Juventus Have Already Decided On Kalulu’s Future As Tudor Continues To Revitalize The Team

Written By Onyeka Daniel

Igor Tudor’s second game in charge as Juventus coach may have ended in a draw, but there seems to be an improvement in performance of the players as they played out a 1-1 at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma, though it is still too early to tell.

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After the game, Italian midfielder, Manuel Locatelli revealed what the new coach told the players to revitalise them after the Thiago Motta tenure, and the meaning behind his goal celebration against Roma. The captain had opened the scoring with a splendid volley from the edge of the area, pouncing on the weak Zeki Celik clearance.

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However, it was cancelled out straight after the restart by substitute Eldor Shomurodov, who turned in the rebound from a parried Evan N’Dicka header. Following his goal, Locatelli pointed to the Juventus badge on his jersey.

He then made a ‘T’ gesture with his hand, referencing his wife Thessa. “Wearing the captain’s armband represents so much,” the Italy international told DAZN. “We put in a good performance this evening, although we wanted to get all three points.”

The Bianconeri came out fighting from the start with a very aggressive attitude, having 85 per cent possession in the opening 15 minutes. Unlike the often static and frustrating possession kept in the Thiago Motta era, Juve have greater intensity under new coach Tudor and focus on passing it forward.

This was only the second match under Tudor, so what did the Croatian say to make such a difference in the squad? “When the coach arrived, he immediately asked us to be more aggressive,” explained Locatelli. “He told us to believe in ourselves, because we are capable of performances like this.”

“Roma also deserve credit for righting back, we were tired as the second half went on, but by playing like this, we can achieve some good things.” He further added. Meanwhile, the club has reportedly decided to sign Pierre Kalulu on a permanent transfer from Milan for €14m plus add-ons.

The French defender joined the Bianconeri in the summer transfer window on a €3.3m loan deal. The agreement between the two clubs included an option to buy for the Bianconeri for €14m plus €3m add-ons. According to TMW, Juventus decided to pay this fee at the end of the season, following Kalulu’s positive performance this season.

So far, the 24-year-old has made 34 appearances this season, scoring one goal. Last night, he was among the best players on the pitch against Roma. He played 112 games for Milan before joining Juventus on a temporary transfer last summer.

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The former Lyon defender has collected 108 appearances in Serie A, scoring four goals and providing two assists. The versatile defender has been deployed as a right-back and as a centre-back by Rossoneri and Bianconeri.

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