Only twelve months ago the branch of the Brazilian from the Aston Villa seemed a big blow. Here’s how instead, after a season on the margins, he proved to be a sensational flop for Juve
That something was wrong had to be understood perhaps from the beginning. The first day of the Serie A 2024-25, 19 August: at the Stadium La Nuova Juve by Thiago Motta begins against the newly promoted Como in an atmosphere of great enthusiasm for what should have been the new Juventus course in the name of beautiful game and youth. The footballer so far more paid than the summer (he will then be exceeded by Koopmeiners) is not there. He leaves on the bench, because the Juventus coach prefers a boy to his debut: Samuel Mbangula. Out of the beginning and outside the end, Douglas Luiz: off the pitch first and outside the project then, even if perhaps he never fell inside Juve. Since the attitude with which he landed in Turin and with which he is now leaving it in default.
Douglas Luiz’s engagement at Juve
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A nice blow, taking advantage of a great market opportunity. This was the unanimous opinion among the insiders when the then the then DT of Juve, Cristiano Giuntoli, makes the operation with the Aston Villa: evaluation of 50 million for the Brazilian, but with just under half of the value covered by the tags of Barrenechea (8) and Iling-Jr. (14). The British have to make a capital gain by 30 June and two young players take home, Juve has the best midfielder of the Premier League in Serie A, returning from a season of 10 goals and 10 assists. Everything seems perfect. Also because the bianconeri try to support him also from a personal point of view and also hire his (now ex) girlfriend Alisha Lehmann, Star Social footballer with over 16 million followers, registered with the Women team. But there is another face of the medal that at Continassa soon discover, as soon as Douglas Luiz joins the companions to work. In training Thiago Motta finds a fairly indolent footballer, who prefers to have the ball between his feet rather than jump into the spaces as he would impose his style of play, which to the high and offensive pressing requested by the coach responds with a low and compassed pace. Add a precarious physical condition after Copa America and you will get the perfect storm: 4 muscle injuries in season that make it practically unusable.
Juve, how much Douglas Luiz cost
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Thus, the Juventus fans instead of the smiling Brazilian who exults mimicking a fishing rod, find themselves in front of a clumsy and bent footballer, who see on the field for just 877 minutes out of a total of 4950 (18%), with only 6 appearances as a titular out of 27, the last of which even more than 5 months ago. That between annual amortization cost (9.7 million) and gross engagement (9.25) cost Juve 21 thousand euros per minute. Or, if you prefer, 700 thousand euros per game. And that when he plays he only combines trouble, like the two clumsy penalties in 5 days caused against Leipzig and Cagliari, signs of a player disconnected from the reality in which he is.
Douglas Luiz and the social outlet
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Between a theft immediately at home after the game against Lazio and an evening at the disco after the 4-0 defeat suffered at home by Atalanta, the season from “Ugly duck” by Douglas Luiz always drags on the margins, from Thiago Motta to Tudor, with the misery of 82 minutes played in the 10 games of the Croatian management. The social outlet at the end of April seems a shot of pride. In reality, perhaps, it was only the antechamber of the breakdown of these days. “I did not come here just to publish photos and I want things to be different. Why did a purchase like mine play two consecutive games with this shirt? – the Brazilian unbuttoning by responding to a fan on Instagram -. The accidents hindered me, yes. But how long I remained on the bench while I was in health? It’s not easy, but you can count on me! “. Instead it will not be so, because at the meeting for the next season, three months later, Douglas Luiz has not even introduced himself. Unjustified absence, to certification of a total failure. Perhaps by thinking about that game against Como, it could be imagined that there was something wrong. But nobody could have thought that it would end so badly.
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