Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners revealed that he’s supported Juventus since he was a child, citing Zinedine Zidane as the reason for following the club. Speaking in a lengthy interview with Tuttosport, the 26-year-old shared his thoughts on the teams season so far, his reasons for making the move from Bergamo to Turin and the differences between working under Gian Piero Gasperini and Thiago Motta:
Let’s start with the simplest but most important question, given the situation and what happened to you in recent weeks (rib injury, ed.). How are you?
“I’m fine, thank you.”
How difficult and painful was this month of living with a fractured rib?
“To tell the truth, it was a bit complex because it’s an injury you feel with every movement, even breathing was difficult. I had to live with this situation for about two-three weeks, and when you’re in difficulty with every breath, it’s not easy. Even sleeping was complicated. I had to sleep in an armchair because if I lay horizontally on the bed, the pressure was greater and I felt more pain. But now I’m better. I still feel a bit of discomfort, but now I can manage it.”
Can we now say that Koop is at 70%?”
“Ah, it’s difficult to express in numbers how I feel. But now I’m very good mentally. I’m not at my best physically because I couldn’t run for about three weeks. But my head is ready.”
And how are your legs after not running for so long?
“Not bad, but I’m looking forward and everything is improving with time, fortunately.”
After the end of last season, besides the rumors about Juventus there were others from the Premier League. Did the idea of going to England attract you or did you only have Juve in mind? And why?
“Yes, I also knew that there were English clubs that were interested in me, but as soon as I learned about Juventus I didn’t even have a doubt. I liked this club from the first moment I arrived in Italy, but not only that. It’s the most important in Italy and in the world. Actually, I supported and followed Juventus since I was a child in Holland. The Juve of the great champions. Who did I adore? Well, Zidane! Being here for me is like a dream, it’s what I’ve always pursued since I was little. Even in England there are beautiful teams, but here everything is better: I know the league, your country which is beautiful, the teams to face and the climate in general.”
If you think back to the long wait in August before the ‘ok’ for the transfer from Atalanta, what do you feel like saying?
“I would say that the whole summer was heavy, difficult in general. It was a complicated move, but in football it can happen to live even this. If I think back to a particularly significant moment, I want to remember that taxi ride from Bergamo to Turin with my girlfriend to reach Juventus. The night before, I had received the phone call in which I was told that everything had been resolved. I went to sleep, but I had not yet processed the news well. I remember that when the taxi was on its way to Turin I turned to Rosa and said to her: “Finally!”. I was like relieved, as if all the pressure I had accumulated had gone away.”
Was it sad to train alone?
“It was a bad situation, obviously I was sorry for how it ended. But I prefer to look to the future. The past we have left behind us”
You have gone from a provincial team, Atalanta, to the top club in Italy, Juventus, who have changed their playing philosophy this season. What was the biggest difference you perceived as soon as you arrived, in terms of feeling?
“I must say that I have a lot of experience in football, I had never been here but I knew the history of the club and I had played against Juve. Let’s say that when I arrived, I finally touched with my hand, all the things that I knew about. What De Ligt had told me was true: from the services to the structures, to the kindness of the people. Really fantastic. Here at Juve everything is beautiful: the first day, it seemed like living a dream. I repeat, I have worked to be here since I was little: to my girlfriend, many times in the pas,t I had said that my goal would be to become bianconero and I did it! Moreover, living in Italy, my admiration for Juventus has also grown, so now I am very well here.”
Let’s talk about Motta’s game. How different is it from Gasperini’s and in what?
“Gasperini, for example, focuses a lot on intensity and one-on-one in every part of the field, both in attack and defense. Specific exercises are also done. With Motta we have intensity, but with the compact team that opposes in a more collective way. What we are doing here at Juve reminds me of what we do in Holland: ball possession, intensity, wanting to control the game, create many opportunities, but also in the way of defending.”
From the point of view of the way of relating to the team, are they the same or a little different?
“I would say they are a bit different. But it’s normal, they are two different people and they also have a dissimilar age. With Motta and his collaborators we talk a lot about how we’ll put their ideas into practice, and how we find ourselves in applying them. Motta is very interested in understanding our feeling, even if he is decided on the system. The fact that he wants to understand our impressions is important.”
With Gasperini was there less confrontation?
“Yes, he was more of a “I want you to do this”. And we had to try to do so.”
One word to describe Gasperini and one for Motta.
“It’s not easy. Intensity for Gasperini and tactics for Motta.”
Let’s get into specifics. How does your way of being used here at Juventus change compared to what happened at Atalanta?
“Now I am more of a midfielder, in Bergamo we played with only one striker and I was more attacking. Now, even in possession, I have to help more when starting from the back. But I still want to continue to do great pressing, assists and goals.”
