Juventus, De Ligt:”I didn’t expect to be benched, but I respect the decision”

Maurizio Sarri’s Juventus made their debut at the Tardini stadium on Saturday with no new players in the starting lineup. Matthijs De Ligt’s absence stood out and the Dutch defender was surprised by the decision as he explained in an interview with Dutch paper AD:”Naturally I would have preferred to play. I hadn’t perceived anything ahead of time in training, so I didn’t expect to start on the bench. I obviously respect the manager’s decision”

De Ligt went on to praise his teammates:”I have to be realistic, I’m still getting acclamiated to Italy. The two who played today, Bonucci and Chiellini, were considered as the best defensive duo for a long time. I’ll have to earn my place this season”.