Antonio Di Natale has revealed that his decision to reject Juventus in favour of staying at Udinese “was a conscious choice with my heart and head.”

Di Natale had the chance to join Juve in August 2010 as one of Beppe Marotta’s first signings for the Bianconeri but ultimately remained loyal to Udinese, where he became a club legend before his departure at the end of last season.

Antonio Di Natale has revealed that his decision to reject Juventus in favour of staying at Udinese “was a conscious choice with my heart and head.”

Di Natale had the chance to join Juve in August 2010 as one of Beppe Marotta’s first signings for the Bianconeri but ultimately remained loyal to Udinese, where he became a club legend before his departure at the end of last season.

“I stopped playing because when something mental turns off, it’s right to understand that it’s the right time to stop,” the unattached 38-year-old told Incontro Olympia.

“I’ve always given everything on the pitch, playing 10-15 minutes wasn’t for me.

“I went back to Empoli and became a full-time dad, I don’t miss anything at the moment.

“I have no regrets in my career, I had my satisfactions. I rejected Juventus because I was fine with my family in Udine.

“I was attached to the jersey and fans, and I knew I was important there. It was a conscious choice with my heart and head.”

Di Natale was then asked about his best teammate and Coach.

“[Alexis] Sanchez, I always told everyone that he was a phenomenon,” the forward added.

“You could see that already when he was very young, and his career’s proving that I wasn’t wrong.

“I’ve had many important Coaches, but for everything I have to thank Silvio Baldini, who believed in me, valued me and taught me so much.

“When he arrived, he worked very well, valuing the players a lot. He was the first to play with a 4-2-3-1.”

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