
Renato Veiga has given his first interview as a Juventus player following his loan move from Chelsea, and it seems he’s had a change of heart about his favourite position.
Chelsea confirmed on Monday that Renato Veiga, who joined the Blues from FC Basel just this summer, will spend the remainder of the season on loan at Juventus in Turin.
According to BBC Sport, the Portuguese defender, who has made 18 appearances for Enzo Maresca's side this season, had become frustrated playing at left-back instead of centre-back.
Speaking to the Italian media on the day he completed his move, Veiga was asked in which position he prefers to play.
"My main position is centre-back, I'm a left-footed centre-back," he said. "But I also feel comfortable in the middle, I've played as left-back as well, so I feel comfortable where the coach decides to put me."
However, when he joined Chelsea in July, Veiga was asked the same question and gave a different response.
"I wouldn’t say I have a favourite position because it depends on the opponent or tactical elements, but I have played at left-back, centre-back, and as a defensive midfielder," he said at the time.
Before completing his move to Juventus, Maresca appeared to take issue with Veiga's reported desire to play in just one position, suggesting that his versatility has been a key factor in his career development.
"We bought Renato from Basel, he has played in different positions and has played well. This has allowed him to be in the senior national team for the first time in his life," explained the Italian coach.
Maresca also revealed that he had spoken with the 21-year-old about his role at Stamford Bridge.
"I had a chat with Renato. I told him the same thing I told you. In terms of playing in the position he is playing with us, it gave him the chance to play for the national team and it caused speculation around him, meaning clubs are looking at him because he is doing well," he said. "It is a good thing for the team and for the club."
To bring Veiga to the Allianz Stadium for the remainder of the campaign, Juventus have agreed to cover the Portugal international's wages and pay a £3.8 million loan fee, according to BBC Sport.
No option to buy has been included in the deal, however.
Veiga will have the same issue at Juventus
Everything Chelsea says...
Something doesn’t quite sit right with us about Veiga’s comments and his move to Juventus.
When he arrived at Chelsea, he expressed his willingness to be versatile and play in various positions, which is exactly what happened. So why the sudden change of heart? As a young player in a competitive squad, he should be grateful for the opportunity to make 18 appearances.
Maresca even said he wanted to keep him, but clearly, Veiga sees himself as more valuable than the club does, choosing to jump ship with the hope that the grass is greener on the other side.
He will soon realize it isn’t.

Juventus already have two top-tier central defenders in Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti, neither of whom Veiga will be displacing anytime soon. Thiago Motta’s team is also stacked in midfield with players like Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, and Manuel Locatelli.
At left-back, he’s unlikely to get ahead of Andrea Cambiaso unless, as widely reported, he moves to Manchester City.
Realistically, the only minutes Veiga will see will be as a utility player or substitute—and probably not in Serie A either—which puts him in the same situation he was at Chelsea.
While we wish him all the best, his decision to move on so quickly, despite being given a fair chance by Maresca, may have caused more harm than good in the long run.
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