• News

Bonucci: De Ligt disrespected Juventus before leaving for Bayern

Bonucci- De Ligt
Getty Images
Advertisement

The Dutch defender publicly expressed his desire to leave Juventus before Bayern stepped in to sign him.

Juventus captain Leonardo Bonucci has criticized his former teammate Matthijs de Ligt for the manner his transfer to Bayern Munich played out. 

De Ligt ended his three-year stay at Juventus to join Bayern ahead of the next season. The Dutchman made no secret of his desire to leave Juventus before the transfer window, with Bayern then intensifying their efforts to sign him.

“De Ligt’s exit didn’t surprise me because certain comments made it clear he didn’t want to stay at Juventus,” the Italy international said.

SurfsharkVPN
All you need in a VPN — and more

“But I think at the end of the day, you need to be respectful. The group he was with for three years helped him grow, and the club invested in him.

“I wish him the best, but certain comments he made on international duty were not very nice. We spoke about it after our holidays, and he understood.

“Bayern are a great club, but just being at a top club doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win.”

De Ligt will most likely become a regular starter alongside Dayot Upamecano at the heart of Bayern’s backline next season.

The Dutchman scored in his Bayern debut when they faced DC United in a pre-season friendly earlier this week. The Bavarians will face Manchester City in their next match on Sunday.

x