Juventus defender Danilo says Nicolo Fagioli and Fabio Miretti have ‘desire in their eyes’: ‘I often try to talk to them, to give some advice’. The Brazilian international spoke with DAZN ahead of this weekends Derby D’Italia with Inter, a match he is optimistic about this time round:
We are 10 points from first place, which is what we have to aim for. Juve must always win, I can’t say we’re in a good moment, but I know that we have the ability to look further, to aim at the top of the table, because it is a goal that can be achieved with the attitude we are showing in the last few games, and trying to keep away from what is said by those who are off the pitch.
In Lecce’s victory I saw a show of strength: in football as in life there are bad moments, but the desire to get back up is increasingly important. Beyond the victory, the important thing was the attitude, which was the right one.
On the younger players:
“I remember Phil Foden when I was in Manchester City, he was 17 years old, I saw in his eyes that there was that desire to learn, to improve, to be with the older players. Here at Juve at this moment I see players like Miretti, like Fagioli, who have that desire in their eyes, and for us who are more experienced, it is an extra push.
I often try to talk to them, to give some advice, and it is something that serves me first, that motivates me, gives me something more to be there with them. Right now we need their help so much, also because they are players who have been at Juve since childhood: it is clear that to be at Juventus you don’t just need to play football well, it is necessary to have the right mentality and have the ability to be there in decisive moments, in the more difficult ones, and in my opinion they can give this team a lot in the coming years.”
On Pogba:
“Here at Juventus, he is at home. For us it was really sad not to have Paul in these months, however I always see him during the week – even if it is difficult to work at different times from the team, to go to the pool, to go to the gym – and you can sense that he has a great desire to come back and to contribute, he always shows with his interest and his presence that he wants to be part of this family.”
On Inter:
“Last season’s match? We had the right attitude, we played well, however, we did not win and that is what counts. Playing at Juventus, I can’t say after a defeat that it was one of the best performances we had last season. They scored, we didn’t, and for us those 3 points would have been very important in terms of the championship.
Clearly, the way things went, that defeat took away some of our confidence. I think things may be different this year: with a lot of respect for them, I think we’re getting back to doing things well, staying in the game all the time, staying focused, and for these kinds of games all that is crucial.”
