Joao Mario yet to give up on Juventus: “It depends on Spalletti” | OneFootball

Joao Mario is still keen to prove his worth at Juventus, but he admits his chances would be slim under Luciano Spalletti.

The 26-year-old signed for the Bianconeri last summer in an indirect swap that saw Alberto Costa join Porto.

At this stage, all pundits agree that the Portuguese giants were the big winners, as Costa has been a revelation with the Dragao, while Mario failed to impose himself in Turin.

Joao Mario still gunning for a second chance at Juventus

The Portuguese international made a few appearances at the start of the season under Igor Tudor, but he swiftly became an afterthought following Spalletti’s appointment in late October.

In January, Mario was involved in another exchange deal, as he ended up sealing a loan move to Bologna, with Emil Holm heading in the opposite direction.

Unlike his six months at Juventus, the right-back has become an important figure in the Rossoblu’s rotation, although he’s vying for a starting role with Nadir Zortea.

But while he feels comfortable at the Renato Dall’Ara, Mario still hopes to get another opportunity to leave his mark at the Allianz Stadium.

“I can still have a future at Juventus,” said the Portuguese full-back in his interview with A Bola via Tuttosport.

“This experience is also an opportunity to prove that I can really make the difference in Serie A, which is very tactical and very physical.

“Here, the coaches have a slightly more cautious mentality, even though, of course, I have to attack and defend. At Bologna, I can show that I can play in Serie A and demonstrate my potential. That’s what I’m doing, and I think I’m doing well.

“There are two months left until the end of the season, and I hope things continue like this. Then we’ll see.”

Joao Mario believes that his future at Juventus could entirely depend on the identity of the head coach, hinting that Spalletti’s stay would complicate matters for him.

“It doesn’t depend only on me. It depends on the whole structure and on Spalletti, if he really stays at Juventus. I’m calm, and I’m giving everything to prove that I deserve to play at this level.

“In the first few months, I felt good. I was playing, I had opportunities as a starter, I was coming on in almost every match. I felt things were going as I expected.

“I wasn’t naïve enough to think I’d establish myself immediately at Juventus — it’s a different club, a different culture, so it’s normal that an adaptation process was needed.”

Why Luciano Spalletti didn’t play Joao Mario

The Porto youth product revealed that Spalletti was seeking a more defensive-minded right-back, who, in essence, turned out to be Pierre Kalulu.

“I was happy, but at a certain point, I felt the technical staff were looking for different characteristics for my role. I started to lose space.

“With Tudor, I played more when the team was behind, but it was still less than I expected. Then Spalletti arrived, who was looking for slightly more defensive characteristics.

“We spoke, and I told him I needed more minutes. Then Bologna came, and here I am.”

With Spalletti expected to sign a new contract in the coming days, Mario will likely have to find a new club in the summer.

Bologna don’t have the option to buy him, but it remains to be seen if they’ll open fresh talks with Juventus at the end of the season.