Brazil, Danilo: “At Juve, we Brazilians have learned to suffer”

In Brazil’s retreat at the Juventus Center in Turin, Danilo’s press conference, Juve defender and announced right-back for the Seleçao at the World Cup. Here are his words and reflections.

Isn’t Brazil too offensive?

“Our defensive ability is solid, our forwards participate in the work of recovering the ball. Tite (the coach, ed.) knows how to give us the right balance”.

“They are needed as channels of communication between people, but there are exaggerations and I think they should be limited.”

On the fact that Brazil didn’t face the best European national teams.

“We are South Americans and we qualify in South America, but most of us play in Europe and know this football. We don’t have a great need to face the European selections because we are prepared for them, we play in their football.”

Why prepare in Europe to play in the Qatar desert?

“But we’ll only stay here in Turin for five days. The Juve Center is an excellent structure, the best possible. Then I play for Juve… I see it as an important step”.

At the 2018 World Cup, Brazil was stopped by injuries.

“I’ve been playing for the national team for years, I was hoping to play and win more, but I’m prepared at every level to face this World Cup.”

“I like to write and on one page I wrote that I saw a beautiful rainbow at the base of the mountain. Then I climbed to the top and the rainbow was gone, but from there you could see a wonderful panorama”.

Perhaps Danilo means that an opportunity can arise from a problem.

Competition from Dani Alves.

“Everyone knows who Dani Alves is. He has great skills, he creates space, he knows how to pass the ball. For me he is a source of inspiration. He is an example for leadership because he knows how to make himself heard even in difficult moments. He is always cheerful and gives everything in every training session himself. He has incredible resilience, he always thinks about the next game. There are no rivalries between us, this is a compact group and everyone contributes in the best possible way”.

“We played every two or three days, it was difficult, but in Qatar we will stay fixed in one place. It will be a very special tournament, in November and in the heat”.

“I read and listen. We accept the responsibility, but there are also other very strong teams, such as France and Argentina, two selections that will continue in the Cup. We will play to realize the dream we had as children, lift the Cup to celebrate with the friends and families”.

“He’s like a brother to me, we shared many things together. We played together for Santos and Porto. Our families see each other. I used to visit him in Turin before moving to Juve. Playing in the World Cup with him is a source of pride and happiness “.

“Yes, I practice it to disconnect from tensions. Football demands a lot and I need to take time out, sometimes, to be with myself or with a book in my hand. Yoga is a productive way to relax.”

About the mixing of young and old in Tite’s Brazil.

“We ‘old’ talk to young people through experience. The beauty of this group is homogeneity, a blend of youth and experience. I see a great sense of responsibility in the kids, there is a great connection between us”.

“There is a super understanding between us and him. Neymar connects with anyone who plays next to him and in the group he is a dispenser of happiness because he is always cheerful and positive”.

On the made in Juve defense of Brazil.

“Since I’ve been in Italy my defensive game has changed positively and so it happened to Bremer and Alex. This is what we can add to the Brazilian national team. Here we learned the capacity to suffer, here at Juve I mean: it’s one more thing that we can pass on to Brazil”.