Month: February 2020

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Asked about Neymar, Mestre – who resigned in July – told Mundo Deportivo: “The players asked for him, but didn’t pressure the club. I came off badly in that.

“If he had come back and the club had benefitted because of it, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. I’m not that proud.

“On sporting terms he could come back but on a series of conditions. Firstly, PSG have to agree, then he would have to withdraw his lawsuit and acknowledge that he was in the wrong and after that, all the birthday parties in Brazil would have to stop.

“There were players from the first team squad who were at a wedding with him but had no idea that he wanted to leave.”

On his own exit from Barca, Mestre said: “I felt I’d been fighting an uphill battle for some time. I had a different ideas about things to other board members but it wasn’t important.

“I realised that I was the only one who thought in a certain way. The football committee which comprised [Josep Maria] Bartomeu, [Javier] Bordas, [Jaume] Elias and [Xavier] Vilajoana were not in agreement with me or with Pep Segura in his role as general manager. I was the only one who defended him and I felt alone.”

It has been a turbulent period for Barca – who are three points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid – after head coach Ernesto Valverde was sacked, while superstar captain Lionel Messi was involved in a public row with director of football Eric Abidal.

“You have to recognise the merits of everything they have achieved in recent years,” Mestre said.

“The least they deserve is some respect and gratitude but you also have to be aware that nothing lasts forever. We are going through a transition and so you have to give people time and be patient.”

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But he has bounced back this term under Maurizio Sarri, scoring 11 goals and laying on 11 assists in Juve’s bid for success on three fronts.

Marchisio, a former team-mate of the Argentina international’s in Turin, has been impressed by Dybala’s turnaround in form and feels he is living up to the number on his back.

“Paulo is among the top five Juventus number 10’s ever,” he told DAZN . 

“I was very impressed by Rodrigo Bentancur’s progressive growth and I am happy with Dybala’s comeback. He is showing, as before, that he is truly a champion.”

Marchisio spent 25 years at Juventus after joining the club’s youth academy aged seven, eventually going on to win 55 caps for the Italian national team.

He was part of the Juventus’ side which competed in Serie B during the 2006-07 season following the club’s relegation on the back of the Calciopoli scandal.

The midfielder made a total of 389 appearances for his hometown club before hanging up his boots in 2019 after a spell with Zenit St.Petersburg.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club just as Marchisio left, and the Italian said he would have liked the opportunity to play alongside him.

“Of course I would have liked to play with Ronaldo,” added Marchisio. 

“During that summer many told me that I could not go away just at the moment when he arrived, but the choices of their lives cannot be tied to players who arrive. 

“The beauty of Cristiano is what led to Juve. He raised the bar of a team that already knew how it was done.”

He also spoke of the impact Antonio Conte had on his career, with the former Juve boss now the manager of fellow Serie A title challengers, Inter.

“He was one of the most important coaches during my career, he was very important not only for me but for everyone. 

“He is the one who brought back the true soul of Juventus in us the players after dark years and where he made us win not only on the field.”

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