An interview with Samuel Mbangula, one of the biggest surprises of Juventus this season, on the Lega Serie A YouTube channel.
SEASON DEBUT WITH A GOAL - "At the beginning of the season, before the match against Como, I didn’t expect much. I had just been called up to the first team, and for me, as well as for others, it was unthinkable to start as a regular in the first league game. It was our season debut, and we had to gain confidence and, of course, win because we are Juventus. It was totally unexpected—when the coach announced the starting lineup, I was shocked. I struggled to stay still and focused, I was in a whirlwind of emotions. But then, I managed to do my job and immediately repay the coach’s trust."
THIAGO MOTTA - "I get along very well with the coach. He expects a lot from me, and I know I have his trust. I will always be grateful to him for believing in me from the start. He always pushes me to do my best and understand where I can improve, pointing out what works and what doesn’t. He compliments me but also tells me not to be satisfied with past achievements but to keep working hard and improving. I think he’s the right coach for me, especially because he helps me grow as a player."
DIFFICULTIES - "The secret to getting back up is the unity of the team. If everyone has the same final goal—both the team and the coach—then even if the result doesn’t always come, it doesn’t matter. You pick yourself up and get back on track. In our squad, we all have different qualities, and if we put them at the service of the team, we can achieve our objectives."
JUVENTUS CALL AT 16 YEARS OLD - "I realized I wanted to be a footballer and that football was my passion when I was very young, especially thanks to Captain Tsubasa, which I used to watch. That’s where it all started. When Juventus reached out to me, I was at Anderlecht. I had other offers, but Juve presented their project to me—they were very convinced, and from the way they spoke, I understood that they truly believed in me. Now, I want to repay their trust. Since I’ve been here, I’ve already learned a lot about tactics and the mental aspect of the game. Now, I have a fire inside me that I didn’t have before. At Juve, if you don’t give 100%, you will never succeed."
GOALS - "At the beginning of the season, my goal was just to get some playing time. Now, I want to become an important player for the team and perform at my best every time I step onto the pitch. I want to make the most of every opportunity, both in terms of performances and scoring. Juventus' goal is always to win. We want to win every match and go all the way in every competition. That’s how things work at Juve."
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