Openda on how choice to join Juventus was ‘simple’; ‘I can play wherever Tudor needs’ | OneFootball

It was presentation day at Juventus, with new signings Edon Zhegrova and Lois Openda officially presented to the press after their deadline day moves to the Bianconeri.

Openda joined the Old Lady from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and has spoken to the press officially for the first time as a Juventus player.

With quotes via IlBianconero, Openda said “It was an easy choice. When I spoke to Comolli, everything was simple. There have been many top players here, like Zlatan for example, from whom I can draw inspiration.”

Lois Openda arrives for his Juventus medical.

Juventus new boy Openda: ‘I’m ready for Inter; I need to become more complete’

Juventus host Inter at the Allianz Stadium in the first Derby d’Italia of the season on Saturday and Openda has said “I’m ready” for the Nerazzurri, “just like the whole team.”

The Belgian forward added that “My position is as a number nine. I’ve always played there but I also like playing on the wing and moving both to the right and left, moving around a lot.” He continued to say “I spoke with the coach. He knows my preferred position is as a number nine but I am flexible. We’ll see what happens in the next matches. I can play wherever he wants me to.”

The former Leipzig man identified room for improvement in his overall game, telling the press “I need to work on certain aspects to become a more complete striker but I am sure I will learn and improve to be more well-rounded.”

Openda acknowledged “I won’t play every match” due to the Bianconeri’s number of “great strikers” but remained focused, “I’m ready to come onto the pitch whenever I’m needed.”

LEIPZIG, GERMANY – MARCH 15: Lois Openda of RB Leipzig celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund at Red Bull Arena on March 15, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Openda on Bremer injury & his arrival in Italy

Before joining the Bianconeri, Openda had somewhat of a pre-existing history with the club. Last season, the Belgian was involved in a 50/50 challenge in a Champions League game that led to Brazilian centre-back Bremer tearing his ACL and missing a majority of the Old Lady’s 2024-25 campaign.

Openda was asked today about the situation, to which he revealed “I know what happened. I spoke to him and sent him messages saying it wasn’t my intention. I’ve only been here two days so we’ll have time to talk. He’s a great person and a great footballer.”

Finally, the forward spoke more generally on his arrival at Juventus: “I’ve played in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. I’ve been at many teams and learned from each league. Now I’m in Italy and this was the best club where I could contribute. I’m very happy to be here and I can’t wait to start.”