Jhon Lucumi has credited compatriot Juan Cuadrado with helping convince him to join Juventus , revealing the pair spoke before he completed his move from Bologna .
Speaking in an interview with Tuttosport, via TuttoMercatoWeb , the Colombia n defender turned to a man who spent eight years in Turin and left with a considerable haul of silverware.
"Did I speak to Cuadrado about Juve? Of course, he's a great friend. He left a very important mark here and the titles he won prove it. He only spoke to me about positive things and he told me I had to come here. That I had to live this experience. Because being a Juventus player is something extremely important."
ZAPOPAN, MEXICO – JUNE 23: Jhon Lucumi #3 of Colombia celebrates after the 1-0 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match between Colombia and Congo DR at Guadalajara Stadium on June 23, 2026 in Zapopan, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Lucumi also offered his first impressions of Luciano Spalletti, who handed him a debut against Parma .
"My relationship with Spalletti? Good, like with all my team-mates. He's our coach, he's the leader of the team and we just have to try to follow his instructions," he said.
"Spalletti is a very demanding coach: he always wants to win, he wants to play to perfection, and he wants his team to be in very good shape. So yes, that's how it is: you go 'to war', but with all the tools to do it."
FROSINONE, ITALY – AUGUST 23: Luciano Spalletti head coach of FC Juventus gestures during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 23, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
Asked whether an immediate start had caught him off guard, the centre-back was matter-of-fact. "When you're at Juventus you always have to be ready. We're talking about the biggest club in Italy."
Juventus have won both of their opening fixtures and host Milan on Sunday at the Allianz Stadium.
