“One year at Juve is worth seven” – Locatelli living the dream, explains Spalletti rapport | OneFootball

Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli expressed his delight after renewing his contract with the club until June 2030.

The midfielder has made a noticeable leap in quality this season, consolidating his role as the team’s leader on and off the pitch. The 28-year-old has been rewarded with a new and improved contract.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash against Bologna, Locatelli held a pre-match press conference instead of his coach, Luciano Spalletti, and he took the opportunity to express what playing for Juventus means to him.

“When I knew today I had to do this press conference, I asked myself how I could explain what I feel — renewing with Juventus, being the captain — it’s hard to put into words,” said the Italian international via TuttoJuve.

“The answer is something I’d give tomorrow to any kid who comes to watch Juventus: ‘Have you supported Juve since you were little? Would you like to become captain one day and commit to a project like this?’ That’s my answer.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right words because we live off emotions, even if at times we have to be like robots. But these are very happy moments — it’s another dream come true, and a huge responsibility. I feel the trust of the fans and the club, and that they look to me on the pitch. For me, this is a massive dream, and I’m very happy to have renewed with Juve.”

Manuel Locatelli explains the difference between Juventus & other clubs

Locatelli arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2021, so if he ends up fulfilling his new contract, he’d have played nine years for the club.

The midfielder believes this would be quite an achievement considering how demanding the environment is.

“Joking with my teammates, we always say that one year at Juve equals seven elsewhere because of the pressure.

“It would be beautiful to spend nine years here, but there’s no point thinking too far ahead. What matters is what you do now, on the pitch. The important thing is performance. The good thing is we’ve built a great group, and I’m happy to share it with them.”

The former Milan and Sassuolo man has had his fair share of highs and lows, and was at times the subject of harsh criticism.

So, when asked how he managed to turn jeers into applause, Locatelli revealed that the secret lies in how he reacted to tough moments.

“The most important thing I’ve learned at Juventus is how to react. Everyone knows I went through difficult moments here — people booed me and criticised me. But I was always there, always available, always trying to question myself.

“When you react and give everything, that’s what matters most. Reaction is the foundation for playing at this level.”

Locatelli on his growing relationship with Luciano Spalletti

In the summer of 2024, Luciano Spalletti decided to drop Locatelli from the Euro 2024 squad, which set the stage for an awkward reunion at Juventus this season.

Nevertheless, the club captain insists that whatever happened with the Italian national team is now water under the bridge, as the two men have now formed a solid bond.

“With Spalletti, when we were with the national team, we didn’t know each other very well personally. Since he arrived, I’ve made myself available — it was the only thing I could do.

“When he came into the Juventus world, he spoke to me straight away, and what he said was important — he knew how important I had become for this team. I put myself at his disposal, but the best thing is that he gave me confidence from the start.”

Locatelli also revealed that the 67-year-old tried his best to cheer up the Italian contingent following their recent failure to qualify for the World Cup.

“We’ve had better weeks for sure. When we returned, the coach spoke to us Italians — he was sorry, he understood what we were going through.

“He’s been in the national team himself, so he knew. He told us we had the objective of qualifying for the Champions League — in football, you have to think about the next match. Now we’re focused on Juventus because we want to reach the Champions League.”