Emre Can publicly responds after being left out of Juventus’ Champions League squad
Emre Can has expressed his ‘shock and anger’ after claiming Juventus went back on their word and omitted him from their Champions League squad.
The former Liverpool midfielder failed to make the cut for manager Maurizio Sarri’s 22-man squad for their upcoming group stage matches against Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Why was Can omitted? Five things to know…
- Can joined Juve on a free transfer from Liverpool last summer.
- He made 38 appearances across all competitions in 2018/19, scoring four goals and registering one assist.
- This summer Sarri has bolstered his midfield with Ramsey, Rabiot and four other new signings.
- As such, Can has fallen down the pecking order with the club already boasting the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi and Sami Khedira.
- He has now claimed Sarri assured him he would make the squad, only to be told later that he has been excluded.
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Can is currently in his second season with the Old Lady, having left Merseyside on a free transfer last summer, but with the arrivals of Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot this past window, the German has fallen down the pecking order.
Speaking about the omission whilst on international duty with Germany, Can explained: “I am shocked and angry. Last week, the club promised me something else, yesterday the coach called me and told me in less than a minute that I was not in the squad.
“I cannot explain it, I have not been given any reason.
“Me and my advisor talked to other clubs [during the summer]. After talking to Juventus I decided to stay on. For me, one condition was to play in the Champions League.”
The 25-year-old went on to explain how PSG expressed an interest in signing him over the summer, he added: “Yes, Paris as well.”
He later revealed he will not comment further on the situation, writing on Twitter: “I will always be grateful to Juventus Turin and how they supported and stood by me since I am part of the club, particularly during my time of illness.
“Out of respect to Juventus and my team mates, whose success has always been my first priority, I won’t say anything more and will continue fighting on the pitch. Yours, Emre.”
Out of respect to Juventus and my team mates, whose success has always been my first priority, I won’t say anything more and will continue fighting on the pitch.
Yours,
Emre
— Emre Can (@emrecan_) September 4, 2019
Can wasn’t the only Juve player to face the axe in Turin as Mario Mandzukic was also excluded from Sarri’s group stage squad, while club captain Giorgio Chiellini also misses out due to a serious knee injury.
Should Juve progress to the knockout rounds, they will be able to submit a new squad by midnight on February 3 to register a maximum of three new players.
