Di Natale: The level of Serie A has dropped a lot; Juve are not ready to compete for titles

Hupu News on October 9th, Italian star Di Natale has scored 209 Serie A goals in his career, ranking sixth on the Serie A historical scorer list, but he himself is reticent and focused on hard work. Recently, he accepted an exclusive interview with Tuttosport and talked about the current Serie A, Juventus, and the Italian national team. The following is the first half of his interview.

Do you still watch a lot of Serie A?

Watching a lot, I still love football. Watching football makes me passionate, even though it is no longer the football of my time. The level of the Italian league has dropped a lot. I like Napoli and AC Milan, but Inter Milan can also compete for the title, and Gasperini's Roma also make me very curious.

What about Juventus?

No, I don't think they are ready to compete for the Serie A title. But they have the quality to reach the Champions League and even perform well in Europe: the two draws against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal were not without merit. Obviously it's normal to be criticized now and if you're Juventus and you have five draws in a row, there's definitely something wrong. But Tudor will bounce back, I'm sure of it.

Currently, Juventus has a big problem on the offensive end. Why?

There may still be a lack of clear striker hierarchy. Moreover, Jonathan David and Oponda come from other leagues and need time to adapt. At Udinese, I was used to having teammates from other countries, but players with quality always stood out. Maybe not right away, but eventually in time.

Between Jonathan Davey, Vlahovic and Oponda, who would you like to start all the time?

Vlahovich, no doubt about it. He has done extraordinary things before, scoring in double figures every year since joining Juventus. He may never score 30 goals in a season, but he is an important player. A player who can pose a threat in Serie A.

What about Yildiz? Do you think he is tired?

Yes, it is definitely not easy to play a game every three days. But he is the best player in Serie A and has the brightest future. We are talking about a pure attacking midfielder: it is difficult for him to score more than 15 goals in a single season, but he can light up the game in an instant. He is very strong, I like him very much, and we always have to remember that he is only 20 years old: how many players in Europe can perform like this at his age?

Does he remind you of yourself?

No, precisely because he scored far fewer goals than me, but Montella was full of praise for Yildiz: He always told me how much Yildiz impressed him in training, and I believed him, but I always hoped to fall in love with some of Italy's homegrown gems.

Who else in Serie A interests you now?

Modric in Milan is a feast for the eyes, he is 40 years old and plays a special position: there is no player like him in the world. Sule is also growing rapidly, but among Italian players, I would mention Politano: he has always been underestimated at Napoli, and Conte is turning him into one of the strongest wide players in Europe.

Why is there not a position for you in the Italian Football Federation?

I have my own football school and I love working with children. And I don’t like the spotlight and I don’t want to seek exposure.

Have you ever received a call from the national team?

Never, but I have been approached by many clubs who want me to take a role on the technical team. However I will not leave Udinese, I am living very well here and I want to repay this land for all the love it has given me over the years.