For three seasons he was on the other side of the fence, playing for ‘the enemy’. Now, he’s a Juventus player and has no hesitation saying it: Juventus have won 30 scudetti.
Lucimar Da Silva Ferreira, better known as Lucio, the former Inter defender, agrees with his new president, Agnelli, and fully backs Juventus’s decision to ‘drop’ the 3 golden stars from their kit and replace it with the text “30 sul campo” [“30 on the pitch”].
Even if it does clash completely with the view of the Italian Football Federation, the FIGC:
“Have Juve won 28 or 30 scudetti? The president has already said things the way they are…”
the 34-year-old from Brasilia candidly replied. There has been constant bickering between the bianconeri and the nerazzurri since 2006, unsettling the uneasy friendship that had existed between the 2 clubs. But the defender gave the reply that every single Juventus fan would have wanted him to answer, siding with them:
“When I play for a side [wear their kit – Ed] I fully immerse myself in their project and I give them 100%. Now, I’m a Juventus player and I’m here to win.”
Lucio loves to tell things the way they are and expects to be treated in the same way by everyone. The Juventus fans have already greeted him with open arms and without any fuss despite the time he spent at rivals Inter. And it’s not only the ‘ordinary’ fans who have greeted him well, so too have the ultras, who are usually hostile when it comes to accepting a former Inter player in their ranks.
One lone Juventus supporter did tell him in no uncertain terms to go back to Inter, because ‘he wasn’t welcome’, but the defender just ignored him. The isolated incident didn’t bother the player and no other fans ‘took the bait’. Now, Lucio is ready to give his all for his new club:
“I’ll give my all for Juve. I’ll be at the complete disposal of the coach, and it’ll be up to him to decide whether to pick me or not.”
SCUDETTI
“Have Juve won 28 or 30 scudetti? The president has already said things the way they are…”
BRAZIL V ARGENTINA
Inter have chosen to allow all their Brazilian players to leave, most of them anyway, but to keep all their Argentine players. It can therefore be said that the ‘Argentine clan’ has come out on top in this battle: “Argentines and Brazilian are always competing against each other. Everywhere and in every single way of life. I believe it’s a political thing. I, along with all the Brazilian players at Inter, have always had an excellent rapport with the Argentine players there. It was a decision that the club made, between two different styles of play and two different nationalities. We can say that, this time, Argentina have won the battle, but Brazil always win on the pitch.”