“I’m similar to Cancelo” – João Mário on ‘impossible to refuse’ Juventus switch | OneFootball

Portugal international João Mário has been speaking about his early days with new club Juventus, having left FC Porto for the Italian giants last month in a €12m deal.

In an interview with Turin publication Tuttosport, the 25-year-old discussed his new life in Italy, as well as the expectations he faces in one of the most demanding clubs in Europe. João Mário was also inevitably asked about other former Bianconeri Portuguese, including Cristiano Ronaldo and João Cancelo.

"I'm very happy, as is obvious,” João Mário said, having ended his career-long association with Porto to make the move towards the end of July. "Coming to a great Italian club, with such a magnificent history, makes me feel proud. The first few days were positive. The players and coaching staff welcomed me immediately.

“I can only be happy. It's a top-quality group, made up of good players. It will be a way to test myself and improve my game. I think I'm ready for the challenge.

"The league here is much more competitive, with more teams fighting for the title than in Portugal. But it's also very prestigious, and I know it will be a good opportunity to grow at this club. I hope to have great adventures. Maybe even in the Champions League. And there we'll try to do our best. We know there are some high-quality teams, who are the favourites, but we're not interested in being one: we simply want to play in all competitions, trying to do our best, and we're working to achieve that."

Ronaldo and Cancelo

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and João Cancelo turned out for Juve in recent years, so it felt certain the Turin publication would ask João Mário about his colleagues. "Since I was a child, I've always been inspired by Cristiano. He's an example for the way he works and the ambition that always drives him to strive for more."

As for Cancelo, who João Mário replaced when making his Portugal debut in 2023, the new boy said: “I'm inspired by his style of play. He's a very attacking player, even though he's a full-back. I have similar characteristics."

Adaptation advantages

João Mário arrives as Alberto Costa headed in the other direction, swapping Juve for Porto after just six months in Serie A. Although Costa impressed at the end of the season, his initial struggles to adapt in Italy ultimately proved difficult to overcome, leading to him being made available for a return to Portugal at Estádio do Dragão.

However, as well as being more experienced than Alberto, the right-sided Seleção man believes there are several aspects to the switch which should offer a small help in settling more quickly, including some familiarity with the 3-4-3 system employed by Croatian boss Igor Tudor.

"With Anselmi, at Porto, last year we adopted this formation: three central defenders and two wide players. So, I feel comfortable.

“[Chico (Conceição) and Tiago Djaló] give me a big hand and I'm trying to learn from the others, interacting with my teammates also to better understand the dynamics. I'm integrating easily.

“Chico and I were a good pair (at Porto). You know his characteristics: he's explosive, good in one-on-one situations, and can decide matches at any moment."

There was also a note for ex Dragons boss Sérgio Conceição, who had a major hand in his development. "We haven’t spoken about it yet. He believed in me, and for that I will be grateful to him forever. If we were to speak, he would say that at Juventus you have to give everything on the pitch. And that's what I'm ready to do."

Impossible to refuse

As one of the most iconic clubs in the world, Juventus will expect a lot from their latest Luso recruit. That is something João Mário is well aware of, particularly with regard to aligning his attacking prowess with the defensive competency required in Italian football.

“Knowing that a big club like this was interested in me made me extremely happy,” he says. “It was an offer almost impossible to refuse. My arrival here is undoubtedly a huge step forward in my career. I hope I live up to expectations. When they informed me that the deal was closed and I would be moving to Juventus, I was obviously delighted.

"The first training sessions were extremely difficult, then preseason is always very intense, and we push ourselves physically. Personally, attacking is my main strength, I know I need to improve my defense. At a club like Juve, I'll have what it takes to do that.”