Miralem Pjanic insists “I didn’t betray anyone” when he left Roma to join Juventus in 2016.
The Bianconeri activated the Bosnian’s release clause, taking him to Turin in a €32m deal.
“After five wonderful years at Roma, I just decided to have other experiences,” Pjanic shrugged, speaking to Il Messaggero.
“Juve were following me, they wanted me, and I felt the need to test myself with another experience – after all, a player’s career is short.
Miralem Pjanic insists “I didn’t betray anyone” when he left Roma to join Juventus in 2016.
The Bianconeri activated the Bosnian’s release clause, taking him to Turin in a €32m deal.
“After five wonderful years at Roma, I just decided to have other experiences,” Pjanic shrugged, speaking to Il Messaggero.
“Juve were following me, they wanted me, and I felt the need to test myself with another experience – after all, a player’s career is short.
“I’ll say this, winning is never easy and it isn’t here. It takes self sacrifice and work. Victories are obtained by sweating and deserving it, beyond what you think about superficially.
“Winning with Roma? It would have been a unique emotion but I couldn’t do it and I’m sorry. But I did try.
“A lot of people were left thinking badly of me, but I didn’t betray anyone.
“There’s passion there, from morning to night they think of football and the team. It’s nice, because if you have success they elevate you to the stars, but it’s also negative because you lose a sense of balance.
“That’s the problem there.
“Here you feel like a winner because you breathe it from the walls. [President] Andrea Agnelli spoke about it the first day I arrived at Vinovo.
“You turn around and you see all the trophies. Success is in the DNA of this club.
“The quality of the players is fundamental and it certainly helps, but you also need big personalities in the dressing room.
“[Gigi] Buffon, [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Andrea]Barzagli – people used to winning, who can transfer that desire to others.
“Juve wins, but always has everyone against them.”
Pjanic was also asked about the Coaches he had during his time with the Giallorossi.
“Luis Enrique is an extraordinary man, we all felt sorry when he left, unfortunately there were no suitable players [for his style].
“With Zdenek Zeman there was no dialogue, apart from with [Francesco] Totti who he’d known for years. The atmosphere was bad, it annoyed me that he wouldn’t talk.
“[Rudi] Garcia was a good at the beginning, he’s a good Coach but he didn’t know how to turn a negative period around.
“Luciano Spalletti? He’s great, he’s tough. It was six important months.”
Is there anything the midfielder dislikes about calcio?
“Too much polemic,” Pjanic replied.
“Sometimes we need to tone it down. Italian football is growing, you can see that by the presence of Juventus and Roma in the Champions League Quarter-Finals.
“I’m happy that Roma are there too, I left a piece of my heart there and I go back often.
“Real Madrid? We’re the two most recent finalists, so it’ll definitely be a good battle.”
Pjanic is seen as the man who makes Juventus tick, but Napoli are seen by many as playing the better football of the two Scudetto contenders.
“I think Napoli play the best football in Italy, but maybe Juve are more dangerous, more intelligent in defending and managing a game.
“I think what counts is the result, and that’s what we play for. I’m with [Coach Massimiliano] Allegri on that.”