13 May 2024
Kind, available, and always smiling: ahead of the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta - scheduled for Wednesday, 15 May at 21:00 CEST at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome - we had the pleasure of chatting with former Juventus striker Alessandro Matri; with us 2011 to 2013, with a second spell in Turin in 2015. And it was during those final months at Juve that Matri scored a decisive and unforgettable goal in the 97th minute of that season's Coppa Italia final, securing success in a competition that had been missing from the Bianconeri's trophy cabinet for 20 years.
We started from that goal, from those emotions, to talk about the past and the present, about what awaits Juventus in the match against Atalanta and what it means to be part of the Bianconeri family.
A FINAL GOAL TO FRAME
"There are many memories because it was still a final, moreover in a magical year where we had also managed to reach the final of the Champions League. Going back to the Coppa Italia, we were coming off a very tough double match-up against Fiorentina, who had beaten us at home in the first leg thanks to Salah's double, but we had done very well to overturn the result in Florence by winning 0-3.
"Beating Lazio in the final is a beautiful memory because I had returned to Juventus in the winter transfer window, in January 2015, and one of my intentions was to make my mark, to be able to make an impact with my goals. I already knew the squad, and it was a very close-knit group. The game and the goal are an indelible memory. It had never happened to me to score in a final and I must say that the emotion was enormous. In that match I came on from the bench, taking Nando's place [Fernando Llorente, ed], and I even managed to score a goal in regulation time before it was chalked off. Let's say I then tried very hard to score another in extra time and when I did, it was a real liberation. It was probably a sign of destiny, also because before my goal Djordjevic had hit a sensational shot onto the woodwork. It was a beautiful burst of joy when my strike went in the goal. Then, at the final whistle, the celebrations began, and I still remember that the then President Andrea Agnelli came to congratulate us and, hugging me, he thanked me for the goal scored and told me that that was the trophy his father cared most about. I'll never forget those words. They are beautiful memories that I will always carry with me.
Volevo lasciare un'impronta nel mio ritorno alla Juve nel 2015, il gol ai supplementari in finale di Coppa Italia è stato un segno del destino Alessandro Matri, parlando della rete alla Lazio al 97'
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING A TROPHY
"I think the Coppa Italia is an important trophy, like the others. I had the feeling that this competition became important again for Juventus when for a few years they reached the semi-finals and in some cases even the final. Clearly, then, the one we won in 2015 against Lazio, the tenth, raised the level of importance of the tournament for Juventus even further and, as a consequence, it also led other teams to play it with more stimulus and with the desire to want to win it. Winning a trophy is an opportunity, always, even more so if it allows you to qualify for a European competition.
"We approached that final well, with the right sense of calm. In that group there was an awareness of being a quality team. Then, clearly, everyone experienced it in their own way. When I speak of calmness, I mean that of the whole group, then each player approached that match with his own state of mind. I, for example, was always a little tense before every game, and it was my first final and, as I said, I always experienced the approach to the games with a little pressure. You always need to have the right tension, I sometimes, perhaps, lived them with too much tension [laughs, ed].
UNDERSTANDING WITH PIRLO
"I remember the goal well. The action started with Andrea [Pirlo, ed]. I knew I had to attack the space, and he knew I would attack it. His pass, as always, was perfect. I remember that I didn't control the ball very well, but fortunately it stayed there, in the area, and Tevez tried to kick it, hitting the ball against a Lazio defender. At that point I found myself with the ball on my right and I kicked towards the goal, not even too well [laughs, ed], but I managed to score a goal that turned out to be very important. The first to embrace me was Barza [Andrea Barzagli, ed], but then I was overwhelmed by all my teammates. It was a wonderful feeling. To score a goal, moreover as a substitute, was really a huge joy for me. Let's say that trying to make an impact in the game has always been one of my best characteristics. I really liked going into the game to try to make an impact, it was an extra incentive to do well when I was called upon. It was also a way to make it difficult for coaches who decided not to start me [laughs]. Incidentally, in that specific case, if Morata had not been disqualified, I probably would not have played that final because Alvaro and Tevez would have started and it would probably have been Llorente's turn to take over as the game went on. Fate, instead, wanted Alvaro to be disqualified for that match.
"I think returning to a team where you have already played is never easy. However, I was very convinced about my choice to return to Juventus because I knew I would find a strong group, made up of friends before teammates. A beautiful group had been created, which, for me, was the real added-value of that squad. There were well-defined roles and it's never easy to have them, especially at big clubs like Juventus.
"My relationship with scoring goals at Juventus was very special, also because I knew that either I would score or I wouldn't play - so I'll let you imagine... [laughs, ed.]. There are goals I'm particularly fond of, apart from the one in the Coppa Italia final: against Inter at San Siro in my first months at Juventus, or the one in the match against Milan in the famous 'Muntari goal' match. In those cases the atmosphere in the stadium, the environment: these are emotions that you rarely relive, the Scudetto is up for grabs, you score a goal like that away from home. There are many memories I'm fond of, but if I have to rank them, I'd put Lazio in the Coppa Italia final first, then Milan in February 2012 and Inter in 2011.
Tornare dove hai già giocato non è semplice: nel 2015 desideravo la Juve perché era un gruppo formato da amici, prima ancora che da compagni Alessandro Matri
THIS YEAR'S FINAL, AND THE FUTURE
"How do you beat Atalanta? Well, many have tried, some have described it like a session at the dentist for example. As you can see, I didn't coach... [laughs, ed.]. The reading of the match is the most difficult thing, there are many moments in the same match: Atalanta has changed over time, before it was all man-to-man marking to catch the opponents high, now it has changed. This is one of the many strengths of a group that manages to play at a very high intensity and is second to none in physical clashes. To overcome Atalanta you can think of winning through the play of an individual - Juventus have important players who can make an impact; certainly then by exploiting the defensive organisation, a characteristic that Juventus have in their DNA, that of knowing how to suffer. They are one of the most complicated opponents Juventus could face, that's for sure.
"For teams like Juventus, Inter, Milan, who are used to European competitions, it is not an advantage to take the field only once a week - as has been emphasised several times this year. They are teams not used to preparing a match for seven days, you risk that the level of attention drops because the players have other rhythms, they always keep the tension high. It makes me think of what happened against Empoli in January: after that challenge Juventus had a whole week before the match against Inter and in the minds of the players there was plenty of time to think about the missed opportunity to get virtually ahead in the direct confrontation, instead having only three days you only think about the match and not about what happened. Having only one match a week is different: you feel the mood of those on the bench, the annoyances, the misunderstandings. A lot of dynamics are triggered that shift the focus away from the game."
