Danilo: ‘It won’t be an easy year for Juventus, but Madrid could be the turning point’

Former Juventus captain Danilo believes that Juventus are in for a tricky season, but insists that a victory away against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday evening could be the turning point for the Bianconeri and under-fire head coach Igor Tudor. 

There is mounting pressure on Tudor following his first defeat of the 2025-26 season, a 2-0 defeat against Como in Serie A on Sunday. More concerning is the fact that the Old Lady have not won in any competition since September 13. 

Tuesday’s reports claim that Tudor will be given six games, until the next international break, to prove his worth in Turin, which begins with a trip to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. 

Danilo, who left Juventus after six seasons at the start of the summer, believes that the Bianconeri have a major opportunity to turn things around away against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening, despite going over a month without a win in Europe or Serie A. 

Before discussing the current issues surrounding Juventus, Danilo briefly spoke about his own Bianconeri departure and the struggle to come to terms with his exit. 

“I have no regrets, I gave everything I had until the last day: Commitment, dedication, a desire to stay, the love for the club,” Danilo said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I learned a lot and gave a lot at Juve. It’s over, but that’s life. Things happen for a reason, which might not be clear at this point in time. I think I’ll understand it better in a few years’ time.” 

He went on to discuss the upcoming challenge away against the 15-time Champions League winners. 

“We need togetherness in these moments, everyone has to help each other. Now is time for the Champions League, which is another story altogether, but Real Madrid could be an opportunity. 

“Juventus never gives up in difficulty. I’m not part of the daily goings-on, so giving an opinion would be a lack of respect for the group, the coach and the club. From the outside, though, it looks like a different spirit compared to a year ago. There is chemistry between the players and coach which had not been there before. 

“The Bernabeu is a very important test. Madrid are clearly having a much more positive moment, but if Juve can get a result, and they can do it, it could be the game that changes their season.” 

And when asked about the growing pressure surrounding head coach Tudor, Danilo said: “We need patience. They’ve changed lots of players and the transfers came late, which affected their preparation. It won’t be an easy year for Juve, but I have faith in Tudor. 

“Xabi Alonso has a modern and different idea of football, and he is also struggling to convey it to his players. But obviously it’s much easier to work when the results come in.”