Capello opens new Juve era Saturday 3 July, 2004
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Juve’s pre-season campaign has already begun with new Coach Fabio Capello meeting the squad for training this morning.
“I knew Juventus as a player many years ago,” explained the former Roma boss. “Now I come back to find an ambitious club and it is our intention to return to the top of Italian and World football.”
The Bianconeri’s last campaign under Marcello Lippi was something of a disappointment with an early exit in the Champions’ League, third place Serie A finish and defeat to Lazio in the Coppa Italia Final.
They have already drafted in new signings Giorgio Chiellini, an Under-21 international defender from Livorno, Olivier Kapo of Auxerre and ex-Roma man Jonathan Zebina, but more transfer activity is expected.
“We are still working hard on that front, and there is plenty of time to complete the deals we are interested in.”
There was a general sense of surprise when Capello was unveiled as their new Coach, especially after the bitter rows between his Roma side and the Turin giants over the last few years, but Director General Luciano Moggi reveals, “Our meeting to discuss this move turned out to be love at first sight.
The Turin giants are forced to start their season earlier than usual due to the Champions’ League preliminary round to be played in August.
Although the stars involved in Euro 2004 and the Copa America are set to arrive in the next few weeks, Capello has time to work with 17 first team members of the squad and seven youth players at the Salice Terme base.
The players getting to grips with this new era in the club’s history are Antonio Chimenti, Alessandro Birindelli, Ciro Ferrara, Mark Iuliano, Nicola Legrottaglie, Gianluca Pessotto, Alessio Tacchinardi and Fabrizio Miccoli.
Others have returned from loan spells at other clubs this season, such as Matteo Brighi (Brescia), Davide Baiocco (Reggina), Manuele Blasi (Parma), Marcelo Zalayeta (Perugia), Marco Zanchi (Bologna) and Cristian Zenoni (Sampdoria).
Enzo Maresca is at the centre of transfer speculation suggesting he could be sold to any number of clubs around Europe, but he will only join up with Capello’s training schedule on July 16 due to a muscular problem.
The man who has replaced Marcello Lippi at the helm of Italy’s most successful club side will have precious little time to prepare for their first big test of the season – the Trofeo Tim tournament with Milan and Inter at the San Siro on July 27.
It is only a short pause from there to the Champions’ League preliminary round on August 10 or 11, perhaps Capello’s most crucial match of his first year in charge of Juventus.