Manuel Locatelli expressed his view that “the only match where we genuinely performed poorly was against Manchester City” during the Club World Cup. Juventus were knocked out of the tournament following a narrow 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid.
The Bianconeri were aware they faced a challenging draw after finishing second in their group behind Manchester City. However, their elimination came with just a minimal 1-0 loss against Real Madrid in Miami.
Gonzalo Garcia scored the deciding goal with an unchallenged header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross. Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio played a crucial role in limiting the scoreline with several significant saves.
Locatelli saw Juventus improvement
Speaking to Sport Mediaset, Locatelli commented, “I believe we gave our absolute best today, even against a formidable opponent, showing excellent team spirit. They managed to score, and we didn`t, which is regrettable, but the solitary match in this competition where we truly underperformed was against Manchester City.”
He added, “As Juventus, our aspiration was naturally to advance further in the tournament, but this was the outcome. Juventus should never be satisfied with an early exit, but we exerted maximum effort and displayed the correct approach, unlike the Manchester City game where we were too slow and allowed them to dominate.”
This defeat confirms Juventus` elimination from the Club World Cup at the Round of 16 stage. Their fate mirrors that of Inter, who were knocked out 2-0 by Brazilian side Fluminense the previous night.
Locatelli also acknowledged the demanding schedule, stating, “It has been a lengthy and intense season; we are fatigued. Now we must rest and aim to begin again with renewed energy.”
Despite uncertainties surrounding the coaching position at the end of the Serie A season, Igor Tudor finalized his new contract prior to the commencement of the Club World Cup.
Locatelli concluded by emphasizing the need for rest rather than looking ahead, saying, “This is not the moment to consider the next season; we simply need to spend time with our families and replenish our energy levels.”
