Juventus players in a meeting with US President Donald Trump - Photo: UPI
Juventus FC will play their first match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (against Al Ain) in Washington, DC. The Italian team has received an invitation to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Juventus also have two American players on the team, vice-captain Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah (son of legend George Weah).
President Trump welcomed the entire team to the Oval Office. It was expected that both sides would have interesting discussions about sports , football, or specifically the FIFA Club World Cup, but the Juventus players were embarrassed when Mr. Trump chose topics unrelated to them.
After greeting and giving away jerseys, Mr. Trump suddenly asked the players: "Are there any girls on your team?"
When the club representative replied that Juventus has a very strong women's team, Mr. Trump replied: "But they should play with women."
The statement is believed to reinforce Mr. Trump’s stance on opposing transgender women competing in women’s sports. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order banning transgender people from competing in women’s sports in the US.
However, this is a sensitive topic in the world of top sports, especially when it does not concern male athletes. Many Juventus players were embarrassed when asked such questions.
Not stopping there, while the players were still standing around, Mr. Trump turned to speaking about foreign policy, especially the Iran issue.
"We are watching Iran very closely. I may strike, I may not. But the possibility of regime change is not excluded. I like to make the final decision exactly 1 second before the deadline," The Guardian quoted President Trump.
The moment Mr. Trump talked about the topic of Iran - Photo: UPI
According to reporters present at the meeting, Mr. Trump did not say these things to the Juventus team alone, but to the media and advisors in the room, even though the players were still standing right behind him.
This made many attendees feel strange and somewhat confused, when the meeting content suddenly changed from sports to military and geopolitical issues.
Several newspapers such as The Guardian, Times of India, and Bild described the atmosphere in the Oval Office at that time as "awkward" and "confusing".
But this is not the first time Mr. Trump has used sports-related events to insert political statements. At some events meeting football and basketball players, President Trump has used a similar strategy.
Also right after this meeting, Juventus crushed Al Ain (UAE) 5-0, creating a favorable start in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Watch FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ live and only in Vietnam on FPT Play, at http://fptplay.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/juventus-player-suong-tran-khi-nghe-president-trump-noi-chuyen-iran-va-nguoi-chuyen-gioi-20250619132100158.htm
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