Thursday, July 10, 2008
"My Juve? A Solid Chameleon"
From today, the football vocabulary is ready to include a new word. "My Juve? Like a solid chameleon". This is how Claudio Ranieri replied when asked how he expects his team to be in this 2008/09 season. Juventus' Manager is fired up after the first few days of work, and curious to see his “creature” in a proper match, such as tomorrow afternoon's first friendly against Mezzocorona (kick off at 5 pm).
The match will allow him to verify the progress made in just six days of training. And it’ll be the first chance for the fans to cheer their team in a real game, while they wait to see the rest of the players, i.e. the internationals and the last few signings planned by the Club, join up with the squad. The players here for the moment are working well and looking promising.
"We are not lacking in quality – Ranieri commented -. All the lads are quality players; they wouldn't be at Juventus otherwise. They're all determined and humble and they all want to bring the team up to the same level as the great Italian and European teams".
A “solid chameleon”, but also a “tree that grows day after day”; Juventus' Manager likes to use quirky comparisons to describe the team. "We took a first step last year, now we need to go the rest of the way, starting from the Champions League preliminary rounds. The tree we planted has taken fine, thanks to its solid roots: the fine players and the Club. We have new young branches this year and that's how we'll face another long and difficult winter".
The side being built in the Val Rendena will have an added weapon: its flexibility. "Chameleon-like or solid? I want Juve to be like a solid chameleon: able to change its skin but tough too. When we signed Amauri, we considered his ability to adapt his style of play to all the other forwards in the team. And we're using the same criteria to choose the midfielder we're after".
Just another few days and the name of the new signing could be announced. A name that will help further strengthen a squad that has done very well and that wants to improve still, which pleases Claudio Ranieri no end.
:I like having abundance problems. I want to have a lot of great players at my disposal, who aspire to win and who know that there'll be space and chances for everyone here. We expect to be playing a lot of games, all important as they’re all worth three points. Last year we did very well with the big teams and lost a few points with the small teams, we have to improve under this point of view now".
Sauce: Juventus.com
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