Former Manchester United and Juventus defender Patrice Evra, in a recent appearance on The Overlap, hosted by Gary Neville, shared his unique experiences at the two giants' clubs in Turin and Manchester, specifically comparing the significant differences in training and intensity of work between the two clubs.
Evra admits that the nine years he spent with United were like a long vacation compared to Juventus. "I must be honest and say that compared to my time at Juventus, the time at United was as relaxing as a vacation." He recalled, "The intensity of training and work at Juventus was unprecedented in my career. Every day, we were required to complete 4 kilometers of running training and even after we had just finished playing a high-intensity game like the Champions League, we still had to head to the gym for extra fitness training."
He further reveals how strict Juventus are in their dietary management: "At Manchester United, the players were free to enjoy the buffet after the game, but at Juventus it was completely different. They prepare a particularly large portion for me, while the rest of the team have relatively small portions. The club does blood tests every two weeks and they want to know what food you are consuming and will even come to your home personally to tell your wife or cook what kind of dishes you should prepare. If you don't follow these rules, you face fines."
While Evra admits that Juventus' intense management and strict rules have been a challenge for him personally, he also says the experience has been invaluable. "It was all a new experience for me, it made me more disciplined and allowed me to reach new heights in my career." However, he also noted that "we don't seem to have found the right balance and this has affected the overall performance of the team to some extent."
