Juventus right-back Nicolò Savona is experiencing a golden moment in his career. After impressing with the Bianconeri, he has earned his first call-up to the Italian National Team. Manager Luciano Spalletti has selected him for Italy’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium in Brussels and France at San Siro.
In a recent press conference, Savona shared his thoughts on this exciting development in his career.
Reflecting on advice from Giorgio Chiellini, Savona said, “He gave me several pieces of advice. The most important one is to always maintain the same humility and work hard to achieve set goals. From a technical standpoint, he advised me to improve with each training session and to work diligently.”
When asked about the moment he realized he could reach this level, Savona replied, “You realize it when you’re close to champions of this caliber. For me, it was when I started pre-season training with Juventus. Achieving this goal is a dream come true, training with such strong players.”
Interestingly, Savona comes from Valle d’Aosta, a region known for skiing. He shared, “I have a house on the ski slopes, and as a child, I participated in several races. Then at ten, I had to choose between football and skiing. I chose football, partly because I didn’t particularly like skiing. I used to compete in slalom.”
Regarding his versatility on the pitch, Savona noted, “Being able to play multiple roles is very important today. My characteristics are both offensive and defensive, but last year I mainly played as the third defender. I can cover both roles, and I think this is an advantage for me.”
When asked about his goals with Juventus, he stated, “Our team goal is to finish as high as possible in the standings. We work for this. But now we’re here for a week, and we’re working for the National Team.”
Savona also praised his club coach, Thiago Motta: “Thiago Motta talks a lot with us young players and the whole team. He’s definitely focusing on the attitude of each individual player. The coach likes to see us cheerful during training, and we’re trying to bring a serene environment to the locker room. He’s giving me a lot of playing time, and I’ll try to repay his trust in the best way possible.”
On the risks to avoid going forward, Savona emphasized, “The difficult part is yet to come. I know I have to maintain the same humility. Dedication and consistency are the qualities that have brought me this far, and I should never lose them. I’ll try to stay as I am.”
Savona also shared his excitement about joining the national team setup: “It’s my first time here, there’s a great group, and it’s a beautiful emotion.” On Spalletti’s welcome, he added, “He welcomed me very well, and I thanked him.”
Finally, when asked about which match he’d like to play and who he’d like to face, Savona said, “I’d say Italy-France at San Siro, but just being here is an incredibly strong emotion. Facing Doku from Belgium would be a good test…”
