De Ligt: 'Juventus perfect teachers'

By Football Italia staff

Matthijs de Ligt described his education at Juventus, both on and off the field, with “perfect teachers” like Cristiano Ronaldo and Maurizio Sarri.

The former Ajax defender expressed disappointment at being on the bench for the win at Parma, but looks like he’ll be pushed into the starting XI for his debut tonight against Napoli, because Giorgio Chiellini is out for possibly six months with a torn ACL.

“I am surprised when I see criticism if I don’t play, as this is part of the process for a young player moving to a top level European club,” De Ligt told De Telegraaf.

“Before coming here, I had a long conversation with Maurizio Sarri. He said what he wanted from me and that the first month would be a period of great change, which is true of any defender who works with him.

“I do realise that I am getting better every day, in good shape and simply a stronger player. There are so many tournaments during the season and it’s positive to have five very strong defenders in the squad. I just have to look after myself and ask every day if I’ve done everything to improve.”

The Dutch talent admits the Juventus experience is very different to what he is accustomed to at Ajax.

“The medical alone took an hour and a half, they even inspected my teeth. What I found most fascinating is that they could even see my physical potential. I was pleasantly surprised by their conclusion, because there is still so much more growth for me and I know now hard work will be rewarded. The staff tell me where I am out of 100 and how to reach 100 per cent of my potential.

“Everyone wants to win every game in training. The work we do is primarily tactical, whereas the emphasis at Ajax was on positioning. At Juventus, everyone is very concentrated on discipline and reciprocal agreements. Everything is discussed in detail. Because we’re defending in a line, the co-ordination and communication with your teammates has to be perfect.

“This is all very helpful for my own personal development, as I am becoming a more complete defender. This was the right choice for me, because almost all the big clubs – including Manchester City – play zonal defending.

“Essentially, Sarri’s idea of defence is not really very different to our approach in the Netherlands. We have a Coach who plays with a high line, we are not allowed to back off. That is what he wants and that is what I have always done at Ajax.”

De Ligt is also learning from teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on how to live as a top player both on and off the field.

“Ronaldo and the other big stars here are perfect teachers. They show me how much I can improve if I take care of my body and release that potential.

“It is extraordinary the madness he has to deal with, it’s 1,000 times more than what I experience. When we went to Asia, he took one step outside and people practically jumped on him, some were even trying to squeeze through emergency exits of the hotel just to get a glimpse.

“Despite all that, Ronaldo takes time for his fans and that too is an important lesson for me. Sometimes you think, ‘not now,’ but it’s really such a small effort and can give people such pleasure. We owe them a great deal.”

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