Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz gave his first press conference after joining the club from Aston Villa, in a deal worth over €51.5 million. The Brazilian international spoke about his reasons for joining the Bianconeri, the role he’ll play and his career to date:
ON JUVENTUS: “Very positive. Juventus is an enormous club, many players have passed through here, which convinced me to come. I’m sure it will be a very positive season. New players, new coach, we’re getting used to Thiago Motta’s work. But I’m happy with what’s happening.”
IMPRESSED: “What impressed me the most is the greatness of this club. The stadium, the passion of the fans. That’s what impressed me the most. I’m very happy to be here, I believe it will be a very important season, so we’ll do everything and fight to achieve great results.”
CLOSING THE DEAL: “Yes, certainly Danilo and Bremer helped a lot in this negotiation. Every day I heard Danilo telling me ‘Forza Juve’, it motivated me a lot. I always knew the importance of this club. With someone already there and in the national team with me, it’s an extra motivation when someone tells you to come, it makes a difference.”
ROLE: “It seems like Thiago and I have known each other for a long time, he’s a young coach, he gives you the freedom to communicate. To talk about tactics. About aspects of the game. Our relationship is very positive. As I said, I don’t have a specific preference. Clearly, I like to be closer to the goal. If Juve or the coach needs me as a number 6, more defensive, I won’t have a problem. I believe that the freedom I have on the field can make a difference.”
AMBITIONS: “It didn’t take much to convince me, the greatness of the club speaks for itself. Any player would have wanted this opportunity. So I’m no different in this sense. When I heard about the proposal, I immediately expressed my interest to my agents and we worked to close it well. I believe it’s a very important step in my career, I hope also for the club. I’ll continue to work hard, I want to continue to improve and do what’s necessary to achieve the goals.”
TEAMMATES: “Playing for Juventus can’t be easy, I feel the responsibility of this. Obviously, the value of the deal and the purchase is high. I feel the responsibility of this. I’ll continue to work hard as I’ve always done. I want to be an example for the younger ones. I’m 26 and there’s a young group. I’m here to learn and teach what I’ve learned. I feel the responsibility, I want to take it on.”
CHAMPIONSHIP: “I come from a championship that is considered the most difficult. In Serie A, I want to do even more.”
WINNING: “Like the objectives, titles are also the consequence of work. New coach, we’re getting used to understanding each other. There are players with quality, with a lot of hunger to improve. Very positive group, which also has an experienced component. Captain Danilo will help us. We’re improving. I’m certain that we’ll give our best for Juventus. And God willing, this year we’ll be able to win a title.”
REFERENCE: “On the point of reference in Serie A, speaking of the Italian championship, I’d say Adriano the Emperor. At Juve, Felipe Melo, Danilo, they are points of reference.”
POSITION: “Versatility is something I’ve always worked on since I was young. I understand the game. But it’s not something that was born today, but something I’ve been working on since I played at Vasco, at Girona. I’ve worked hard to develop it.”
JUVE FOR HIM: “I’m 26, I still consider myself young. I think I’ve always used Juve in video games. For all the winning cycles, I naturally perceived its greatness. I really liked using Nedved or Davids. The greatness of the club increases with the titles won and Juve has won many. When I was 12, I already had a clear idea of the greatness of this club, that’s why I’m happy to be here. I hope to win many titles, it’s not easy and it’s the result of work. But I’ll do everything to make it go well.”
PREMIER LEAGUE: “Any player in the world would have wanted to have an experience at Juventus, I’m no different. As soon as I heard about Juve’s interest, I felt very motivated. It doesn’t depend on the championship but on the greatness of the club. I wanted this experience. It’s a beautiful thing to think about being able to tell my family that I played for Juve. I know that the Premier League is the top, but Serie A is not far behind, for me it’s at a very high level. The club has greatly incentivized me to come here, I hope to repay the fans with great happiness.”
RELIGION: “I’m very religious, for me it’s a habit to carry religious symbols.”
THE NUMBER 26: “No, the reasons are different. I like Davids a lot and he also used goggles, he was iconic for me in my childhood. The choice of 26 is a mix of many things. It was also a free number, the 6 I used at Aston Villa belongs to Danilo and it required respect. This 26 was a bit of a coincidence. There’s the 6 which is my number from the past, my age. I combined several elements.”
