12 July 2016
Miralem Pjanic says he is eager to help Juventus build on their sensational achievements over the last five years, citing his desire for “big targets” as one of the main reasons behind his decision to trade Rome for Turin this summer.
The Bosnian midfielder, 26, joined the club in June but officially met the media for the first time today at Juventus Stadium, where his hunger to succeed in the black and white stripes was evident throughout the entire duration of the press conference.
High hopes
“I’m here to do my bit for the team and achieve big targets. A team like Juventus always wants to beat any opponent in any competition. Winning a sixth consecutive Scudetto would represent a wonderful feat and see history rewritten. I hope I’m able to contribute to us getting there.”
Winning welcome
“I’ve received plenty of welcome messages and everyone’s instantly made me feel at home. It’s a tight-knit group here and I’ll aim to help out my team-mates. We’ve got plenty of top individuals, but Juventus’ strength over the past few years has been the group’s team spirit.”
Pjanic-Pirlo
“I think our games are a little different. Pirlo was the best midfielder in Serie A and displayed his exceptional qualities wherever he played. I hope I’m able to do just as well.”
Set-piece specialist
“I’ve worked alongside a specialist, just like Juninho did when he was at Lyon, but every player has a different technique. I’m perfecting mine and trying to be as dangerous as possible, because games are sometimes decided by set pieces.”
Roma return
“I will be happy to go back to the Olimpico. I spent five wonderful years there and it will be a special game for me. It wasn’t easy to leave Rome, but I’m convinced Juventus is the team for me.”
Five alive
“Last year I wore the number 15 shirt, but it’s already taken here. I’ll therefore be wearing the number 5. My idol, Zinedine Zidane, wore it and I’ll be very proud to follow in his footsteps.”
