Former Italian international and Serie A veteran Gianluca Zambrotta shared his insights on the current Italian football landscape, from the title race to individual performances and coaching changes. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Zambrotta touched on the Serie A title race, his former clubs Juventus and Milan, and recalled his experiences with now Bianconeri coach Thiago Motta.
On the Scudetto race, Zambrotta states, “Inter dominated last season’s Serie A, so they’re the team to beat. But Napoli is at the top, and without European competitions, they can recover and prepare better for matches. Juventus is close: they’ve done very well in Champions League, but could do better in Serie A. However, they can fight to win the Scudetto.”
Discussing standout performances, he mentions, “Certainly Udinese and Lazio, with Baroni doing an excellent job: they’re in good shape, running, and playing great football. Then Napoli’s strength after a disastrous post-Scudetto year impressed me.”
Zambrotta praises Antonio Conte’s impact at Napoli: “He was my captain at Juventus when I arrived and I had him in the national team: he was already a leader and motivator, a locker room man. He was always focused and never wanted to lose. He’s kept these characteristics as a coach and always tries to get the most out of players.”
On Juventus’s upcoming match against Lazio, Zambrotta comments, “It will be a good game. Juve is in total emergency, and the period is complicated with seven games before the next break. But Motta is an excellent coach: I played with him in Barcelona and then visited him when he was coaching in Bologna. He’s young but has great personality, isn’t afraid to push forward his ideas and choices.”
Regarding Dusan Vlahovic’s potential, Zambrotta is optimistic: “I hope for him and for Juve that he reaches these goals. In Leipzig in the Champions League, he scored two extraordinary goals, like a true striker. He has top qualities, then he needs time and playable balls, although he also creates them himself. But yes, he can score 25-30 goals.”
Zambrotta recalls Thiago Motta as a player: “He was very extroverted being Brazilian, a player of great quality and tactical intelligence. As a coach, he’s completely different: I see him more calm, more relaxed. As a player, he was more… hot-headed.”
On the Champions League’s new format, Zambrotta is enthusiastic: “Yes! With more teams, you get to see matches with six or seven goals. UEFA wanted to make the competition more spectacular, plus we have five Italian teams. It will be interesting to see the standings at the end of the first round: it’s no longer enough to win 1-0, but you need to score as many goals as possible and concede fewer for a better ranking. Much more spectacular.”
Zambrotta also touches on AC Milan’s struggles and the importance of key players like Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao: “They’ve had ups and downs like all of Milan. However, they are the most important players – along with Pulisic, Maignan, and also Fofana – so they are the push that Milan must have in difficult moments: this year they haven’t performed as expected, they need to be more decisive and consistent.”
