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Igor Tudor Commits to Di Gregorio and Praises Vlahovic’s Focus Ahead of Verona Clash

Juventus head coach Igor Tudor

Key Takeaways:

  • Igor Tudor confirmed that Michele Di Gregorio will remain Juventus’s first-choice goalkeeper for the entire season
  • Dusan Vlahovic has netted four goals as a substitute and is Juventus’s leading scorer this season
  • Juventus are unbeaten heading into their Serie A encounter at Verona following a 4-3 win over Inter and a 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund

Focus Shifts to Hellas Verona Trip

Juventus head coach Igor Tudor addressed the media on Friday before his side’s Serie A fixture against Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi. The Bianconeri approach the contest with momentum following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Inter in domestic action and a pulsating 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Tudor emphasised the importance of moving on from previous results, stating: “Two matches are behind us and forgotten. The focus is entirely on the next game. There are no excuses. We need to play a great, serious match.”

The Juventus boss acknowledged the fine margins in performance, highlighting the necessity for the team to deliver at their highest level to secure victory. “If we play at 100% and we impose ourselves, we can win. If we drop 90% we struggle against anyone. We need an extraordinary performance to achieve what we want, with no excuses.”

Tudor Stands Firm on Di Gregorio’s Position

Despite criticism aimed at Michele Di Gregorio following the high-scoring draws against Inter and Borussia Dortmund, Tudor made it clear there will be no change in goal, reinforcing Di Gregorio’s status as first-choice goalkeeper for Juventus throughout the season. He asserted: “There’s no rotation. Di Gregorio is a really good goalkeeper. He’s made almost no mistakes,” and added, “He will be the first-choice keeper all year because he’s strong.”

Tudor defended his keeper’s record, remarking, “Out of the seven goals conceded, Di Gregorio was only slightly involved in one.” The manager highlighted that mistakes from goalkeepers are common across the league, but he has not observed such errors from Di Gregorio. “I’m very happy with him,” he declared.

Dusan Vlahovic’s Impact from the Bench

Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic has made a major contribution this campaign, registering four goals as a substitute and emerging as the team’s leading scorer. Tudor commented on Vlahovic’s improved mindset: “He’s less worried and more focused. That’s important for him; being clear-headed about what he has to do, when he’s like that, is an essential detail for him.”

PlayerPositionKey StatStatus for Next Match
Michele Di GregorioGoalkeeperConceded 7 goals in last 2 matchesWill start, no rotation
Dusan VlahovicForward4 goals as substitute, Juventus top scorerAvailable

Maintaining Mentality and Desire

The coach also reflected on the unpredictable nature of football and the resilience shown by his team in recent matches. “I’m always surprised, because every match confirms what you want to achieve. It’s like a living organism that must be sensed every day, every hour. Then you get these two matches, it’s sometimes inexplicable, uncontrollable,” Tudor said.

He pointed out the influence of factors such as the international break and tight match scheduling, but insisted that desire and mentality are internal strengths Juventus must preserve. “But desire and mentality are things we carry within, and we have to maintain them.”


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