Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso played down links with Real Madrid, insisting he is committed to the Bianconeri. Following excellent performances with the national team, he recently gave an extensive interview to Corriere dello Sport.
Reflecting on his journey, Cambiaso said, “Gatti and I are survivors, starting from amateur leagues and making it to Juve. I feel fortunate every day I open my eyes. I’m hungry and eager to succeed. When I think about the road I’ve traveled and where I am today, it makes my head spin. So I prefer to keep running. Football puts you in the spotlight when you’re still a kid and doesn’t give you the opportunity to make mistakes. It makes you grow up fast.”
He continued, “I entered Genoa’s youth system at 9 as a small prodigy and left at 17 in clear decline. Looking back, I think I was crazy to start over from Serie D and believe I could reach the top. I took the most difficult path, but I would do it again. I started as an attacking midfielder, played as a midfielder, playmaker, and striker. I won’t say I play where the coach puts me, that’s an absolute banality, but I play where my teammates want me to be useful to the team. Football is moving in a specific direction: roles only matter from a defensive point of view, then in offensive actions, everyone uses their intelligence to find the right space.”
About Juventus, Cambiaso stated, “This club is the history of Italian football, a second family, and a great point of arrival for my career.”
Regarding transfer rumors, he said, “Just the fact that I’ve been linked to a club like Real Madrid seems bigger than me. I’m proud of the admirers I might have; it’s gratifying and stimulating to know that someone appreciates you. I haven’t received any offers. In any case, Juve is my Real. I’ve renewed until 2029 and would like to stay as long as possible.”
On the Scudetto race, Cambiaso commented, “We’re among the top contenders, and Juve must always play to win. Inter is the favorite, and in two Sundays, there’s the direct clash. Who knows… But first, there are Lazio and Stuttgart, two very high mountains. We’re among the best.”
Discussing upcoming matches, he said, “We’re facing a troublesome team with pace and enthusiasm that’s scary. They’ll come to Turin with four offensive players up front,” referring to Lazio. About Napoli, he added, “Their strength is impressive. Playing against them was a good test. However, the match against De Rossi’s Roma was the most complicated for us.”
Cambiaso shared his off-field interests: “I don’t condemn video games and social media, useful pastimes to avoid boredom sucking you in and making you do silly things. Personally, though, I prefer playing golf and reading some books to relax a bit. Being a footballer is oppressive sometimes. At 24, you’re in a blender, under stress, forced to grow well beyond your natural rhythms. The risk of self-harm is there and shouldn’t be underestimated.”
On helping teammates like Fagioli and Pogba, he said, “Helping is difficult; you can do it with the right word, but maybe it’s not enough. You really only know certain monsters if you live them. We teammates and friends can’t have the ambition to be psychologists or doctors because we don’t have the skills to solve certain problems.”
Regarding the congested calendar, Cambiaso stated, “I would always be on the field, but it’s no coincidence that many of us get injured so often. Injury doesn’t depend only on physical issues; there’s a mental component. If you enter the field tired, you make a wrong support, run worse, get tired earlier. Yes, in recent years, maybe the rope has been pulled a bit too much.”
Cambiaso also shared his thoughts on his new teammates and coaches. About Thiago Motta, he said, “From a tactical point of view, he already made me discover things in Bologna that I had never seen. I found him even more determined: with him, we don’t have roles, but we occupy space. He also has his own method of managing the group: he never lets us know who’s playing until a few hours before the match, and this raises the level of training and internal competition. Then he always has the ‘mottata’ ready. And if he’s taken them all so far, it means he’s a visionary.”
On Allegri, Cambiaso expressed, “I love Max with all my heart, and Landucci has always been close to me too. What Allegri left me with is mental balance: I remember at the beginning of last season I wanted to conquer the world, and he kept telling me ‘calm down, calm down.’ Too much eagerness was throwing me off, he was the first to give me two comfortable shoes to go far.”
Finally, speaking about his idols, Cambiaso said, “I grew up idolizing Cancelo, but I’ve never stopped drawing inspiration from the good ones. Today I adore Zinchenko, Rico Lewis, and Calafiori.”
