Gianluigi Buffon (101 Viewers)

francesco

francesco

Till death do us part!
#3,381
Jul 25, 2006
2,420
#3,381
Juve's number 1 Gigi Buffon considers qualification to the Champions League the most realistic objective for the squad in the upcoming season.

It seems that by now even the Juventus fans have gotten used to the idea that their club will be aiming to qualify for the Champions League, as for the first time in their history they will be facing a Serie A season as a newly promoted club.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, one of the pillars of the Juve side, agrees with that assertion.

"Qualification for the Champions League is the objective," he said, "and if we achieve that it would be an excellent start to build on for this club's future."

But Buffon acknowledges that direct qualification will be a difficult thing to achieve.

"We should not forget about the difficulties we had to get past in order to get to this point and build the squad we have now.

"So no one should consider it a scandal if we finish third or fourth."

goal.com
 

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adelove

adelove

The Very Special One
#3,395
Sep 29, 2003
1,002
#3,395
francesco said:
Juve's number 1 Gigi Buffon considers qualification to the Champions League the most realistic objective for the squad in the upcoming season.

It seems that by now even the Juventus fans have gotten used to the idea that their club will be aiming to qualify for the Champions League, as for the first time in their history they will be facing a Serie A season as a newly promoted club.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, one of the pillars of the Juve side, agrees with that assertion.

"Qualification for the Champions League is the objective," he said, "and if we achieve that it would be an excellent start to build on for this club's future."

But Buffon acknowledges that direct qualification will be a difficult thing to achieve.

"We should not forget about the difficulties we had to get past in order to get to this point and build the squad we have now.

"So no one should consider it a scandal if we finish third or fourth."

goal.com
Click to expand...

It's either of two things:
1. after the intial bravado,d player's r now acquiring more realistic targets
OR
2.it's all part of an elaborate paln by CR to fool the opposition in2 a state of over-confidence n complacence
 
Red

Red

-------
Moderator
#3,396
Nov 26, 2006
47,024
#3,396
adelove said:
It's either of two things:
1. after the intial bravado,d player's r now acquiring more realistic targets
OR
2.it's all part of an elaborate paln by CR to fool the opposition in2 a state of over-confidence n complacence
Click to expand...
It is so that he won't get sacked if we 'just' finish 4th and don't challenge for the league.
 

ReBeL

The Jackal
#3,398
Jan 14, 2005
22,871
#3,398
Juventus has mix of old and new for return to Serie A


Whether it will be the same power as before the match-fixing scandal, only time will tell. The club kept five core players during its season of exile in Serie B: goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, midfielders Pavel Nedved and Mauro Camoranesi, and forwards Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet. The rest of the team is almost entirely new.

Juventus could feature as many as seven new players in its starting lineup: defenders Jorge Andrade (from Deportivo La Coruna), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax) and Domenico Criscito (Genoa); midfielders Tiago Mendes (Lyon), Sergio Almiron (Empoli) and Hasan Salihamidzic (Bayern Munich); and forward Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese).

Juventus started its shopping spree once Buffon extended his contract in June through 2012, giving the impetus for Nedved and Camoranesi to stay as well.

"The market campaign confirmed I made the right choice," Buffon said. "Juventus was the club that made the best and most moves. That doesn't automatically bring wins but it means being competitive."

With Camoranesi and Nedved supporting Del Piero, Trezeguet and Iaquinta - who was on Italy's World Cup team - the attack is solid.

Tiago brings a big club pedigree into midfield - his last three teams were Benfica, Chelsea and Lyon - and Almiron has performed well for Udinese, Verona and Empoli.

Another new midfielder, Antonio Nocerino of Italy's under-21 team, is also gaining attention.

"Of the new players, I've taken note of the ease with which Almiron kicks the ball, how Tiago distributes the ball, and Nocerino's skill and character," Buffon said.

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has labelled Nocerino "an Italian Nedved."

"He can also play on the wing. He gives us another option," Ranieri said.

While Buffon is considered the best in the league, Juve's all new defence could lead to problems. Jonathan Zebina at right back is the lone holdover. Andrade and Grygera are set to pair in central defence, with Criscito at left back.

"Soccer is a universal language and we've acquired defenders with international experience plus quality," Buffon said. "They'll get to know each other in a hurry."

As the new players settle in, the old guard will have to set the pace.

"You want to know what Juve's best acquisitions were? I'll list them: Buffon, Del Piero, Nedved and Camoranesi," former Juventus and Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. "If these four old guys have a great season then the new arrivals will also become important players."

Associated Press
 
francesco

francesco

Till death do us part!
#3,399
Jul 25, 2006
2,420
#3,399
Gigi Buffon admits that the title race this time around could be tighter that it has been in a long time.

The challenges of Milan, Roma, Inter and Juve and the pressure from the likes of Palermo, Fiorentina and Lazio - who will all be difficult to overcome - is promising to make for one of the best Scudetto races in a while, and the fact is not lost on Gigi Buffon.

"Yes, it will be a championship to savour," he said. "It will be one of the best title races we have seen.

"The sheer competition is going to be very good for the league, for our image."

However, he was clear on where the advantage was: "Inter."

The Azzurri number one was then asked to comment on Marco Materazzi's recent revelations of what exactly was said to Zinedine Zidane.

Buffon himself has two sisters, and remarked: "I would altually have felt very happy, happy that I was playing so well that he had to resort to such trash talk to put me off.

"It would be an appreciation of the fact that I was doing it all right. Hitting back like Zidane would not be the way I would respond."

goal.com
 
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