team is very young and he has the necessary experience to work with our group. He is the person we need. The Juventus project has extraordinary potential.”
Elkann underlined the need to avoid excuses.
“Victory belongs to those who have tenacity, the desire to get back in the game after moments of adversity. Year zero is to leave behind what happened in the past, press the ‘reset’ button and look forward.
“The athletes, the strong teams are those who have these skills, without coming up with excuses. On the other hand, it is normal for everyone to be against you.
“If you compete, you do it with the strongest in the world who want to beat you. And it is normal that if the results don’t arrive, the fans aren’t happy.”
Finally, Elkann discussed how Serie A is no longer the reference point in European football.
“Our football is no longer the point of arrival of the great champions, but a springboard to go to the Premier League at the height of their career.
“In Italy, youngsters are playing their first games who need to develop. It’s a shame not to face reality. This is the situation we are experiencing, the mistake would be to deny this evidence.”