Marotta: Not easy to buy big
By Football Italia staff
Director general Beppe Marotta has suggested that whilst Juventus hold ambitions to sign a big name player, it is fundamentally difficult.
The Bianconeri have spent just under €100m on new players in the last two transfer windows, but in a long interview with Sky Sport Italia on Friday, Marotta, who has overseen that activity, believes that the very highest level of player is still out of the club’s reach.
“[Zlatan] Ibrahimovic is a player who you can call a top player,†he began, when asked for an example. “Top players are a rare commodity in the sense that very few are around and of those that are available there is then those who are affordable.
“It is no coincidence that, if the choice is right, they make the difference - I am referring to Ibrahimovic, but the most striking example is that of [Lionel] Messi, who is definitely a player who makes a different in a team and for a club that is already great.
“Meanwhile, we have to understand what is available, then how much they cost, as well as a whole host of things.
“Certainly this is a goal that I think teams look at carefully, we must try to seize an opportunity, but it is not easy.â€
Marotta was also grilled on Juve’s recent form. Consecutive draws to Chievo and Bologna has left the club two points behind Milan.
“We must continue to work from week to week and then at the end draw any conclusions. We are in a position - I would say beyond these draws - that is of high calibre, which has been obtained with great credit to all, from the team, Coach and club.
“Now we have to fight to get the most [points] we can, this is our goal. But surely we have demonstrated to date that we are still as competitive as other teams and this is something that we should feel proud about.â€
In light of the team’s 13th League draw of the season, attention has focused this week on the strikers and their struggles in breaking down opposition defences.
“I like to look to the statistics and they support us - look at the goal difference and we have the second best one in the League. In first is clearly Milan, as is not coincidentally the case in the position in the table too.
“Then, we have the best defence, so it is clear that the Coach’s model also takes into account the fact that the strikers must sacrifice much, they must work hard for the team.
“It is clear that if we had more goals then things would be easier. It’s a subject that Conte is working on and very meticulously, but I feel we shouldn’t crucify the strikers - we have the best defence [thanks to them] so this must be taken into consideration.â€
