Adrien Rabiot's revenge

Juventus Turin is under pressure. In order to continue their European adventure, Maurizio Sarri's men - defeated to go (1-0) - must at all costs win their round of 16 second leg of the Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais with two goals apart. To do this, the Turinese count among others on Adrien Rabiot who has established himself as one of the strong men of the Old Lady since the resumption of the Italian championship. A great revenge for the midfielder who had a difficult start at the Bianconeri.

"In mental difficulty"

Faced with strong competition in the midfield - with Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira, Rodrigo Betancur, Aaron Ramsey or even his compatriot Blaise Matuidi - the player trained at Paris Saint-Germain must chomp on his brakes when he arrives in Turin; Maurizio Sarri preferring in particular the 2018 World champion. "In mental difficulty" according to the words of his trainer, his performances are often tasteless. The Italian technician also accuses him of tactical deficiencies and a lack of aggressiveness and intensity. But the "Duke" will finally start to adapt to the demands of Serie A at the end of December and the beginning of 2020. 

Accused of striking against lower wages

During this period, Adrien Rabiot connects the tenures and the Bianconeri the victories. His performances are not optimal but are already much better, which makes the Turin coach say in mid-January that the Frenchman is on the right track: “Adrien is improving a lot in terms of condition and tactical aspect. He behaved very well in his last matches, particularly in terms of aggressiveness and intensity, ”he explained at a press conference. 

Launched, but still inconsistent, the relay midfielder is cut off in his tracks by the pandemic. During this forced truce, he is at the heart of a controversy. Absent when training resumed in May, he is accused by La Stampa of being on strike due to a disagreement over the drop in player salaries. The 25-year-old footballer, who was confined to the Côte d'Azur, denies and is ironic about the situation on social networks. The confinement appears to have benefited him both physically and mentally. Upon returning from competition, the Frenchman appears very fit and more liberated. He imposes his power in the midfield, he plays more forward and does not hesitate to try breakthroughs, culminating in a fantastic goal against AC Milan after a ride started in his own camp. 

Adrien Rabiot's incredible goal against AC Milan

"I haven't seen a lot of players who can run with the ball like Rabiot."

This strong comeback pleases Maurizio Sarri. The former Napoli and Chelsea coach gives him his confidence, gives him more responsibility and praises him during the month of July: “Rabiot is a very good player with great physical and technical skills. I haven't seen a lot of players who can run with the ball like Rabiot. He is a reserved man, who comes from a different type of championship and football, specifies the technician in a press conference. It took him a few months to understand Juventus and the Italian style of play. But now he's doing very well. It happened to a lot of foreign players in their first six months in Italy, it's natural. Today, he shows his qualities and his great personality. He plays with a lot of confidence and calm. ” It is this confidence that Juventus needs this Friday evening to hope to qualify for the quarter-finals of the C1.

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