Thuram calls Mbappe the 'best player in the world'

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM JUVENTUS COACH IGOR TUDOR  AND FROM MIDFIELDER KHEPHREN THURAM RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MADRID, SPAIN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. PRESS CONFERENCE 2. JUVENTUS COACH, IGOR TUDOR, AND MIDFIELDER, KHEPHREN THURAM, ARRIVING TO PRESS CONFERENCE 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUVENTUS MIDFIELDER, KHEPHREN THURAM, SAYING: “Tomorrow, we're going to play a good team. But we're also a good team with our ideas and we're going to be very confident tomorrow to have the best result. And, you know, of course, (Kylian) Mbappe is one of the best players in the world, if not the best player. He's having a great season, scoring a lot of goals, helping his team. We all know the player that he is.” 4. TUDOR AND THURAM DURING PRESS CONFERENCE 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) JUVENTUS COACH, IGOR TUDOR, SAYING: “I expect a great reaction coming here. The match? Motivation comes naturally. Regardless of the result, what has been or has not been. Coming here is a match in itself. I believe that tomorrow we will play a good match.” 6. TUDOR AND THURAM DURING PRESS CONFERENCE 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) JUVENTUS COACH, IGOR TUDOR, SAYING: "When you do an analysis, there are two ways to analyse: one is based on the result, and one is based on something else. I don’t base myself on results only. I base myself on other things. Then, from those aspects, I go to the match for the match itself and I look at the games the team played—the two games the team has played. They also played great and beautiful matches, and they came one after the other, Wednesday and Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday. So why? This team has suffered and struggled. But I was happy." 8. TUDOR AND THURAM LEAVING CONFERENCE STORY: Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram said Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe is "one of the best players in the world, if not the best player" on Tuesday (October 21).     Thuram made the comments on his French compatriot on the eve of their Champions League showdown in Madrid, slated for Wednesday (October 22).      Juventus have been struggling of late and have not won a match in more than a month after a string of draws and a loss to Como on Sunday (October 19). They currently sit seventh in the Serie A standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan.      Real, on the other hand, lead LaLiga with 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona, and have also earned maximum points in the Champions League thus far.      All things considered, Juventus coach Igor Tudor told the press conference on Tuesday that he expects a good match from his side and that he does not judge their performance this season solely on results.      "I believe that tomorrow we will play a good match,” Tudor said.      "When you do an analysis, there are two ways to analyse: one is based on the result, and one is based on something else. I don’t base myself on results only. I base myself on other things," he added.  (Production: Guillermo Martinez, Nina Lopez)

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