Claudio Marchisio sees Juventus at a point where patience matters as much as ambition. The former midfielder, now working as a technical adviser and mental coach at the Circum agency alongside partner Alessandro Tocci, believes the club must protect the stability it has sought after years of changes on the bench and in the boardroom.
The decision
Marchisio described the newly announced capital increase from John Elkann as further evidence of the exceptional bond between Juventus and the Agnelli-Elkann family. In his view, the relationship has been a defining strength of the club for more than a century and remains unusual in modern football.
For the team, he wants the same consistency after the international break. Marchisio called for faith in the club’s current leadership, naming Carnevali, Massara and Ottolini, while noting that Luciano Spalletti has already received another endorsement through his renewed contract and is now in his second season in Turin.
Some supporters revived memories of Antonio Conte after the defeat to Sassuolo, but Marchisio said the attachment to the former coach has never disappeared. “Conte means Conte at Juventus,” he said, while insisting that the club cannot answer every setback by reopening the debate over the bench.
He believes Spalletti should retain the backing of the club, particularly after injuries that have included Kenan Yildiz. Marchisio said Juventus should not hide behind absences, yet judged the side to be operating at only 70 to 75 per cent without the Turkish forward. Alajbegovic has promise, he added, but offers something different from Yildiz.
Marchisio expects Juventus to challenge near the top by Christmas after the restart and wants a serious Europa League campaign. He argued that the club should enter every competition intending to win it, stressing that Juventus have gone three decades without a European trophy.
Sunday’s picture
The former Juventus captain does not regard the rebuilt squad as automatically stronger merely because it has brought in ten new signings. It must prove itself, he said, in a Serie A race where Roma, Como, Milan and Napoli are all credible rivals, while Inter remain the team to beat.
His preferred addition is not one of the summer arrivals but what he called “the new Douglas Luiz”. Marchisio always rated the Brazilian’s ability, but believes the midfielder has changed markedly from two years ago and can still contribute more goals.
He also backed Kolo Muani, although he does not view him as a conventional prolific centre-forward. Spalletti, Marchisio said, must find goals from other areas too, including Conceicao, Nico and McKennie.
Jonathan David’s three goals in four games for Atletico Madrid have prompted questions over whether Diego Simeone has transformed him. Marchisio’s answer was simpler: David may not have been the right striker for Juventus at that particular stage.
Asked whether Woltemade could make an impact comparable to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom Marchisio encountered as a young player at Juventus, he urged caution. Woltemade has technique and physical attributes, he said, but appears light, while “Ibrahimovic is Ibrahimovic.”
January may not offer the elite recruits Marchisio would choose, as such players are unlikely to move mid-season and generally want Champions League football. Yet he sees one advantage in a Europa League season: opportunities may arise for academy players.
Owusu made his debut against NEC, and Marchisio hopes further young players can follow. He highlighted Destiny Elimoghale, a 2009-born wide attacker whom he knows well, describing him as a grounded player with considerable potential. Clubs abroad are watching him, but Juventus is his ambition. Marchisio also mentioned Corigliano, Rigo and Rocchetti among the academy prospects.
His own son Davide, 17, is a Juventus Under-18 midfielder who has recently signed his first professional contract and trains under Spalletti. Marchisio said he is proud of the way Davide is living the experience, though he jokingly placed himself behind his wife, Davide’s brother and the grandparents in the queue of supporters. Davide has already noticed the intensity of Federico Gatti’s pressing, telling his father that the defender is “always right on top of you”.
Marchisio said a young player need not follow one fixed route to the highest level. Referring to Kayode’s release by Juventus as a child, he suggested that players can develop elsewhere and even return one day as established professionals.
He welcomed Vicario as an important Juventus signing, while admitting concern over the limited Italian presence in leading clubs. The issue, he said, extends beyond Juventus, with football having changed faster than its regulations.
If Juventus are looking to become more Italian, Marchisio said Sandro Tonali would have been his choice, although he considers that prospect unrealistic. Davide Frattesi could become an option again, he added, revealing a particular appreciation for midfielders who arrive in scoring positions.
On Romano, who moved quickly from being compared with Nemanja Matic to criticism after Italy’s match against Belgium, Marchisio urged protection rather than judgement. He believes an Italy shirt was traditionally earned after at least one or two seasons as a Serie A regular, rather than after four or five appearances. At the same time, he would like Italian clubs to show young players the same courage demonstrated by the national side.
Marchisio expects a demanding test when Italy meet France. Zinedine Zidane remains his favourite French football figure, with Michael Olise his current preference, but he said Italy should not become despondent whatever the result. Roberto Mancini’s work, he concluded, needs time.
