David credits change of environment for renewed form

Jonathan David says joining Atlético Madrid has been a “breath of fresh air” after a difficult season at Juventus. The Canada international moved to Diego Simeone’s side on a season-long loan on deadline day, with Atlético reportedly holding an option to make the deal permanent for €25 million.

David scored eight goals and provided five assists in 46 appearances for Juventus last season. At Atlético, he has made an immediate impact: he has contributed to four goals in as many matches for the club, scoring three times and assisting once. He has found the net in each of his first three LaLiga appearances, including the decisive goal in a 2-1 Madrid derby victory over Real Madrid.

He has also carried that form into international duty, scoring the winner in Canada’s 1-0 victory over Peru. David said the change of surroundings and the quality of service from his new teammates had helped.

“Maybe it’s a breath of fresh air. Maybe it helps that it’s a bit of a change of environment,” David said. “I play with a lot of players that have that quality to find the last pass. They make it pretty simple for me, to be honest. All I have to do is finish.”

Marsch says he backed the move

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said he had a conversation with Simeone and recommended David as a striker who could score while contributing to the team’s work off the ball.

“If you want an attacking player that can score goals, has a lot of quality, and also work for the team and give everything he has to the team, I can’t think of a better striker than Jonathan David,” Marsch said.

David has also set a notable early mark at Atlético: he is the only player to score in each of his first three LaLiga matches for the club in the 21st century, and the only Atlético player since 2000 to score both on his league debut and in his league debut against Real Madrid.