Former Juventus midfielder Vladimir Jugovic, who won the Champions League and World Club Cup with the Bianconeri in 1996, shared his thoughts on the club’s recent overhaul, particularly in midfield. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport from his current home between Serbia and Austria, Jugovic remains closely connected to Serie A and Juventus.
On the midfield revolution at Juventus, Jugovic said, “The Juventus revolution intrigues me. Now Giuntoli has built the team he had in mind; the previous one perhaps wasn’t entirely his.” He acknowledged the significant changes in midfield, with Douglas Luiz, Thuram, and Koopmeiners joining while Rabiot departed.
Regarding Douglas Luiz’s limited playing time so far, Jugovic commented, “It’s too early to make assessments, one way or another. Douglas Luiz’s technique is undisputed. However, in football, what makes the difference in top clubs is mentality, the one that leads you to never be satisfied even after victories.”
Jugovic believes Thiago Motta is the ideal coach to manage Douglas Luiz: “I think no one better than Thiago Motta can understand and manage a Brazilian midfielder coming from a foreign league.” He added, “The impression is that Thiago Motta is protecting Douglas Luiz while waiting for his true physical takeoff. At Juventus, you must be at the top to play. It was like that in my time and will always be so.”
On the current midfield situation, Jugovic noted, “At this moment, it wouldn’t be easy for any coach to give up Locatelli, who seems reborn compared to the past: credit to him and to a game that probably enhances his qualities more.”
Regarding Thiago Motta’s start at Juventus, Jugovic cautioned, “At Juve, time doesn’t exist. If you win, the season is positive. Otherwise, it’s not. Thiago Motta’s ideas are interesting, after all, almost all the best coaches were midfielders.”
Looking ahead to the title race, Jugovic said, “Inter is ahead and is favored: the team and play are well-established, Simone Inzaghi remained on the bench. I expect Juventus to fight until the end. It will be a good championship because Conte doesn’t play to participate, and it will be the same in Naples.”
On comparisons between himself and Koopmeiners, Jugovic remarked, “Koopmeiners seems more offensive, he scores more than me. My seasonal record was 11 goals; he finished with 15 in his last season with Atalanta. He’s a great midfielder: if he confirms himself at Juventus, he can become a championship-winning signing.”
Finally, on Vlahovic’s potential to score 30 goals this season, Jugovic was optimistic: “Why not? It could be the right year, I wish him that. But Dusan’s season will also depend on Juventus’s.”