Juventus defender Gleison Bremer admitted that his manager, Luciano Spalletti, was accurate in his critical description of the team’s performance against Monaco.
The Bianconeri needed to beat the Ligue 1 side on the final matchday of the Champions League group stage to stand a chance at booking a direct place in the Round of 16. In hindsight, even three points wouldn’t have been sufficient.
Spalletti opted to field a heavily rotated starting lineup, and it resulted in a lacklustre display, as the two teams settled for a goalless draw.
Bremer admits Juventus weren’t good enough against Monaco
After the contest, the Juventus head coach admitted he expected a better display from his men, who were second best all evening.
For his part, Bremer agrees with his manager’s assessment, but insists that he and his teammates entered the match with the intention of coming away with three points.
“We wanted to win, but there was a bit of fatigue, and we couldn’t manage it,” said the Brazilian in his post-match interview via IlBianconero.
Gleison Bremer in action for Juventus
Gleison Bremer (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
“We made some rotation, which made sense — it was a game where we could do that. We move on and focus on the match against Parma, which is one we have to win.
“When the coach speaks, he’s always right. There was mental fatigue too, and we made mistakes we don’t usually make. You could see it today, but we have to keep going.”
Gleison Bremer opens up on his physical shape
After suffering an ACL tear last season, Bremer returned from a 10-month layoff in the summer. However, he ended up sustaining a meniscus injury that ruled him out of action for another two months.
The 28-year-old has been omnipresent in the starting lineup since his return, but he admitted that he could do with a breather.
“I feel a bit exhausted. Since coming back from my second injury, I’ve played every match, I haven’t been able to get a game off yet, but I’m feeling good.
“I’m working well, I just need to be careful with recovery in training. I hope to keep it up because from now on every match is important and I can’t afford to miss any.”
Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly have also been working extra shifts due to the lack of alternatives, as Federico Gatti has only recently returned from injury, while Daniele Rugani remains on the sidelines.
Avatar
Michel Sakr
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.