SIMONCELLI: “There are people in love with their passion. I got to like Simoncelli through TV and common friends. I have lived in Romagna myself, so I know how much people from there love life. As far as Italian sport is concerned we have lost an important talent, for our future as well.”
JUVE-GENOA: “I knew that Genoa would make things difficult for us, at 2-1 I thought we’d be able to seal the victory. We’re bitter at the draw, but not depressed. We’re still in a transitional stage of the season.”
“A different atmosphere in the stadium yesterday? Following the victory against Milan perhaps some thought the Genoa game would be easy, and our early goal may have strengthened that feeling.”
AGNELLI’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON DEL PIERO: “Our president urged the shareholders to thank Del Piero for his efforts, but on the outside this was perceived as an explicit declaration on the end of Alessandro’s career. Del Piero has a great sense of belonging, but his contract is due to run out in June 2012 and that situation hasn’t changed. Agnelli and Del Piero have known each other for years since they were young, they appreciate each other, and when they met in Vinovo later that week they laughed about it, agreeing on how the episode had been exploited by the media.”
“We all recognize Del Piero provided all the fans with great emotions and he deserves only praise. Is there preoccupation for the rest of his season? A player’s use depends on the manager, who needs to pick the best people available given the midweek’s performance in training. Conte is doing that well, and so there is no need to influence him.”
“Bidding Del Piero farewell will certainly not be easy. We aren’t afraid, we know that Alessandro is the most important player in Juve’s history but there won’t be any problems. As intelligent people we will manage the situation.”
ANTONIO CONTE: “Conte arrived this year, together with many new players. The manager’s work has begun with different tactical plans and it takes time for a new group to blend in. The manager has created a different culture from recent past, and there’s satisfaction for his work. He develops the resources available to him and gets the best out of his players, but we’re ready to plug any possible gaps. Conte’s work is bearing the fruits that we hoped for.”
“Conte possesses all the fundamental characteristics to be the right man for Juve: sense of belonging, juventinità, the desire to win, he’s got great passion for his work, and he drums a tactical mentality into his players that will bear fruit.”
TRANSFER MARKET: “When we arrived here, the team was at the end of a cycle; there was need to change and we have been very busy on the transfer market. Last year we bought 14 players, this year we’ve brought in 9. A structure in which we can just apply finishing touches and cherries on the cake (already of very high quality) isn’t in place yet. It’s impossible to bring in certain types of players for the moment, but the same goes for all teams in Italy.”
“In these months the scouting and monitoring work continues, thanks to Paratici and all the staff. We’re preparing to find new players to come in and a destination for those on the leave. It’s obvious that because we are Juve, we are obliged to keep the transfer market under observation. We’ve assembled a squad based on Conte’s demands and the shareholders’ guidelines. Managers may want certain players, but then there’s the need to respect the club owners’ financial strategy. Conte has always behaved very well in that respect: we’ve looked to please our coach as best we could, in a compatible way with the players we have available and which we must cherish.”
SETTORE GIOVANILE: “We’ve invested a lot on the youth program, and we care about the growth of the youngsters we have, even on the social level. The Youth Sector isn’t just a feather in our cap, but an element that gives life to the players of the future. Does its roster need further strengthening? At the right time, we will try to grab the opportunities that will present themselves.”
MIRKO VUCINIC and ARTURO VIDAL: “Two great players. Some thought Conte just had a single strategy, instead he’s shown he can put together different tactical solutions. He knows how to develop the players he has available. Vidal is extremely versatile, he’s covered different roles throughout his career including in the center and to the sides, and has characteristic that really fit in with the manager’s ideas: grinta, aggressivity, and physical strength. As for Vucinic, he’s different than Vidal: you don’t see much of him during the game, but then suddenly he scores a goal or does something magical. Strikers in the modern are now asked to backtrack in defense as well, to put in a lot of effort… we cannot ask all that from Vucinic, but his technical qualities have never been in doubt.”
MILOS KRASIC: “The player is on a declining phase, he’s been great over the past few years and has special qualities. His performances so far this season however, are not on par with his ability. We need to get him back to his best. Conte’s good at getting the most out of his resources and will find the right way, a strong way, to bring Krasic back. Right now Milos is suffering from this lackluster moment.”
GIORGIO CHIELLINI: “Chiellini is an international player, he’s often carried Juventus on his shoulders in the last few years. He might have been under difficulties in certain situations, but he’s not on trial. We are in a transitional phase but still have the third strongest Serie A defence (behind Udinese and Siena). Milan has conceded 11 goals so far, Juve just 5.”
SCUDETTO RACE: “The league is very balanced, especially now that even the so-called ‘provincial’ sides go out to get something from a game. All the games are difficult, as demonstrated by our home draws against Bologna and Genoa. Milan was down by three goals to Lecce today.”
“Given how many the club has won, the word ‘Scudetto’ is part of Juve’s vocabulary, therefore it’s always a target to reach. I share Conte’s prudence, but our objective is to finish into the top three, we cannot hide this, and so while we fight for this placement we must also think about the Scudetto. It must neither be too close nor too far, but always in the back of our players’ minds.”
“It’s the objective of big clubs to always fight for the title, then there’s Napoli, Roma, and Lazio. But other teams can participate in this race too, especially those who are second fiddle to the others only on paper, such as Udinese.”
“Udinese’s current model reminds me of Atalanta’s a few years ago. In such teams there’s no burden stemming from the club’s weight or necessity for instant results. With young players it’s tough to win in Italy, where our culture demands a victory every Sunday. By playing without fear, Udinese can play a different style of football with no pressure or affliction from the media.”
TURNING THE PAGE: “Last year’s nightmare? We’ve still got bad habits from last year to get rid of, but Conte’s been able to fix a great deal already. Thanks to his work and “virginity”: he’s a new manager and he’s a Juventino, he brought great determination that can be instantly recognized in the changing room, during the half-time break, and at Vinovo. This year won’t be like last year: results last year went up and down from the very beginning, yesterday’s game will be an isolated episode.”
“The strategy we had in place was looking to win immediately, Juventus is synonymous with victory, which therefore meant picking players who could instantly fit in, who needed no waiting for. We need to put on a show but also to be concrete. Being the director general of Juventus fills me with pride but also responsibilities, which are higher than at Milan or Inter. Juve’s history is something that you can feel deep. All of us, from the Agnelli at the top all the way down, are always under pressure. Right now Juventus must come back to winning ways and overcome years of difficulty.”
The great guys over at Juventiknows.com
http://juventiknows.com/beppe-marot...cudetto-race-and-turning-the-page-to-victory/
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