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Weston McKennie reveals how Juventus coach Igor Tudor put diplomacy aside to warn the USMNT midfielder he needed to lose weight. ‘This was the first summer I didn’t mind taking my shirt off at the pool!’
The Texan has been in Turin since 2020 and every transfer window seems to be on the verge of an exit, only to turn things around and earn his place in the team, often as a regular in the starting XI.
Once again, he was close to being dropped over the summer, until new coach Tudor provided an extremely blunt warning to the 27-year-old.
“My genetics are kicking in finally,” he laughed on TNT Sports after the most recent USMNT match, when the broadcast crew commented on his svelte appearance.
“I had a long pre-season. My coach back at Juventus, Tudor, really put pressure on me and said, ‘Hey, you’re getting older, and your body’s not gonna be able to bounce back from games the way that you used to be able to, and you need to cut down some weight, and that’s the only way you’re gonna be involved with this team.’
“So I put my head down and worked like I usually do. Got on a diet. Don’t snack as much anymore. If I do, it’s healthy snacks, and I work out more often. So that’s what I’ve been doing, a lot of running.”
It turns out that Tudor’s advice helped McKennie more than just with his performances on the pitch, as it had some unexpected benefits off the field too.
“This summer was the first summer I didn’t mind taking my shirt off at the pool!”
The American has made seven competitive appearances for Juventus this season, starting four of them.
FIFA World Cup
