Leonardo Bonucci thanked Antonio Conte for turning his Juventus” data-scaytid=”3″>Juventus career around and chose between Champions League and World Cup.
The defender spoke to Sky Sport Italia about his career and the three consecutive Scudetti in Turin.
Leonardo Bonucci thanked Antonio Conte for turning his Juventus career around and chose between Champions League and World Cup.
The defender spoke to Sky Sport Italia about his career and the three consecutive Scudetti in Turin.
“I was the player that topped Juve’s spending in 2010. In January we were challenging for the top spots, but at the end of the season we were fighting for the Europa League places.
“It was a strange season, but when you are the highest-paid player, you enter the vortex of criticism. We managed to create a good group of players anyway and in later years proved ourselves on the field.”
Conte took over in the summer of 2011 with the Bianconeri fresh from two seventh-place finishes.
“Along with Conte, there also arrived players of great quality like Vucinic, Pirlo and Lichtsteiner. It’s only normal that the individual doesn’t make the difference, but we learned to become a real Team with a capital T.
“I believe that is the secret of our three years of success. Conte was like a great tailor, stitching the perfect suit for this team. By playing with three at the back, he allowed midfielders like Vidal and Marchisio to go forward with suitable coverage behind them, and for Pirlo to play the ball with greater ease.
“He gave me the awareness I was important within a strong team like Juventus.”
Bonucci was asked whether he’d rather win the World Cup or the Champions League.
“If I had to choose, it’d be the World Cup. That makes you a player within the strongest team in the world. That is the dream of every child.
“In 2006 when the Italian population was celebrating, each of us knew at that moment Fabio Cannavaro represented Italy.
“Having said that, winning the Champions League with the Juventus jersey – as a Juve fan – would be an immense joy and different to that of a World Cup.
“The Nazionale jersey means the pride of being Italian. The country is going through an economic crisis and I think people see an outlet in football, an opportunity to smile. Representing an entire nation is the most a player can ask for in his career.”
Bonucci wore the captain’s armband in Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly victory over Albania.
“As captain there is even more pressure, as you have to steer the boat, even if it was only a friendly. That game was organised for a reason, to raise funds and the spirits of those affected by the floods in Genoa. I think we managed it.”