Leonardo Bonucci released a long interview to Cronache di Spogliatoio, talking about the national team, why he decided to retire and also commented on the new Juventus of Thiago Motta. The former Bianconeri defender began by speaking about the Azzurri’s poor performance in the EUROs:
“With Albania I had liked them, they were making the extra run for the teammate. After I don’t know what could have happened, maybe the defeat with Spain for the way in which it arrived has made collapse the certainties. To understand the why one must be inside and live it. Without giving blame to anyone but surely Italy was not that seen with Switzerland”.
A ROLE IN NATIONAL TEAM – “They were voices practically invented from nothing. Now I will do the course as coach at the end of July at Coverciano but my idea is to take a bit of rest, enjoy the family after this course.”
WHO HE ASPIRES TO – “We are here to have fun and not to make controversy so I say who I inspire to. They are two in particular, Conte and Mancini. Conte for the tactical aspect, technical and for that desire to pull out of you always the maximum, to go to uncover that desire and that hunger”
IF HE HAD BEEN AT EURO 2024…? – “It was the reason that pushed me to go forward this year; it was an objective then going forward with time and the change of coach I understood that this possibility would not have been there. Obvious that when you see some teammates and brothers with whom you have fought, that desire to say “I could have given them a hand” comes to you. Then the single man does not make the difference, something with experience I could have done but by now things have gone like this.
THE COMPARISON WITH 2016 – “At a technical level this national team is stronger than that of 2016, as charisma, leadership and experience maybe something was missing.”
THIAGO MOTTA – “I believe that in this moment if Juventus wanted to give a new technical project looking to the future it has been the best choice for what he has demonstrated at Bologna. As a player he has lived big moments; obvious that Juventus requires, does not give you time to make mistakes and you must immediately demonstrate.”
AFTER THREE YEARS LIKE THIS… – “My hope is that from the beginning all the mechanisms manage to fit together so that this new way of interpreting football after three years lived as we all know, has a quick insertion in the head of the players because we all Juventus fans would like to see Juve play, entertain and win again.”
JUVE BLOCK AND INTER BLOCK – “We arrived to play the European [Championship] of 2016 and of 2021 after having played many years together. The Inter block are not so many years like us. Obvious that when you have many players who play together during the year you start advantaged because they know each other by heart. But then many things change, the dynamics, the way of playing, there are many variables.
ON RONALDO – “Obvious that he wants to play together, wants to be there and be protagonist, he has always demonstrated it. In this European [Championship] he struggled but beyond the missed penalty he struggled to conclude on goal. I believe that he is intelligent enough that in this moment for his own good he needs recovery and maybe play some game less.
THE REASONS FOR RETIREMENT – “I stopped because inside I no longer had that fire that fueled me and before going to make embarrassing figures around the world I preferred to stop. I had an experience, indeed two, abroad that have filled me and given me the last answers I was looking for. Now I am really at peace with myself.”
