Blanc: We're the same team Sunday 13 December, 2009
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Juventus President Jean-Claude Blanc stands by Ciro Ferrara and reminds critics this is the same side that beat Inter seven days ago.
“It has been a week and the lads worked hard with Ciro. Even if the result did not go well tonight, we saw a team eager to push forward, create chances and score goals,” he said after the 3-1 defeat to Bari.
“If Juve opened up the Scudetto race a week ago then it means they have the quality to achieve great things. What we lack is consistency and efficiency in front of goal.
“For now there is little to say and much to do, we’ll return to Vinovo to work even harder and prove ourselves all over again.
“It’s not in the history of Juventus to change management, even if I proved differently a few months ago. Ferrara is the Coach of the future and we will continue working with him to build the team.”
Yet Blanc is the man who sacked Claudio Ranieri towards the end of last season and brought in Ferrara for their third tactician in as many years.
“Deschamps decided to walk away and it was his choice, not ours. We fired Ranieri and it was a decision we had to take in order to finish in the top two.”
It was still 2-1 at the Stadio San Nicola when big summer signing Diego ballooned a spot-kick over the bar.
“We had many opportunities, the ball didn’t go in and missing the penalty changed the game in my view. I think if that spot-kick had gone in, the match would’ve ended in a very different way.
“Important transfers can take a while to settle in, as the Juventus jersey is quite a weight and it’s not easy to get right into the atmosphere of Serie A football.”
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