Serie A Tim - 19 Sep 2007 - 5:13 PM
Zanetti: “We're not inferior to anyone”
If anybody believed that losing to Udinese would have eroded Juventus' will to win, well... they were dead wrong. Today Cristiano Zanetti focused the team's thoughts back on the next big match at Roma, which is just days away. The midfielder enlivened today's press conference with the same determination he shows on the pitch.
One thought shone through above the many that Cristiano expressed: Juventus don't feel inferior to anyone. “I don't see any big problems. Out of three matches, we won two and lost one. We didn't play badly against Udinese, especially in the first half. We were forced to go forward at the end, when we were trying to find the equalizer, and they had space for counter-attacks. We had several chances which we couldn't convert, and there were some dubious refereeing decisions too. If we'd been able to score first, we'd be going to Rome with 3 wins under our belts”.
The game in Rome comes with Roma at their peak, top of the table with 3 wins in 3 games. What could have been a match between the two top positioned teams becomes now a chance for Ranieri's team to redeem themselves: “I'm very curious to see how Roma play – Zanetti continued -, they're a great team with some great players, but I don't think they're superior to us. The same applies to our other rivals; in fact I'm annoyed when I hear that we're inferior. We have several stars here that can win us any match. Maybe if we consider the whole squad, the others have a little more depth, but our first team can beat anyone. At this stage of the season no-one can be at their best. Roma have won three games, but AC Milan and Inter Milan have had setbacks just like us”.
At the Olimpico (the one in Rome, obviously), Zanetti’s and the other midfielders’ performance will be more crucial than ever, as Juventus' midfield has been criticized often by the pundits. Cristiano rejected this view and hit back: “It's normal to suffer at the beginning and nobody can be at their peak after so few games. I don't see problems in midfield; Manager Ranieri has a lot of options and can select his men according to the type of game. My beginning of the season went well? Yes, I feel good, the Manager believes in me and when he picks me I make sure he finds me ready.”