Antonio Conte has encouraged Juventus to keep their European dream alive by emerging unscathed from a challenging test against Scottish league leaders Celtic on Tuesday night.
Having earned a place in the last 16 by finishing ahead of Chelsea and Shakhtar to top a testing Group E, Conte has challenged his men to go even further as the Champions League enters its crucial phase.
Addressing the media from Celtic Park, Conte said: “It’s a dream to be back in the Champions League and our dream is now to claim a place in the quarter-finals. We don’t have any particular objectives, but we’re not placing limits on how far we can go.”
The 43-year-old, however, is mindful of the dangers posed by Neil Lennon’s high-flying Celtic, a side who sit 18 points clear at the summit of the Scottish Premier League and defied the odds to qualify for the final stages with famous wins over Benfica and Catalan giants Barcelona.
“We’ve got great respect for Celtic and won’t underestimate them. They’re back in the Champions League and, like us, are outsiders who want to go as far as possible. They’re a physical team and score a high percentage of their goals from set pieces.
“We kept a close eye on Celtic’s Champions League progress during the group stages. Home advantage has been very important for them. The stadium will act as their twelfth man, but they are still an excellent side. Not many teams could manage to beat Barcelona at home and lose by a whisker at the Nou Camp.
“Brown is the heart and soul of their side, alongside Wanyama. Hooper’s power and pace make him a player who would also do well in Italy. Samaras is physically strong and dangerous in one-on-one situations. Wilson’s good at the back and I’m also a big fan of their goalkeeper Forster. He has a great future ahead of him.”
Conte then offered an update on the fitness of Kwadwo Asamoah after the midfielder was a late addition to the travelling party following the culmination of the African Nations Cup in South Africa.
“Kwadwo returned yesterday and it would be asking too much of him to play after being away for a month and a half. He’ll train and will be ready for Saturday’s game against Roma.”
The press conference drew to a close with Conte expressing his gratitude for the praise afforded to him by opposite number Lennon, who had earlier spoken of his admiration at the Bianconeri’s achievements under the stewardship of their former captain.
“I’d like to thank him for his kind words. It will be an honour for me to meet him and shake his hand. As far as my development as a coach is concerned, it goes hand in hand with the team’s performance. I hope it can continue, because that means we’ve managed to obtain important results.”
Source: Juventus.com
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