Cambiaso: From Injury setback to Juventus and Italy dream

Andrea Cambiaso, Juventus’ versatile full-back, recently opened up about his journey to the Italian national team and his career progression in an interview with the official channels of the Italian National Team. The young defender reflected on the highs and lows of his career, including the joy of national team call-ups and the challenging times, such as his knee injury during his stint at Alessandria.

Speaking about his path to the national team, Cambiaso expressed a sense of wonder: “How I got here is a good question; I can’t even explain it to myself. It’s been a beautiful journey, and I hope it’s still the beginning of this dream that I’m slowly realizing.”

Cambiaso attributes his success to his tenacity, stating, “Tenacity and the hunger I’ve had since I was little. I’ve always believed in myself, and that’s how I made it to the national team.”

Reflecting on a pivotal moment in his career, Cambiaso shared, “I’ve always thought that if I hadn’t injured my knee, I probably wouldn’t be here today. It was a blow; I was in the most important phase of my career, doing very well at Alessandria, and there was talk of interest from some Serie B clubs in January. I had to deal with both the ACL tear and then Covid, but I was good because I always kept my head in the game and came back.”

The defender recalled his first national team call-up with fondness: “It was the day before Juventus-Cagliari, and the team manager gave me the news. I almost couldn’t believe it. I immediately called my parents, and my father said, ‘Well, you’ll go there to carry water bottles.’ He was thrilled but wanted me to keep my feet on the ground. This is something I’ve learned well from him.”

On his relationship with national team coach Luciano Spalletti, Cambiaso said, “There’s an excellent relationship with the coach. He’s a man of the field, and it’s great to deal with people who have such passion for this sport. He asks us to play football, just like Thiago Motta does, and to always be available to our teammates: we’ve shown this, especially in recent matches.”

Cambiaso also touched on his first goal for Italy, describing it as an incredible moment, and his newfound status as a role model: “As a child, I saw footballers as heroes. Now, being someone’s idol has a certain effect on me.”

Looking ahead, the Juventus player remains grounded and focused on improvement: “The goal is to get better every day. If someone had told me three years ago that I would have made it to Juventus and the national team, I wouldn’t have believed it.”