Max Allegri denies a move to Real Madrid and discusses Gianluigi Buffon, Paul Pogba and Francesco Totti.

The Juventus Coach is being linked with the Merengues after the position at Chelsea was taken up by current Azzurri Coach Antonio Conte.

“For one-and-a-half months they said I was practising English, now all of a sudden I have to study Spanish and French,” Allegri told Il Corriere dello Sport. “How can I, I never went to school!

Max Allegri denies a move to Real Madrid and discusses Gianluigi Buffon, Paul Pogba and Francesco Totti.

The Juventus Coach is being linked with the Merengues after the position at Chelsea was taken up by current Azzurri Coach Antonio Conte.

“For one-and-a-half months they said I was practising English, now all of a sudden I have to study Spanish and French,” Allegri told Il Corriere dello Sport. “How can I, I never went to school!

“When the time is right, I'd like to acquaint myself with different football cultures, the way that [Carlo] Ancelotti did. But right now I'm happy at Juventus.

“[Antonio] Conte will certainly do well with Chelsea. At the end of my career I'd like to coach the national team, but I think I'm still young for that.

“The greatest champions I worked with? Seeing [Gianluigi] Buffon in training is a pleasure, he has the calm of a great champion.

“Then there were [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, [Antonio] Cassano, who doesn't always run but is exceptional at passing the ball.

“And [Alessandro] Nesta, who was extraordinary in spite of undergoing surgery 13 times. Then Thiago Silva, though he didn't go all the way in the end.

“I think that [Milan's Alessio] Romagnoli can follow in the footsteps of Nesta. He and [Daniele] Rugani are the Italian defenders of the future.

“Other players that impressed me include Sassuolo's [Simone] Missiroli, who developed a lot, and they have other youngsters, such as [Federico] Bernardeschi and [Stefano] Sensi. Sometimes I hear people saying that we have no talents, but I say we shouldn't throw everything we have into the sea.”

Allegri then went on to discuss a number of individual players, including his own Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata

“Sometimes I don't understand how you can criticise someone like Mario, he did well everywhere he went.

“Those who play alongside him do well. He's strong technically and he hauls the team forwards.

“Morata is a great player. He suffered the greater responsibilities in an attack that included many youngsters, other than Mandzukic. Last season, even though he was a great signing, he was still a Real Madrid boy.

“[Paul] Pogba has shown some growth, but he still has to improve his play. Everyone says he's great, and they'll just make him vain, which is understandable at 23 years of age.

“Buffon is stuck in a moment that's been lasting for 20 years. [Milan's Gianluigi] Donnarumma can have a great career. It's not easy to play for Milan, but following in Buffon's footsteps is something else.”

Finally, the 48-year-old discussed Roma Captain Francesco Totti, who is considering retirement after a long career.

“Saying farewell is a ritual that every great footballer, and every great artist, has to undergo.

“It's a sacrifice you must allow for if you want to retire when you're at the top, like [Italian singer] Mina did in music and [Michel] Platini did in football.

“Stopping is hard when you're a champion, but if you can find the strength for it, then that's for the best.

“Everything has its own times, though the choice is ultimately subjective. I chose to stop when I realised in training that the pitch seemed the size of an airport to me.”

Byandrea

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