Pierre Kalulu of Juventus, Scott McTominay of Napoli (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Pierre Kalulu is likely to start for Juventus against parent club Milan on Saturday and reveals how Thiago Motta convinced him. ‘When you feel there’s faith in you, that’s when you give your best.’
The big match kicks off at San Siro on Saturday at 17.00 GMT.
The 24-year-old first joined the Rossoneri in 2020, but had been pushed down the pecking order until
The loan to Juventus was agreed on August 21 for €3.3m with an option to buy for a further €14m plus €3m in add-ons.
How Juventus won over Kalulu
“When Thiago Motta called, he asked if I was ready to play every three days, then told me that he could see me playing on the right, in the centre and on the left,” Kalulu revealed to DAZN Italia.
“I thought this is the ultimate. When you feel the club has faith in you, that’s when you give your best. You have to feel as if you are in a team and a club that really wants you, because we are still human beings and we work from the heart.
“I also remember Motta telling me that he chooses his line-up based on the training sessions.”
It certainly seems to have worked, because Kalulu has already made 13 competitive appearances for Juventus between Serie A and the Champions League.
He is increasingly used in central defence after the injury to Gleison Bremer, though now left-back Juan Cabal is out for six months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament too.
The French defender had been popular with Milan fans even when he was not getting playing time and the decision to loan him to Juve was greeted with scepticism.
They therefore ought to give him a relatively warm welcome when he returns to San Siro as an opponent this weekend.
“There is a strong rapport with the fans, like a love affair. You can feel the vibrations from the stands, you get goosebumps and during the warm-up try to take the atmosphere in, see and hear everything around you.
“This is a very good period for me, personally. I know that being a fan means giving love, passion and it’s also natural to be angry when the team doesn’t win,” added Kalulu.
“I hate to lose, even if I know it’s part of life and helps you keep your feet on the ground, but even as a kid, I always wanted to win.”