For years he was the only real bulwark with his Monaco against the excessive power of PSG, in 2017 against all odds he managed to win the title by interrupting its hegemony. And from that triumph came, also thanks to him, all the talent of Kylian Mbappe, who today is among the top five players in the world. He also faced Juventus twice in the Champions League in 2015 and 2017, losing three out of the four played, but demonstrating a great tactical application and game concepts very close to what is the Italian tradition. Our editorial staff contacted by telephone, exclusively, Leonardo Jardim, to get his opinion on Italian football and Juventus:
We haven’t seen her on the bench since her last experience with Monaco. Do you miss the pitch and the football you play?
“Yes, I miss it a little. I haven’t worked for eleven months also due to the pandemic, so I took the opportunity to be with my family and to stay in Munich since my son will finish his last year before going to university”.
Which leagues are you watching the most? And which are the colleagues you like the most?
“In the first phase I saw little football, but starting from the Champions League I started seeing it again. I saw a lot of French, English and Italian football. Serie A is made up of much more tactics and work as you Italians say, the Premier is more physical and emotional, physicality is present in the French championship but it is often characterized by very young talents with a great future “.
Have you ever been close to coaching in Italy? And if so, would you consider the opportunity to work in this country?
“I had a proposal from a big Italian club the year after I was French champion with Monaco, but out of respect I will not mention his name. I still had a contract to respect, we are talking about the end of 2017. Serie A, however. , it is always an opportunity as well as an always very interesting tournament “.
Juventus, this year, relied on a very young coach like Andrea Pirlo. How is it for a rookie to start in such a prestigious and important club? What is your advice for such a young coach?
“Juventus have bet on a young coach who is just at the beginning of his career. There have been several clubs that have taken this path in recent years. These are decisions that often happen in this job. My message for him is to take advantage to the maximum and to take advantage of this chance to lead a national and international club like the ‘Old Lady’ “.
What do you think of Juventus? How is the streak of nine championships won in a row seen abroad?
“I think Juventus are a great world-class club. Italy has been a great movement in recent years, not only nationally but also abroad with important clubs. I remember that for two years I have been challenging the Bianconeri in the Champions League. with two extremely balanced matches. In the end it was Juventus who made it through the round for their experience and, especially on the second occasion, for the details “.
Juventus, in particular, has 13 points after 7 days and does not seem cannibal today like other years. Could you win Serie A again? And what is your opinion on the Italian championship?
“The Italian league, unlike the last few years where Juventus usually ran away from the beginning, now sees a balanced tournament, this in my opinion is very important for the competition. There are surprises like Sassuolo, Milan are leaders in the standings without forgetting all the various big names that follow. This is important to make Serie A more competitive. “
Going back to the speech already mentioned on the challenges with Juventus, what do you remember in particular of that double confrontation?
“I certainly remember the good games, the first one played in Turin in 2015 where we suffered a penalty for a foul outside the penalty area. If that episode had happened today, certainly with the help of technology it would not have been booed. But Juventus -Monaco was not only that, as I said it was the details that made the difference. Juve also got the better of the experience they had in certain types of matches. “
Were you surprised that Allegri’s Juventus in 2017 didn’t win the Champions League?
“I was in Cardiff at that meeting, the first part of the game was more or less balanced: Real started better and then Juventus managed to catch up with their opponents thanks to a fine goal by Mandzukic. Everyone hoped that there could be balance also in the recovery, but the Spaniards were clearly superior and to the general astonishment they scored three goals. We expected an important response from Juventus in the second half, but it didn’t happen. “
Juve have come close to us so many times that this is almost becoming a taboo subject in Turin. In your opinion, could Pirlo’s Juventus be able to raise it? There are many interesting young people like Kulusevski, Arthur, Chiesa, Morata.
“Yes, Juventus can always win it. It is an organized and structured club for this very reason, it will certainly continue to pursue this goal until it hits it. It has talented players and others with international experience such as Ronaldo, Chiellini and Bonucci.”
Not only young people, but there is also a gentleman who continues to score despite his age. As your compatriot, what is the opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo?
“Ronaldo has been a reference for all the clubs I have played in. He is a phenomenon and, regardless of age, he is always proving to be the master of the field with incredible statistics. It is always better to have him with you than against (smiles ed) “.
In that semifinal of 2017 Mbappe’s star shone, the whole of Europe began to know him thanks to her. Would you see him well in the future at Juventus to pick up Cristiano Ronaldo’s inheritance?
“In the five and a half years I worked at Monaco, many talented young people have been launched such as Martial, Carrasco, Bernardo Silva, Mendy, Fabinho and many others. The pearl was definitely Mbappe, you could already see that he had that something more. He is still a very young player and in the future he will certainly be among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or. If Juventus or any other club were to take him, it would certainly be a great blow. others”.
We thank Leonardo Jardim for the courtesy and helpfulness shown during this interview.
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