Antonio Conte has called on his men to crown a magnificent campaign by lifting the club’s tenth Coppa Italia tomorrow evening in Rome.
“It’s a great feeling because it’s my first final as a manager,” said Conte. “It caps off truly wonderful year in which we’ve won the title. Now we’re preparing to experience another wonderful evening, with the possibility to lift a second trophy.”
“We celebrated during the week, but I’ve told my players that the celebrations must now come to an end. We’ve fought hard to get this far and want to go all the way.
“We’ll go into the encounter with the right state of mind, knowing that we could make a wonderful year even more fantastic.”
Both sides produced one of the games of the season when they played out a 3-3 thriller back in November 2011, prompting Conte to refer to the dramatic fightback at the San Paolo as a significant step in the team’s overall development.
“That particular encounter represented a real test of strength as far as we were concerned. It enabled me to fully understand the steel and determination possessed by the group.
“It remained the same until the end of the championship, enabling us to win the Scudetto without losing a single game. It’s something amazing and historic that will forever be remembered.
“The Napoli game was the first time we played with a 3-5-2. There have been many steps of development along the way, but that fixture was certainly important in giving the team self-belief and awareness in their own means.”
Victory at the Stadio Olimpico would represent Juve’s third ever domestic and cup double.
Yet Conte is aware of the strength possessed by the Partenopei and knows his men will be in for a stern test.
“I think they’re the worst possible team to face in a final. They have great potential which has also been shown in this year’s Champions League.
“They finished third last season and have strong foundations in place. They will be 110% motivated and so it will be an extremely tough game for us. We’ll need to remain extremely focused and give everything we’ve got.”
The manager concluded his press conference by expressing his sadness following this morning’s bomb blast in the southern Italian city of Brindisi.
“These events sadden us, they’re things that break your heart. My thoughts go out to the family of the girl who died, along with the family of the girl who is currently fighting for her life.”
Source: Juventus.com
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