Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli looks to the coaches he’s had in his career and says former Sassuolo boss Roberto De Zerbi, now at Brighton, ‘changed my life.’
The Italy international joined Juventus from Sassuolo on an initial loan deal with an option to buy in the summer of 2021 after playing for three seasons under De Zerbi at the Mapei Stadium.
During his latest interview with La Provincia, the ex-Sassuolo midfielder spoke about the coaches he’s had in his career, highlighting the importance of De Zerbi, who signed a four-year deal with Brighton in September.
“[Christian] Brocchi was the one who launched me [with Milan‘s senior team] so he’ll always be in my heart,” said Locatelli.
READ MORE – LOCATELLI: ‘I KNOW WHAT JUVENTUS THINK ABOUT ME’
“I played consistently under Vincenzo Montella but with Gennaro Gattuso in charge, I didn’t play much. It was mostly my fault. He is a coach who knows how to take the best out of every player.
“The one I loved the most was De Zerbi, he changed my life; while I respect [Massimiliano] Allegri for his victories, he is my current coach and I can’t praise him more, it would not be correct.”
Locatelli played 99 games under De Zerbi at Sassuolo, scoring seven goals and delivering 11 assists.
His fine performances at Sassuolo under the Italian boss helped him earn a spot on Italy’s Euro 2020 squad last year. Locatelli scored two of his three goals for the Azzurri during the competition in a 3-0 win over Switzerland in the group stage.