11 May 2016
With five years of defensive security behind them, Juventus can now look forward to at least two more until June 2018 as the future of long-serving centre-back Andrea Barzagli was confirmed at today’s press conference in Vinovo.
Sitting alongside friend and colleague Gianluigi Buffon and club president Andrea Agnelli, Barzagli’s first feeling – as it was when he first put pen to paper with the Bianconeri in January 2011 – was one of pride as the defender looked ahead to continuing his relationship with one of the biggest names in world football and bringing ever more success to its supporters.
“I am truly proud to be here committing my future to Juventus,” he began. “Above all, it is a badge of honour to represent a club as prestigious as this one: when I arrived, I felt focused on the years ahead but also nervous about playing at such an impressive stadium and in front of such passionate fans.
“I would like to thank the president, the directors, the club and of course my team-mates with whom I share a fantastic bond, one that has led us to another unforgettable season.
“I can’t wait to get back into action this weekend and celebrate this year’s history making achievements with my team-mates and then to take to the field in Rome with another piece of silverware up for grabs.”
While this season will go down as one that rewrote the history of the game in Italy, the past nine months have also witnessed Andrea’s timely return to full fitness and led many to reassert claims that the 35-year old is one of the best defenders in the world.
For Barzagli however, such high praise is to be appreciated and used as inspiration to improve even further.
“Last season was a difficult one for me given how much of it I spent on the sidelines. Nevertheless I always believed that I could come back and return to the very top and I’d like to think that my performances this season have vindicated that confidence I had in myself.
“It is always great to feel the respect of those who you work with every day but it is not in my nature to say that I am one of the best defenders in the world. Even at this late stage of my career my only goal is to improve and with the players and staff we have here at Juventus, this is the best place for me to do so.”
Turning attentions to the year just passed, the Italy international acknowledged the role played by October’s 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo – seen by many as the turning point in the champions’ campaign – and hailed the consistency shown by his team-mates to overhaul their early-season deficit and make history.
“It is no secret that we discussed as a team what was going wrong after that defeat to Sassuolo. I would say that losing in the way we did forced us to improve and gave us the necessary boost to start playing at the levels that were expected of us.
"The most important part came afterwards: from then on, the consistency of our results and performances was extraordinary and carried us all the way to a fifth league triumph in a row.”
If defeat in Reggio Emilia was the secret to his season’s triumph then the ability to adapt is the secret for a prosperous future for the Bianconeri, wise advise coming from a player who can now look forward to a 19th season as a professional footballer.
He concluded, “This game is always changing, whether in the way that your opposition plays or even simply the personnel in your squad, but it is up to us all to adapt accordingly. It’s something we are all aware of and it adds to the challenge of being a professional over such a sustained period.”
