Ranieri: "We Are Aware Of Our Strength"

Juventus are looking to redeem themselves in the Champions League. All the Bianconeri want this, especially those who went through the last two years' events, but also Claudio Ranieri, who almost went all the way a few years ago while at Chelsea and now wants to try his hand at winning the European title again.

Just like his lads, the Manager is all fired up for the debut against Zenit. «We're perfectly aware of how strong we are. We know we're facing a Club that represents Russian football, a movement that is in the spotlight now, thanks to consistent investments; a team that are living a great period, seeing their recent wins. They're difficult opponents; they'll play on the counter-attack. So we'll need to stay very focused, but we're ready».

After seeing his team's good performances against Fiorentina and Udinese, Juventus' Manager is expecting another excellent game, knowing he can count on the motivation of a significant part of the squad.

"They definitely have the right motivation, particularly those players that have made history here at this Club. They can make use of their great international experience, something I'll certainly be considering when I choose the line-up. All the players are in good physical condition, but the players that have suffered in the last two years, when they saw their place in Serie A and in the Champions League taken away from them, and had to work real hard to get back at the top, well now these lads have the chance to play in the tournament they deserve".

Juventus' desire to make up for the last two years, versus Zenit's desire to become one of the teams to watch; if we consider Real Madrid's pedigree, Group H looks set to be one of the most exciting ones:

"According to the UEFA ranking, considering results from the last five years, we're above the Russians. But at this moment in time, Zenit are on the same level as us. It isn't easy winning the UEFA Cup and beating Manchester United. So they can count on a level of self-confidence they previously didn't have".

Juventus.com