28 March 2019
“It's a really important day and I'm very happy. It was what I wanted and what I worked for every day. The most important thing is that even from the club, there was the same feeling.” Daniele Rugani is radiant after signing a contract renewal until 2023, and while speaking to Juventus TV's microphones, he retraced the stages of his first four seasons with Juventus.
The defender remembers his debuts; from his Champions League debut on September 30, 2015, to those in the Italian Cup and in the league: “I remember my first match well, against Sevilla in the final minutes (of the game). We won and I carry that evening in my heart. Even my debut in the Italian Cup was nice, then there was immediately the Derby at home in front of our fans and we won 4-0. My first (goal) in the championship was against Carpi- it was a nice way to break the ice. It was the last game before the Christmas break, we had a difficult start, but we were in recovery. Instead, in a strange game, we took home a victory that allowed us to continue our journey and win an incredible championship.”
With 81 presences so far, coupled with seven goals, two of which were scored this season against Chievo and Parma, Rugani couldn't help but chat about his vesatility on the field: “I try (to score), because I have always had the insertion time and the body. Of course, for a defender it is rarer to score, but it is a double joy. I hope to keep doing it to win big games. What I'm most fond of is the goal against Cagliari at home, in the first game of my second year at Juve. I broke the deadlock and with it being my first goal the whole team threw me a big party. For us defenders, the goal is a satisfaction, but it is not our job, the one that most satisfies us is a rescue or a duel won.”
Rugani’s black and white adventure will continue for a long time to come, but Daniele's dream is focused solely on the near future: "It's the same for everyone, no need to hide. We hope to return to Madrid, in the stadium where we were a few weeks ago, and raise the cup,” adds the defender. “The biggest dream is definitely that.”
