Mutu's Juventus memories
Adrian Mutu has thanked Juventus for turning his career around, but admits he would only go into Serie B for Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli.
Chelsea had sacked the Romanian for failing a drugs test when Juve snapped him up in January 2005 and, after his ban expired, began to rediscover his talent and form.
“I have to thank the club and the directors – the old ones, especially Luciano Moggi – as I owe them a great deal. They picked me up in a difficult moment of my career and helped me turn it around.”
Moggi and most of the administration were removed when Juve were demoted to Serie B in the Calciopoli scandal, but Mutu admits he was never going to stick with the club like Gianluigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero.
“I only thought about following them to Serie B in a very superficial manner. The directors had gone, but I had the chance to remain in Serie A in a great city like Florence,” he told 'La Stampa’ newspaper.
“My real choice though was Prandelli, the same Coach I had at Parma. He is extraordinary. Now if he had been in charge of Juve, I would have accepted the demotion, but only for him.”
Mutu’s Bianconeri past made his transition to Fiorentina difficult to begin with, but he has now become a symbol of the side.
“The Fiorentina fans are very demanding, especially as I came from their historic rivals. I learned though that if you give everything on the field, even in Florence they change their minds.
“I have a contract that expires in 2011 and am very intrigued by what is being built here. I would love to take the club to the Scudetto and experience the World Cup with Romania. My last major tournament was the 2000 European Championships and that is not enough.
“As for my future, I can see myself as a Coach,” he concluded.
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