[Serie A] Juventus - Chievo (1 Viewer)
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Capello calms injury concerns
Sunday 31 October, 2004
Fabio Capello is forced to make massive changes against Chievo, but he claims Juve have the strength in depth to maintain their five-point lead.
“We don’t care what Milan and Inter do,” he assured when asked about the Scudetto race. “Chievo have a solid defence and we’ll have to give everything we’ve got to continue our run of results, but we have the team to make up for those players who are out.”
Both fullbacks are changed as Gianluca Zambrotta and Jonathan Zebina are injured, while midfield maestro Emerson is suspended.
“The press kept pushing for me to rotate the squad, so they’ll be pleased. We couldn’t play the same eleven men for the whole season. A great team has to know how to get around these situations and we’ll see many such dilemmas over the course of the season.”
Juventus are still unbeaten and have only dropped points in the 1-1 home draw with Palermo, but Capello is never happy.
“Everyone hopes to start a campaign this well,” he added, “but it’s a long tournament and we can’t afford to let up the pace. I’m satisfied with how we have performed so far, but reaching 80 to 85 per cent of your potential is the easy part. To get that extra 15 per cent you have to work really hard and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”
Capello spent the last few years at the Stadio Olimpico where Roma would regularly have 50-60,000 fans every Sunday, so he is finding it tough to adjust to the Stadio Delle Alpi.
“If at a Champions’ League game between Juventus and Bayern Munich you only get 18,000 fans in attendance,” noted the Coach, “then something is fundamentally wrong. We tried offering mini-season tickets, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe families feel they aren’t safe going to the Stadium, but if my team was playing Bayern I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Sunday 31 October, 2004
Fabio Capello is forced to make massive changes against Chievo, but he claims Juve have the strength in depth to maintain their five-point lead.
“We don’t care what Milan and Inter do,” he assured when asked about the Scudetto race. “Chievo have a solid defence and we’ll have to give everything we’ve got to continue our run of results, but we have the team to make up for those players who are out.”
Both fullbacks are changed as Gianluca Zambrotta and Jonathan Zebina are injured, while midfield maestro Emerson is suspended.
“The press kept pushing for me to rotate the squad, so they’ll be pleased. We couldn’t play the same eleven men for the whole season. A great team has to know how to get around these situations and we’ll see many such dilemmas over the course of the season.”
Juventus are still unbeaten and have only dropped points in the 1-1 home draw with Palermo, but Capello is never happy.
“Everyone hopes to start a campaign this well,” he added, “but it’s a long tournament and we can’t afford to let up the pace. I’m satisfied with how we have performed so far, but reaching 80 to 85 per cent of your potential is the easy part. To get that extra 15 per cent you have to work really hard and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”
Capello spent the last few years at the Stadio Olimpico where Roma would regularly have 50-60,000 fans every Sunday, so he is finding it tough to adjust to the Stadio Delle Alpi.
“If at a Champions’ League game between Juventus and Bayern Munich you only get 18,000 fans in attendance,” noted the Coach, “then something is fundamentally wrong. We tried offering mini-season tickets, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe families feel they aren’t safe going to the Stadium, but if my team was playing Bayern I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
At a time when Juventus are five points clear at the top of the table, Zdenek Zeman goes against the grain and claims they won’t win the Scudetto.
“I don’t agree with those who say that the Bianconeri are dead certs to take the title,” commented the Lecce boss. “In my view, Milan and Inter have more quality in their sides.”
Zeman is certainly not new to criticising the Turin giants, as during his time at Lazio, Roma and beyond he has often attacked them in the press. Now even their comfortable 2-0 win over Roma has not been enough to change his mind.
“Alessandro Del Piero scored a good goal,” he added, “but he certainly isn’t the same player he once was. David Trezeguet is out until January and I don’t think Pavel Nedved’s knee will hold out for much longer.”
If Inter are stranded in mid-table, then Zeman’s own Lecce outfit is much closer to challenging Juventus at the moment and travel to face Fiorentina this weekend.
“I am a little worried at the interest my players are generating, because their growth has to go hand in hand with the conservation of humility. Lecce allow a Coach to work well and, if we don’t sell any key men within the next two years, we could go far. But not yet.”
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What an ass..
“I don’t agree with those who say that the Bianconeri are dead certs to take the title,” commented the Lecce boss. “In my view, Milan and Inter have more quality in their sides.”
Zeman is certainly not new to criticising the Turin giants, as during his time at Lazio, Roma and beyond he has often attacked them in the press. Now even their comfortable 2-0 win over Roma has not been enough to change his mind.
“Alessandro Del Piero scored a good goal,” he added, “but he certainly isn’t the same player he once was. David Trezeguet is out until January and I don’t think Pavel Nedved’s knee will hold out for much longer.”
If Inter are stranded in mid-table, then Zeman’s own Lecce outfit is much closer to challenging Juventus at the moment and travel to face Fiorentina this weekend.
“I am a little worried at the interest my players are generating, because their growth has to go hand in hand with the conservation of humility. Lecce allow a Coach to work well and, if we don’t sell any key men within the next two years, we could go far. But not yet.”
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What an ass..