There aren’t too many men in football who have top level experience at motor sports. Therefore, Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene can be considered one of the few who made the jump between the two worlds.
The 64-year-old served as team principal at the Ferrari Formula One team between 2014 and 2019. Nevertheless, the Italian is also a longtime Juventus supporter and a board member since 2012.
Last summer, the Bianconeri decided to ring some changes in the backroom and Arrivabene’s experience in the financial field was considered to be a crucial element that can help the club amidst the difficult economical situation.
The director spoke ahead of Juve’s Champions League encounter against Zenit St. Petersburg, making comparisons between football clubs and F1 teams.
Despite the clear differences between the two sports, the CEO believes that they both operate in similar manners.
“Slowly but surely, this Juventus is growing. It’s not a question of good or bad. The question is how determined you are. If you are determined to reach your goals and have a strong team spirit then you can overcome all obstacles,” said the director in an interview with Amazon via Calciomercato.
“There are many similarities between F1 and football. In Formula 1 you have two drivers that I would compare to the strikers of a football team, but behind them there is a team that works, beyond the technicians.
“No offense to Hamilton, but he wouldn’t be this successful in a different car. In football it’s the same. A striker needs to possess class and determination, but he also needs a team.
“The football team has 20-25 key players, beyond you have 60-70 people. The engine of a team is the human being, it’s the man. The engine of a Formula 1 car is given by a technical work .But the emotion is the same”, concluded the Juventus director.
