Juventus defender Danilo says he feels proud to be Bianconeri captain: “I feel a part of the club, the city, and its traditions.” The veteran defender recently sat down with TNT Sports Brasil for a comprehensive interview covering his journey in the sport, his present role, and his aspirations for the future:
Juventus Captain – “It is a matter of great pride. A team of great tradition like Juventus has always been well represented for a long time by historic Italian players. After being vice-captain last season, this season I became captain of the team. This has to do with my experience in other leagues and countries, with my way of communicating with teammates, referees, and the Juventus universe. The fact that the coach’s decision was so well accepted, especially by my teammates, fills me with pride. I am proud that even Italian fans, who defend their flag and culture, often greet me and thank me for always defending Juventus and its colors. I feel part of the club, the city, and its traditions.”
Popular Footballers – “Today, footballers who are not ‘pop stars’ sell little, have little media visibility. A player who goes out to dinner the week his team loses the match (which is something that can obviously be done) becomes much more popular than a player who goes to a charity event or, for example, helps a community. My effort to date is to try to influence the new generations of athletes and footballers. I can be a top-level athlete, I can play for the strongest clubs in the world, for the greatest national team in the world, have a successful career, earn lots of money (because let’s not be hypocrites, we all want to earn money), but still lead a normal life. I don’t need to go around showing off a supercar and always be in the middle of social media controversies.”
Gatti – “At Juventus, we have the example of Federico Gatti, a player who perhaps four years ago was still playing in amateur leagues and suddenly finds himself at Juventus, then in the Champions League and the Italian national team, a world very different from what he was used to. When he arrived, I remember it was about 3 months that he was looking for a house, then one day I asked him: ‘Gatti, have you found a house?’ And he replied: ‘I found one near the airport, here in Turin.’ I immediately thought that it was not a place where Juventus players usually stay, who prefer more the city center or towards the hills, which are ‘better’ places, so to speak. Near the airport is perhaps a more rural area, and I retorted: ‘Do you like it, do you feel comfortable?’ And he said to me: ‘Dani, it’s what suited me best at this moment.’ He had just arrived, he didn’t have a stratospheric contract, he was a player on the rise, but when he told me, ‘It’s what suited me best,’ I thought that sometimes life lessons come when you least expect it. Gatti is a guy I really like, I have a great affection for him, we have a good relationship.”
Serie A and Champions – “For some years now, Italian football has been in a phase of renewal and values young players. We have always looked at Italy as a country where players tend to arrive late, but now they are bringing out young players who are showing their potential and talent, with good results. Juventus is following the same path and is very committed to financial sustainability, in other words, it is thinking long term. I feel that this is ‘year zero,’ a new beginning, where we want to return to the Champions League and return to being respected in the football world. And, of course, to fight for the title until the end, just like in the Coppa Italia.”
Guardiola – “I think those who disagree with him do so for personal or ego issues, but not on a football level. On this point, he is unique: his intelligence and the way he thinks about football, how to manage time and occupy space, help indoctrinate players. He ensures that 95% of the players in the team think the same way, and that is the main difficulty for managers, in my view. In Guardiola’s case, since his ideas are very good, it is much more likely that things will work out. He is someone who studies a lot and cares about details, he ensures that everyone believes in him. Every meeting we had in the Manchester City cinema hall was, as Fernandinho and I called it, a football university lecture. It made me very proud.”
Brazil – “As long as I am physically and mentally fit, I will always be available to help the Brazilian national team. At the moment, I prefer to play more centrally because it is a position that allows me to build and advance, which I like. I can also play as a right-back, but I have to adapt to my characteristics. However, we also have several very good young players like Yan Couto, who is having an incredible season at Girona, Vanderson, who is doing well at Monaco, Emerson Royal… there are many options for the right-back position for Brazil.”
Future in Brazil – “I am not thinking of returning yet. América Mineiro was my first club, and I think what Moisés did was very nice: to return to my origins and close the circle. But I am thinking of finishing my career in Europe.”
Buffon – “Buffon has always been a player I greatly admired, but after seeing him up close, after having him in my daily life, I can say that he is my great idol in football. He is the person I identify with for how hard he works, how humble he is, how he tries to lead a normal life despite being an unmatched football man. He was a player who gave a lot of energy, a lot of vigor, a lot of ‘grit’ as we say here in Italy. When he spoke, he already had a different energy and aura.”
CR7 – “Cristiano Ronaldo, for the way he has always lived his career and taken care of himself like a real business. Perhaps he is unique in football, he has been doing it for a long time, long before there were so many news as today.”
