Douglas Costa: 'Greatest compliment'

By Football Italia staff

Douglas Costa wants more from himself after his debut Serie A season. “The greatest compliment I received was that I am worthy of Juventus.”

The Brazilian winger spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport as his debut season at Juve is coming to a close.

“In the first few months, I couldn’t perform to my levels, while I still need to improve in front of goal. The truth is that I have always demanded a lot of myself and continue to do so. The greatest compliment I received was that I am worthy of Juventus.

“After the Champions League exit to Real Madrid, I said that coming to Juve was the best decision I’d ever made in my life. I confirm that.

“When you go out over two legs like that, having lost in Turin and made an incredible comeback at the Bernabeu, regardless of the final result, you can only be proud to be part of a group of champions who proved they can achieve the impossible with pride.”

It wasn’t just Juventus who had complaints about the refereeing against Real Madrid, as for the second year running Bayern Munich have protested, while Roma were furious at two penalties not awarded in the Liverpool game.

“VAR ought to be in all leagues and as the Champions League is the most important club competition in the world, it should be even more focused on these details, regardless of who benefits.”

Yet Juve found themselves with the shoe on the other foot a couple of weeks later, when controversy exploded over Daniele Orsato’s decisions in a 3-2 victory over Inter.

“More than surprised, I am accustomed to this sort of thing, because it happens in Brazil too: they go on debating it for days and days. It’s the same in other countries. I prefer to stay away from controversy.

“It’s one thing if you’re a fan, but a player must realise that a referee is a human being who can make mistakes, so if I complain and protest, it won’t make any difference. I just have to concentrate on the field.”

His extraordinary pace has earned him the nickname Flash, while he confessed to still using tricks learned playing Futsal.

“Even as a child, there was nobody quicker than me… They called me Flash in Germany, a friend said it as a joke and it stuck. I like it. I used to have a lightning bolt in my hair, but I haven’t found a hairdresser in Turin yet capable of doing it. I’ll get it done in Brazil.

“I have 13 tattoos. If we win the Scudetto, I might get a 14th.”

Douglas Costa is no stranger to silverware, having won five league titles with Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and two in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich.

“It has been a strange year with peaks and troughs, situations where Juve could’ve broken clear and didn’t, others where we were trailing. If Juve become champions, it’ll be because of our extraordinary union. This is a very compact and impermeable group that lets nothing seep out and doesn’t let itself be influenced by the outside. That is our strength.”

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