Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic reveals he tries to “mess with” the goalkeeper when he lines up a free-kick.
French sports paper L’Équipe ran a special feature on free-kick takers, including Sinisa Mihajlovic and Andrea Pirlo, and they also spoke to the Bosnian specialist.
Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic reveals he tries to “mess with” the goalkeeper when he lines up a free-kick.
French sports paper L’Équipe ran a special feature on free-kick takers, including Sinisa Mihajlovic and Andrea Pirlo, and they also spoke to the Bosnian specialist.
“It’s a magical moment where everyone is looking at you,” Pjanic said, describing the feeling of preparing to strike a free-kick.
“It’s a responsibility, but personally I like that. I take the ball, I concentrate and I’m not afraid.
“When you score it’s always a great rush of adrenaline, it’s a magic moment on a pitch, where everyone is focused only on your free-kick. Everyone watches you, all the cameras are on your free-kick.
“When the ball is dead close to 16 metres, the stadium always chants your name, or there’s always a special murmur and they’re waiting for the ball to go in.
“It’s always more pressure.
“I look at the goalkeeper and see if he’s right in one of the corners or if he’s in the middle and wants to play with me.
“I always ask two of my players to stand in the wall to hide the ball and so I can hit it on his side.
“When a goalkeeper concedes a goal on his side it’s much more annoying than a free-kick that goes over the wall. I try to mess with him. I try to look at him too, to see where I want to shoot.
“When I’ve scored two or three in a row in training I go home, it means you have your repitition, your steps, your vision, your distance. When you have that in you, you don’t have to repeat it anymore.”