Edon Zhegrova’s Struggles Are Far from Over: A Journey of Resilience and Determination

Currently, there’s a lot happening in Turin, particularly at Juventus. The club has parted ways with its second coach in just a year, as Igor Tudor has stepped down following Thiago Motta. The team currently sits eighth in Serie A and has struggled in the Champions League, recording two draws against Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund, along with a loss to Real Madrid. They are now 25th in the group standings, putting them temporarily out of the running for the knockout stage. However, in a recent match against Udinese, while awaiting the arrival of Luciano Spalletti as head coach, Juventus managed to secure a 3-1 victory.

8 Months Without Play

With this win, the team moved up one spot in the standings, now just three points away from the top four, which qualifies for next season’s Champions League. It was a positive evening for the club, although Edon Zhegrova (26) again remained on the bench. After three and a half seasons with LOSC (scoring 26 goals and providing 18 assists in 107 matches across all competitions), the Kosovar winger aimed to revitalize his career. Unfortunately, a muscle injury has kept him sidelined since December 14, 2024. Previously linked with Olympique de Marseille, Zhegrova made his way to Italy for €15 million.

“I’m very happy and proud to be at Juve. The feedback from these initial days has been positive. Was it David who convinced me? The club and the project. And of course, I know David. I believe this team wants to win every match. We are just starting, taking it one game at a time. When I played against Juve with Lille, we performed well, but that’s in the past. The work is different now, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” stated the former Lille player last September. However, since then, his long injury layoff has prevented him from returning to full form. On September 16, he played just three minutes after nearly eight months without a competitive match.

“He Has This Issue: Every Time He Tries to Push, It Comes Back.”

Since then, Zhegrova has only featured in three games: once in the Champions League and twice in Serie A, but only as a substitute (seven minutes against Hellas Verona and 26 minutes against Atalanta). Before a match against Como on October 19, Tudor explained in a press conference that Zhegrova was still unfit due to pubic pain. “I’ve been using this system for a few years, but I think it’s possible to consider other options. We’ll see; everything is still open. Zhegrova isn’t fit, and he won’t be called up,” Tudor said. Just five days earlier, the Turin newspaper Tuttosport headlined: “Three Months After His Arrival at Juventus, Zhegrova Is Now a Case,” noting that Comolli hadn’t brought him in just to fill a spot, but to strengthen a crowded attacking lineup lacking players of Zhegrova’s profile.

Unfortunately for Zhegrova, Tudor was more forthcoming about him just before facing Lazio on October 26, which ended in a 1-0 defeat. “Edon came to us after a year without playing. We brought him on a couple of times, but after returning from national duty, he had to stop following a more intense training session than usual. Unfortunately, he has this issue: every time he tries to push, it recurs. We need to be careful with him in training. I don’t know when he will be back to full fitness. For now, he can help us in the final 20 or 30 minutes, but it’s impossible for him to start.” Will Zhegrova finally end his struggle? Soon under the guidance of Luciano Spalletti, he can at least take comfort in knowing he’ll be coached by someone who wanted him when he was managing Napoli. Given Spalletti’s success with wingers like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Zhegrova has reasons to be optimistic, provided he can overcome his physical challenges.