Despite arriving in Turin at a tender age in 2010, Leandro Spinazzola had to wait until 2018 to get a fair chance at Juventus.
Following several loan stints, the Italian finally enjoyed his breakthrough at Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, which earned him a recall to Continassa.
The wingback only spent a lone campaign as a part of Juve’s first team before making the switch to Roma in a controversial exchange that saw Luca Pellegrini moving in the opposite direction.
But despite his short spell, Spinazzola credits his solitary Juventus campaign for improving his game, explaining how playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic raised his level.
The right-footed player was forced to rely on his left foot following an ACL injury, which ultimately improved his crosses while playing at left-back.
“After the crusader injury, I trained particularly on my left foot and I improved a lot since I had to cross with the left,” revealed the 30-year-old in an interview with StarCasino Sport via TuttoJuve.
“Then in the middle of the box there were Mario Mandzukic and Cristiano Ronaldo. So I had to make perfect crosses. I always told myself that I could not get it wrong. This experience allowed me to raise my level”.
Spinazzola earned great recognition during Italy’s triumphant Euro 2020 campaign. He sustained a severe injury against Belgium in the quarter-final, but was hailed as a national hero for his brave displays. Nowadays, he remains a key player for José Mourinho’s Roma.
