Di Gregorio: Juventus reaction ‘excellent’ but Champions League spot ‘not enough’

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Lorenzo Bettoni | Last updated May 25, 2025 5:22 PM ET

Michele Di Gregorio was pleased by the Juventus reaction against Venezia, but insisted that a top-four finish is ‘not enough’ for the Bianconeri.

Juventus secured a top-four finish on Sunday night, beating strugglers Venezia 3-2.

Di Gregorio produced some crucial saves, especially in the second half, while Manuel Locatelli scored the decisive goal from the spot.

“We worked well. We knew it would not be easy to get a result here,” the goalkeeper told Sky Sport Italia.

“You saw it was a tough match. The start was uphill, but we had a great reaction. We strongly wanted to reach this target.”

Venezia took an early lead with Daniel Fila, but Juventus bounced back with Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani. Ridgeciano Haps levelled the score again after the break.

Di Gregorio admits Champions League spot not enough for Juventus

“We’ve proved to be a serious team. Sometimes, we missed the result or lacked a reaction,” Di Gregorio continued.

“It was a long and tricky season, but how we reacted tonight was not easy. We are a young team, but our reaction was excellent tonight.”

Juventus had a challenging campaign and sacked Thiago Motta in March, hiring Igor Tudor.

The Croat had not won any away game at Juventus before tonight.

“We are Juventus. We know a fourth-place finish is not enough here, so we must fight to win every competition because we are Juventus,” Di Gregorio added.

The Italian goalkeeper is about to finish his first season at Juventus after replacing Wojciech Szczęsny last summer.

“We all know what kind of goalkeeper he is,” concluded Di Gregorio.

“It was not easy, but I am happy I’ve spent a year here. It was a pleasant journey, and I hope to continue helping.”

The Juventus campaign continues in June as the Bianconeri will be involved in the Club World Cup.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: