Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Back To Work In Vinovo With Amauri
After two days and a half of rest, Ranieri and his team had their first training session of the week. Today saw the start of the approach to the return of the championship in view of Sunday’s afternoon match against Chievo.
The absentees consisted of the 11 internationals and Sissoko who began his physiotherapy. Amongst the players present was Amauri, who returned to Vinovo after the rehabilitation phase in Cesenatico. The striker underwent magnetic resonance tests and an x-ray which showed a good improvement to the problem suffered during the training session on the 12th of March. In order to complete his rehabilitation the Brazilian will continue undergoing therapy until the next tests are made at the beginning of next week.
On the field, apart from goalkeepers Chimenti, Manninger and Nocchi were another 16 players including Yago and three other Primavera players (De Paola, Alcibiade and Mirrarchi). Players under observation, Legrottaglie, Zanetti, Camoranesi and De Ceglie joined the group for the warm-up and ball possession exercises with long and short distances in order to regain their athletic form.
Alessio Secco and Jean-Claude Blanc, were at the Juventus Center. The Juventus general manager showed the sports centre to special guest Fabrizio Giugiaro, famous designer and great Juventus supporter, one of the prestigious brands that are contributing to the new stadium project.
Juventus.com
No Disqualified Players For Juventus-Chievo
The return to the championship for Juventus and Chievo will have no disqualified players. In fact there are no names of bianconeri and gialloblu players in the list drawn up by the sport authorities.
The list of Juventus players who have reached the yellow card limit is however longer. Together with Marchisio, Chiellini, Nedved and Amauri there also features that of Tiago. The Portuguese player was shown the yellow card for the third time this season during the match against Roma, just before the break. The other player shown the yellow card against Cristian Molinaro has now reached a total of six yellow cards.
Juventus.com
Under 21 To Kick-Off Second Part Of International Matches
With the weekend’s matches still fresh, the national teams are once again ready to go to the field for another two exciting days including the 11 bianconeri called-up with their respective national teams.
Tonight Casiraghi’s complete Under 21 squad (the one which will be taking part in the European Cup in Sweden next June) will play in Holland . De Ceglie, who is nearing recovery from the injury, will be absent but Pierluigi Casiraghi can count on 3 other bianconeri.
If Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco are a point of reference for the team, Lorenzo Ariaudo is in the shoes of the newcomer. After the great performance and the goal scored against Austria last Wednesday, the defender deserved the call-up. The friendly is scheduled for 20:45hrs (live on Rai Tre).
Tomorrow, Wednesday 1st April, it will be the turn of the senior squad. Much attention will be paid to the bianconeri derby which will take place in Bari. Marcello Lippi, Italy coach, will be playing against Giovanni Trappatoni the coach of Ireland assisted by two other symbolic names such as those of Marco Tardelli and Liam Brady.
Amongst the possible protagonists are the 3 bianconeri called-up for Italy: Buffon, Chiellini and Iaquinta. In case of a victory, Italy would make a great step ahead towards qualification for South Africa 2010.
Reaching the World Cup is also the objective of Knezevic’s Croatia (playing against Andorra), Grygera’s Czech Republic (playing the derby against Slovakia) and Poulsen’s Denmark (playing against Albania).
The other two bianconeri Mellberg and Tiago will be involved in friendly matches. After having played against each other on Saturday, Sweden and Portugal will be playing against Serbia and South Africa (the hosts of the next world championship) respectively.
Juventus.com
31-3-09 Juventus News
Claudio Calls For Ribery
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Legrottaglie Would Welcome Cassano To Juventus
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Cobolli Confirms A Great Acquisition For Juve
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No Chelsea Bid For Trezeguet - Gigli
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Chelsea Target Trezeguet
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Juventus Eye Tottenham Hotspur Defender Gareth Bale
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Juventus Step Up Bid For Udinese Striker Quagliarella
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Fiorentina In Pole Position To Land Palermo Defender Kjaer - Agent
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Rossi Backs Amauri, Taddei For Italy
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Maicon Will Miss D-Day
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Alex Ferguson Wanted Pep Guardiola, Who Wanted Juventus - Agent
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Blog: Juve's Cassanata
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Legrottaglie Would Welcome Cassano To Juventus
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Cobolli Confirms A Great Acquisition For Juve
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No Chelsea Bid For Trezeguet - Gigli
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Chelsea Target Trezeguet
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Juventus Eye Tottenham Hotspur Defender Gareth Bale
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Juventus Step Up Bid For Udinese Striker Quagliarella
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Fiorentina In Pole Position To Land Palermo Defender Kjaer - Agent
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Rossi Backs Amauri, Taddei For Italy
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Maicon Will Miss D-Day
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Alex Ferguson Wanted Pep Guardiola, Who Wanted Juventus - Agent
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Blog: Juve's Cassanata
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Tomorrow Back To Training Without Internationals
Juventus will get back to training tomorrow in view of the next championship match against Chievo on schedule for Sunday at 15:00hrs at the Turin Olimpico.
Ranieri will still have many players missing due to their international commitments. Buffon, Chiellini e Iaquinta are still with the Azzurri who will play against Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland on Wednesday, whilst Poulsen after the 3-0 victory against Malta will play against Albania with Denmark. On Wednesday Grygera and Knezevic will also be in action in the matches between Czech republic and Slovakia and Croatia and Andorra respectively.
Tiago and Mellberg who played against each other in Portugal-Sweden do not have any qualifiers to play but will remain with their respective national teams who will be involved in friendly matches. Portugal will in fact play on Tuesday against South Africa in Lausanne while Sweden will play against Serbia in Belgrade.
Marchisio and Giovinco will also be missing since together with Ariaudo they will be playing for the Under 21 squad in a friendly against Holland tomorrow.
Juventus.com
Cobolli: "Scudetto, The Match Against Inter Is Fundamental. We Want To Win The 10th Coppa Italia"
Giovanni Cobolli Gigli took part in “La casa sportiva degli italiani” (the Italian house of sports), a convention in Rome which forms part of the “SportLab – Nuove formule dello sport” (SportLab – New formulae for sports) manifestation supported by the Council for Cultrural Policy of Rome.
Deviatting for a while from the convention which spoke of owned stadiums, the Juventus president spoke of football and in particular of the main challenges that await Juventus in April especially the championship match against Inter and the return match of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio:
"The match against the nerazzurri can be the last chance to continue believing in winning the scudetto. Beating the biancocelesti would be important because it would allow us to reach the final and a subsequent possible victory would give Juventus its tenth trophy which would be a record. Besides the Super Cup final will be played in china and this would be another occasion to export the Juventus brand to a country where it is already very well known".
Juventus.com
30-3-09 Juventus News
Chiellini Avoids Second Fracture
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Sebastian Giovinco Aiming To Become ‘A Champion’
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Giovinco Will Stay
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Cristian Molinaro: Juventus Can Overthrow Inter To Win The Scudetto
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Manninger Continues To Believe Juventus Can Win Scudetto
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Ranieri: I Will Not Have Dinner With Jose Mourinho
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Cobolli Gigli: The Match Against Inter Is The Last Chance For Juventus
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Agger Hasn't Renewed, Juve And Milan Are Ready
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Juventus Target Subotic
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Liverpool To Step In With €25 Million Offer To Trump Juventus
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Sebastian Giovinco Aiming To Become ‘A Champion’
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Giovinco Will Stay
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Cristian Molinaro: Juventus Can Overthrow Inter To Win The Scudetto
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Manninger Continues To Believe Juventus Can Win Scudetto
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Ranieri: I Will Not Have Dinner With Jose Mourinho
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Cobolli Gigli: The Match Against Inter Is The Last Chance For Juventus
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Agger Hasn't Renewed, Juve And Milan Are Ready
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Juventus Target Subotic
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Liverpool To Step In With €25 Million Offer To Trump Juventus
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Manninger: 'The Title Race Is Still Open"
"I am sorry to have missed the international call-up but unfortunately I had a problem with my calf. Next week I think I will be back with the group. It was an incredible incident: I injured myself during a leap to save an Amauri shot and we both got hurt simultaneously".
Alexander Manninger still cannot believe the incident which forced him to stay off the field recently even though the worst is now over and soon the goalkeeper will be able to return to action.
Alex’s importance this season was great and speaking of him as a second goalkeeper does not do him justice:
"I am happy with the choice made in summer – continued Manninger on Juventus Channel – and now I want to continue doing my utmost for the team, getting back into form as soon as possible".
"The title race is still open. We were clever enough to remain close to Inter and in this manner with the direct encounter everything is still possible. We all believe we can catch up with the nerazzurri but we have to pay attention to all the matches. The Italian championship is very competitive and if one concentrates exclusively on the strong team you end up losing many points along the way".
Juventus.com
29-3-09 Juventus News
Juventus Treatment Room Empties Out
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Amauri Will Never Forget Palermo
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Cobolli Charts Scudetto Path
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Juventus Chief Cobolli Gigli: Let’s Beat Inter And…
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Cobolli Gigli Insists On Exciting Juventus Future
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Lapo Elkann: Juventus Still Believe In The Scudetto
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Juventus Green Light For David Silva
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Florent Malouda Commits To Chelsea
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Fiorentina Ready To Swoop For Udinese's Zapata
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Amauri Will Never Forget Palermo
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Cobolli Charts Scudetto Path
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Juventus Chief Cobolli Gigli: Let’s Beat Inter And…
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Cobolli Gigli Insists On Exciting Juventus Future
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Lapo Elkann: Juventus Still Believe In The Scudetto
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Juventus Green Light For David Silva
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Florent Malouda Commits To Chelsea
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Fiorentina Ready To Swoop For Udinese's Zapata
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Italy Beat Montenegro 2-0
"In the first half we didn’t play very well. We were awarded a penalty following a tackle by a rival defender but we didn’t deserve much more. In the second half on the other hand, we showed personality, had many goal opportunities and we only risked on one occasion".
"I am satisfied with the performance of my boys. The 1-1 draw of Ireland means that we have a 2 point advantage in the table and on Wednesday in the direct encounter we have the possibility of increasing it".
These are the comments of Marcello Lippi at the end of the match which saw the Azzurri emerge from the stadium in Podgorica with a round 2-0 thanks to a Pirlo penalty in the first half and a goal by Pazzini in the second. Now the points in the group’s table are 13, 2 more then Ireland, the next opponent on Wednesday.
All the bianconeri were in the starting line-up but on the 14th minute Iaquinta was forced to leave the field following a blow in a tackle. Buffon did not have a particularly busy night but he performed a miracle on a short distance shot by Djalovic (22nd) saving the result which at the time was 1-0.
Great sacrifice made by Chiellini who had problems with his nose (very recently operated on) in the middle of the second half and had to call on the help of the medical staff many times but still managed to finish the game.
Juventus.com
International Bianconeri
Apart from the three bianconeri involved in the match in Podgorica in the match between Italy and Montenegro which ended in a 2-0 win for the azzurri, Saturday also saw the turn of all the other players called up to represent their countries in the various world cup qualifiers.
Zdenek Grygera’s Czech Republic obtained a goalless draw against Slovenia. Another draw was that between Tiago’s Portugal and Olof Mellberg’s Sweden with the final result also being 0-0.
Christian Poulsen’s Denmark registered a 3-0 away win against Malta. The Danes went ahead on the 12th minute thanks to Larsen whos scored a second 11 minutes later. With one minute to goal Nordstrand made the final score 3-0.
Juventus.com
Primavera: 3-0 Signed Yago (Twice) And Daud
Great Juventus victory by Juventus Primavera against Parma on the Vinovo field.
The end result was 3-0 with two goals by Yago and another by Daud who came back from suspension. The first half was nothing special but the second saw the Juventus we were accustomed to see a month ago: strong, wilful and determined. Ariaudo also played for most of the match (coming off in the last 15 minutes).
The defender is ready to join the Under 21 squad again. The next championship matches for the Primavera are both home matches: on Saturday against Pisa and on the following Thursday (9th April) against Piacenza in a match which had been postponed
Juventus.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Last Training Session Before Two Days Of Rest. Back To Work On Tuesday
Due to the break in the championship, Claudio Ranieri has granted the team two days of rest with the players getting back to work on Tuesday afternoon at 15:00hrs. This morning, the last training session lasted just over an hour and saw the participation of 15 players.
Chimenti and Manninger worked separately with part of the work carried out in the gym and the second part consisting of jogging on the field. Nedved, who was yesterday away due to pharyngitis, today worked in the gym.
The players who worked on the field carried out technical exercises following a warm-up. The session came to an end with a 6-a-side mini-match on one side of the field. The first team was made up of Giovinco and Marchisio (who are ready to join the Under 21 squad) together with Molinaro, Ekdal, Legrottaglie and De Ceglie. The other team consisted of Del Piero, Zanetti, Zebina, Camoranesi, Salihamidzic and Marchionni.
Juventus.com
28-3-09 Juventus News
Camo Targets Inter Comeback
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Juve Chief: We Can Catch Inter
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Juve Agree Diego Terms?
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Juve, Buying: Cassano-Diego-Kjaer
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Juventus Willing To Include Iaquinta In Bid For Napoli's Hamsik
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Simon Kjaer's Agent Dismisses Juventus Transfer Rumours
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Juventus Target Bocchetti Is Not Leaving Genoa - Agent
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Bayern Frees Ribéry For Juve: Impossible To Keep Him
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Palombo Not Interested In Juve Switch
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Juve Chief: We Can Catch Inter
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Juve Agree Diego Terms?
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Juve, Buying: Cassano-Diego-Kjaer
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Juventus Willing To Include Iaquinta In Bid For Napoli's Hamsik
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Simon Kjaer's Agent Dismisses Juventus Transfer Rumours
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Juventus Target Bocchetti Is Not Leaving Genoa - Agent
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Bayern Frees Ribéry For Juve: Impossible To Keep Him
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Palombo Not Interested In Juve Switch
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Camoranesi: "We Have Two Goals To Reach"
Juventus is working hard during this period, but fatigue is not felt when the training sessions are taken in the right spirit. Mauro German Camoranesi, for example, at the end of yesterday’s session was the protagonist of a sweet situation with Sebastian Giovinco. Impressed by the magical moves of the Atomic Ant, the world champion exchanged jerseys with the young player to stress his performance. This is a clear sign of the harmony which reigns amongst the squad members:
"The atmosphere is a happy one – confirmed Mauro on Juventus Channel – we are well and we enjoy ourselves during training. The atmosphere however, has always been good notwithstanding the results. Now we are working in preparation of the next match'.
The next match is against Chievo, but it is clear that the most awaited match is the one against Inter on schedule for the 18th of April. A match, in which Mauro, last year, was a protagonist, both in the first and in the second round with decisive goals:
"From now till the end of the season all the matches will be difficult. The match against Inter is important and awaited because it is practically a derby but it is still worth three points. It will be important to win against everyone, not only against the nerazzurri because we still have two objectives and we will have to fight to obtain them. I hope to be back after the break since I still have a week to work. It is quite some time since I played and I will make myself available for the coach. Obviously I hope to play against Inter'.
The doubt is well justified because notwithstanding his crystalline class, Camoranesi must “look out” for the internal competition, seeing that both Salihamidzic and Marchionni are available and in great form:
"The contribution by all the squad has been important, because notwithstanding the injuries, all those who played did so well, allowing the team to continue fighting both in the championship and the Coppa Italia. Now the last part remains but it has still been a positive season. We were eliminated from the Champions League, the most awaited competition, but from which we had been missing for two years. Being eliminated by Chelsea is acceptable and those not effect the holistic outcome of our season".
Juventus.com
Poker Against Primavera
The week free from championship commitments allowed the players who remained in Turin to play a mini-match against a team made up of Primavera and Berretti players.
Ekdal and Marchionni played for one half, before joining Salihamidzic for work in the gym with the trainers. Legrottaglie also played for thirty minutes. Nedved was absent due to pharyngitis. Manninger and Chimenti worked separately.
In the two thirty minute halves, the first team won 4-1 with two goals by Del Piero, and one each scored by Trezeguet and Marchisio.
Molinaro played in an unusual position that is in the center of the defence next to Legrottaglie with Zebina and De Ceglie as fullbacks. In the midfield, Camoranesi and Marchionni played a half each with Zanetti, Marchisio and Giovinco in line. The latter played for most of the match leaving the field ten minutes from the end. The attacking duo was made up of Del Piero and Trezeguet.
Tomorrow morning the team will be involved in another training session before a break until Tuesday afternoon.
Juventus.com
27-3-09 Juventus News
Alex Isn't Scared Of Cassano
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Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero Would Welcome Cassano Challenge
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Juventus Still Have Two Objectives This Season – Mauro Camoranesi
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Iaquinta Loving Life At Juventus; Compares It To Udinese Days
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Legrottaglie: Juventus Are At the Mercy Of Inter In Scudetto Race
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Paolo Maldini Believes Amauri Should Play For Italy
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Juventus Could Get First Option On Palermo Defender Simon Kjaer
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Juventus Consider Marek Hamsik Approach
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Juventus Step Up Pursuit Of Chelsea’s £10 Million Player
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Blog: A New Dawn?
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Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero Would Welcome Cassano Challenge
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Juventus Still Have Two Objectives This Season – Mauro Camoranesi
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Iaquinta Loving Life At Juventus; Compares It To Udinese Days
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Legrottaglie: Juventus Are At the Mercy Of Inter In Scudetto Race
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Paolo Maldini Believes Amauri Should Play For Italy
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Juventus Could Get First Option On Palermo Defender Simon Kjaer
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Juventus Consider Marek Hamsik Approach
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Juventus Step Up Pursuit Of Chelsea’s £10 Million Player
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Blog: A New Dawn?
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A Saturday Of International Matches. The Azzurri To Meet Montenegro.
During the weekend break from the Serie A, it is time for the national sides to play their qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. Lippi’s azzurri will play in Podgorica against Montenegro (20:45hrs). According to the latest news on the media, all 3 bianconeri called up Buffon, Chiellini and Iaquinta should be playing.
In Group 1 Poulsen’s Denmark will play against Malta whilst Tiago’s Portugal will encounter Mellberg’s Sweden. In Group 3 Grygera’s Czech Republic will meet Slovenia.
Under 21: Casiraghi Confirms Ariaudo
Good news with regards to the Under 21 call-ups for the test match on schedule for Tuesday 31st march at Kerkrade in Holland. Pier Luigi Casiraghi decided to confirm Lorenzo Ariaudo who did very well during the mid-week match played by the future Under 21 (for the years between 2009 and 2011). Ariaudo, therefore, has been called-up even with the current Under 21 squad together with Giovinco and Marchisio.
Juventus.com
Primavera: Home Match Against Parma. The Other Matches Of The Youth Sector
On Saturday afternoon, at 15:00hrs, Maddaloni’s Primavera, who returns to the bench after his suspension, will be meeting Parma. It is a very important match for Juventus, who want to remain hot on the track of Siena who are the current leaders with two points more but the bianconeri have a match in hand. It will be a very difficult commitment against the emiliani, who in the first round defeated Maddaloni’s boys interrupting the positive series which lasted 10 days.
The Juventus coach will have nearly all his players at his disposal including Daud who is back from suspension. Esposito, on the other hand, still has one day of suspension to pay.
Lorenzo Ariaudo will not be on the field at the Chisola in Vinovo since he is part of the Under 21 squad for the 2009/2011 period. Ariaudo left his mark on the match played on Wednesday against Austria as part of the Four Nations Tournament. The Juve defender played a great match and scored the goal which allowed the azzurrini, who were at the time losing by 2-0, to comeback and manage to achieve a 2-2 draw with a goal scored by Paloschi.
The good news is that Ariaudo has been confirmed by Pierluigi Casiraghi who included him in the call-ups for the test match against Holland on Tuesday together with team-mates Giovinco and Marchisio. Maddaloni is obviously satisfied:
"When one of our players is called-up for the national team, and like in this case, is confirmed for us it is just like a victory. We are very happy".
The other matches of the youth sector on schedule this weekend are as follows:
BERRETTI: Canavese – Juventus (Saturday 28th at 14.30)
ALLIEVI NAZIONALI: Juventus-Alessandria (Sunday 29th at 10.30)
ALLIVI REGIONALI: Juventus-Torino (Sunday 29th at 10.30)
GIOVANISSIMI PROFESSIONISTI: Genoa-Juventus (Saturday 28th at 15:00)
GIOVANISSIMI REGIONALI: Juventus-Barcanova Salus (Saturday 28th at 15:00)
GIOVANISSIMI SPERIMENTALI: Juventus-Valenzana (Sunday 29th at 15:00)
Juventus.com
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Marchionni: "I Have Won Juve Back!"
Amongst the secrets of Juventus of the 2008/09 season there is definitely great team spirit with each and every element giving an important contribution. This aspect emerged with the cycle of consecutive victories – the one between October and November and the in the past few matches – which were both registered notwithstanding the many injuries.
Claudio Ranieri could always count on the contribution of his boys. Amongst these, one of the symbols is definitely Marco Marchionni. After the first two seasons characterized by too much bad luck, the wing from Rome is living a great year in which he managed to show his great talent which landed him in Juventus:
"This year I managed to win Juve back. I really wished I could do so and show my worth and I am really happy with the contribution I managed to make. I was disappointed with this slight injury which made me miss the Champions League match but now I have recovered and am well".
Marchionni is one of the team members who are back. In a week during which the national teams are giving everyone the possibility to win back their breath, the bianconeri are preparing the final sprint for a championship which nobody thinks is over:
"Within ten days we will have everybody back and we will have abundance problems – confirmed Marco – and this can not but make us hope for the best. Obviously we still believe in it otherwise we would not be here. We want to continue bothering Inter. We are happy with what we are achieving even though we know that seven points are not easy to recover but we still have the direct match to play at home".
The big match against Inter is like a crossroad in the championship but before the encounter with the nerazzurri, the fixtures foresee two matches which Juve must win to reach the match in best condition. Marchionni is a good incarnation of the Juve mentality:
"We will continue thinking of one match at a time. After the break we must play against a recovering Chievo and then against Genoa. We must win and hope in a slip by Inter. Otherwise we will try to cut down on the points margin in the direct encounter which is the most important thing, knowing that very often in the last few matches everything changes. There is also the Coppa Italia which is within reach".
Juventus.com
Legrottaglie: "Nine Finals Await Us"
"We definitely do not lack motivation: there are 9 matches left and they will be like 9 finals, we are 7 points ahead of Milan and seven below Inter and therefore we are half way and we still have a long way to run so as not to give up the scudetto or the second place".
Nicola Legrottaglie, ready to return after the stop due to the injury suffered against Napoli is very highly motivated. The objective is obviously the title race with Inter and with the match on the 18th of April which is drawing near, the belief in the possibility of catching-up is growing:
"The direct encounter will be fundamental even if not decisive – explained the defender on Juventus Channel – The result will leave it’s mark on morale and for us winning would mean a great step ahead which we have not managed to make yet".
The wait for the big match is however being taken day by day: "Calculations are of no use. We must take a game at a time. Today as things stand we are tied up with Inter’s results. They will be the ones to decide the result of this championship and help us understand whether we have the possibility to overtake them in the remaining matches".
The talk shifts to the Juventus of the future, a topic however, which Nicola thinks is disrespectful of the current squad: "I think of the present team which is proving to be a great one. Everybody should be proud of this championship as well as of the last. Thinking of the future seems disrespectful towards the players who are doing their utmost".
At the end a thought about Lorenzo Ariaudo who scored a goal in his debut with the Under 21: "I am very happy for him. Ariaudo is a careful, disciplined and educated lad and these are characteristics which are rare. He must simply remain humble and he will have a great career. I continue to insist that we must believe in him and that sometimes it is not necessary to send youngsters to gain experience in other teams".
Juventus.com
Brazzo Back With The Group
It was the third training session of the week for Juventus this morning at the Juventus Center in Vinovo. Thirteen bianconeri were on the field under Ranieri’s orders, including Hasan Salihamidzic, who returned to training with the group after having trained separately in the last few days.
The only Primavera training with the first team today was Yago. Chimenti trained in the gym following a slight pain felt during the mini-match held yesterday while Manninger is still undergoing separate training. Giorgio Pellizzaro worked with the two youngsters Nocchi and Pinsoglio. Nedved and Zebina also worked in the gym.
The group first had a warm-up session with the ball and the classic routines and then took part in a 6-a-side mini-match without the goalkeepers and with Marchionni as joker. At the end of the session Camoranesi, Ekdal, Yago, Legrottaglie and Salihamidzic took part in a supplementary session under Riccardo Capanna.
Juventus.com
26-3-09 Juventus News
Iaquinta Full Of Confidence
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Amauri Would Be Great For Italy - Iaquinta
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Marchionni Wants Cassano And Silva At Juventus
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Hasan Salihamidzic: Juventus Must Take One Game At A Time
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Buffon Lists World’s Best Goalkeepers From Serie A
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'No Signing Is Impossible' For Juve
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Giovanni Cobolli Gigli Reveals Juventus Transfer Strategies
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Nedved Could Remain
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Juventus Increase Interest In Napoli Star Marek Hamsik
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Juventus Set Sights On Genoa Defender Salvatore Bocchetti
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Sampdoria Striker Cassano Reluctant To Make Juventus Move
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Agent Reveals Juventus Ahead Of Roma For Guberti
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I Do Not Know Anything About Juventus - David Silva
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No Bids For David Silva Of Valencia - Yet
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Juventus, Trochowski The Main Target
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Fiorentina Interest Confirmed For Catania Striker Paolucci
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Chievo Not Ready For Juventus Game – Sergio Pellissier
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Blog: Super Sub
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Amauri Would Be Great For Italy - Iaquinta
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Marchionni Wants Cassano And Silva At Juventus
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Hasan Salihamidzic: Juventus Must Take One Game At A Time
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Buffon Lists World’s Best Goalkeepers From Serie A
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'No Signing Is Impossible' For Juve
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Giovanni Cobolli Gigli Reveals Juventus Transfer Strategies
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Nedved Could Remain
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Juventus Increase Interest In Napoli Star Marek Hamsik
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Juventus Set Sights On Genoa Defender Salvatore Bocchetti
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Sampdoria Striker Cassano Reluctant To Make Juventus Move
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Ariaudo, Under 21 Debut With A Goal
2009 continues to bring great satisfaction to Lorenzo Ariaudo. After the debut with the first team in the Coppa Italia against Catania, the splendid first Serie A game in Rome against Lazio and the victory of the Viareggio Cup with the Primavera, the young Juventus defender had a double reason to celebrate with the azzurri.
Called-up by Pierluigi Casiraghi for the Under 21 squad which will be representing Italy between 2009 and 2011, Ariaudo left his mark in the first attempt. Having come on to the field during the second half of the match against Austria valid for the Four Nations Tournament, with the team under by 2 goals, he charged his team-mates by scoring the goal which re-opened the match before the definite 2-2 by Paloschi. The Parma attacker was later substituted towards the end of the match by Ciro Immobile, the other Juve player called-up.
The two bianconeri will be back with Massimiliano Maddaloni as soon as possible. On Saturday the championship returns for the Primavera who will host Parma at the Chisola.
Juventus.com
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Growing Group
These are intense days of work for Juventus. Taking advantage of the break from the championship, Ranieri is welcoming back a number of important players in view of the next match against Chievo.
Obviously, the 8 internationals are missing, but the group is growing day after day. This morning in fact, Zanetti, De Ceglie, Legrottaglie, Ekdal and Camoranesi participated in most of the session with the group, including the mini-match without goalkeepers.
Afterwards, Legrottaglie and Ekdal worked separately with Capanna whilst Camoranesi returned to the gym. Zanetti and De Ceglie went on training with the group carrying out shooting exercises and a mini-match on a reduced field of play.
To add to the number of players on the field a number of Primavera players also trained with the squad. These were Daud, Alcibiade, Yago and Duravia, as well as Nocchi and Pinsoglio who before the match worked together with Chimenti under Giorgio Pellizzaro.
Separate session for Hasan Salihamidzic, who after working with Capanna returned to the gym and for Alexander Manninger who is on the road to recovery.
Juventus.com
Blanc: "We Must Think Of The Finances And The Youngsters"
Juventus are aiming to be first on the field but also outside the field. With regards to company management and strategy Juventus continue to be avant-garde, just like they were when it came to the building of the stadium.
This was the gist of the discourse made by general manager Jean-Claude Blanc, who spoke in the morning at the Milan Stock Exchange during the annual Star Conference 2009, two days dedicated to the clubs on the stock market as part of the STAR group.
The new stadium, which will be completed for the 2011/12 season continues to be it’s best asset: "It is the apple of our eye, which runs in parallel with those which are our guidelines and those of UEFA, that is the care for finances and the investment in youngsters. With this policy we can return to winning and we are on the right track".
The sporting season is not yet over but the main topic on the media is once again the transfer market, especially in these days which sees the championship on a break due to the international matches. A question to Blanc on this topic is expected:
"Thanks to a strong company strategy we have an adequate sum at our disposal with which to purchase a great champion. We will miss Nedved a lot and we will search for somebody to replace him. However, I will not speak of the transfer market out of respect for the players who form part of our current squad and who are awaiting the nine matches which up to the end of the championship".
Nine matches, nine finals for Juventus who have no intention of letting go in their attempt to catch up with Inter.
"The match against the nerazzurri will be an important one – concluded Blanc – and difficult in match terms. We want to reach the direct encounter in the best of conditions and free from controversy. However, until mathematics does not say the opposite, we will continue to fight".
Juventus.com
Brazzo: "We Are Playing Well But We Are Not Looking At The Table Yet"
"After the stop due to the tendon problem, I played four consecutive matches and it is only normal that my muscles are a bit tired. It is for this reason that I worked separately from the group yesterday and today, but this was planned and I will return to training with the group in the next few days".
Not that there were any doubts, but the statement made by Hasan Salihamidzic is comforting seeing that in the last few matches he seemed to be one of the players in the best condition. Decisive against Bologna and punctual against Roma, Brazzo is satisfying his will to play accumulated during the months he was forced to stop:
"Yes, I am happy with my performances but one must say that the whole team has improved. We are playing well and must continue like this even in the next matches. For the time being I am not looking at the table because there are still 27 points to be won and therefore we must think of playing one match at a time. If we maintain this mentality, when there are two or three matches left we will be able to reap the fruits".
Juventus.com
25-3-09 Juventus News
Buffon Backs Cassano And Amauri
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Salihamidzic And Camoranesi In The Gym
The week without any championship matches began with an afternoon session which saw the participation of 22 players, 9 of which from Maddaloni’s Primavera.
Amongst those absent were the internationals who next week will be busy playing in the worls cup qualification matches. The first to return, next Tuesday, will be Mellberg and Tiago who will play against each other in an exciting match between Portugal and Sweden: the only match for both nations. All the others will return to training with Juventus on the following Thursday.
Camoranesi and Salihamidzic worked in the gym. Ekdal, still suffering from pharyngitis, was forced to miss the call-up with the Under 21 side and was therefore allowed to rest.
It was the first day on the field for Manninger who returned to training with Chimenti and Pinsoglio. For the first part of the session trainer Capanna and second coach Damiano led the a warm-up session with the ball before free juggling exercises and the usual mini-match without goalkeepers.
Legrottaglie, De Ceglie and Zanetti who were seen working hard on their athletic condition did not take part in the last part of the programme.
Juventus.com
De Ceglie Ready For Comeback
"The long stop is finally over. Now I have practically two weeks to work in order to recover my best form and therefore I should be available for call-up for the match against Chievo".
Paolo De Ceglie is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and after nearly two months since the injury suffered against Napoli in the Coppa Italia on the 4thn of February, he is ready to get back on the field.
The Under21 international has been training with the rest of the team for a number days now without feeling the effect of the nasty blow suffered in a collision with Gargano which resulted in the fracture of a rib, the injuring of another two and a pneumo-thoraic injury:
"It was quite a blow – recalls Paolo – but as soon as the medical staff and the trainers give the go ahead I will not stop to think about it but try to train to the maximum to regain my best form as soon as possible".
During the last few weeks, Juventus obtained good results and registered five consecutive championship victories:
"We must win all the coming matches if we want to keep on fighting for the scudetto – continues De Ceglie – Now a difficult match against Chievo awaits us. Chievo is going through a good time and just like all the teams trying to avoid relegation they will surely give us a hard time. We, however, absolutely want to win the three points".
Juventus.com
Back To Training Without Internationals
Notwithstanding the break for the international matches, which will see the championship having a break for one weekend, the team is back to work in Vinovo. After two days of well deserved rest, as a prize for the victory in Rome which marked the second consecutive victory in the championship, it is time to continue the preparation for the next match.
The session will obviously be conditioned by the qualifying matches for South Africa 2010. Mr. Ranieri will be missing the 8 bianconeri dispersed all over Europe: Buffon, Chiellini, Iaquinta, Poulsen, Tiago, Mellberg, Grygera and Knezevic. In addition to these are Ariaudo and Immobile called-up with Casiraghi’s Under21 side.
The rest of the group will begin to think of the next commitments. April will be a decisive month for the future of Juventus and not only because of the home match against Inter on the 18th of April. There is also the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio on schedule for the 22nd of April in Turin.
The one this afternoon will be the first of five sessions the bianconeri will have this week. From Wednesday to Saturday the team will train in the morning and will be granted a rest on Sunday and Monday.
Juventus.com
24-3-09 Juventus News
Ranieri Wants To Close Gap
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Monday, March 23, 2009
Legrottaglie, A Man Of Faith And The Field
Ho fatto una promessa” (I made a promise), is the title of Nicola Legrottaglie’s book which was presented at the Media Center in Vinovo during the press conference which also saw the particpation of Darwin Pastorin and Mariella Scirea.
In his book, the defender recounts his experience as a man of faith, faith which supported him in these years and helped him reach his objectives. The first of these was to become a professional player and it id from this wish that the title of the book was born.
A promise to God If I ever become a Serie A player, I will be a missionary in the world – one can read on the fly-page of the cover. He did his part and now it is my turn».
"In this book I recount my experience, the route of my life, as a footballer and as a man of faith. The two paths are inevitably linked because God is always present in every moment. The message that is conveyed is that He is always by our side and we only have to open up our heart to receive him".
Nicola, besides the book, also spoke of football with Juventus Channel: "Now I am well, my knee is responding and shout be available after the break. My team mates played really well, showing once again that there are no first team players or reserves but that Juventus is a team made up of players of great value".
Juventus’ improvement, not only on a results level has been acclaimed and recognized even by the opponents. Mourinho, himself, spoke well of Ranieri’s team:
"This is of great satisfaction to us. Two years ago we were in the Serie B and having got to this point in such a short time competing with a team like Inter is a reason to be proud". With reference to the title of his book Legrottaglie is asked what promise he would like to make to the fans:
"That all of us will always give the maximum effort. I cannot promise results, it wouldn’t be right, even if the thing we all want is victory. We for sure, will not let go until the very end".
Juventus.com
And Now It’s Time For The National Teams
After the beautiful victory at the Olimpico in Rome (4-1) thanks to two goals by Iaquinta and one each by Mellberg and Nedved, Ranieri granted the team two days of well deserved rest in view of the break in the championship due to the World Cup 2010 qualifiers. The bianconeri, excluding the players called up with Italy and other countries, will train in Vinovo from Tuesday afternoon to Saturday morning.
Buffon, Chiellini and Iaquinta are the players called-up by Marcello Lippi. The “azzurri” will have to be at the Centro Tecnico Federale in Coverciano on Monday evening to begin their preparation in view of the two up-coming matches: on Saturday 28th March in Podgorica against Montenegro (20:45h) and on Wednesday 1st April at the San Nicola Stadium in Bari against the Republic of Ireland coached by Giovanni Trapattoni (20:50hrs).
The call-ups for the other countries have already been announced and involve five bianconeri, three of which in the same qualifying group (Group 1). On the 28th of March, while Poulsen’s Denmark will meet Malta, Tiago’s Portugal will play against Sweden’s Mellberg.
On the 1st of April only Poulsen will be busy playing for Denmark against Albania. In Group 3, Grygera’s Czech Republic will play against Slovenia on the 28th of March and against Slovakia on the 1st of April. Knezevic is also back with the national side of his country, Croatia who will be playing against Andorra on the 1st April (Group 6).
Juventus.com
23-3-09 Juventus News
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Sunday, March 22, 2009
22-3-09 Juventus News
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Saturday, March 21, 2009
Roma - Juventus 1-4
A display of cold-blooded finishing saw Juventus beat an injury crisis-torn Roma 4-1 at the Stadio Olimpico with goals from Vincenzo Iaquinta, who scored a brace, Olof Mellberg and Pavel Nedved.
Roma hosted Juventus tonight at the Stadio Olimpico in what is always a heated Serie A fixture. Juve needed a win to keep their Scudetto challenge alive, while Roma needed the points to continue aiming for the fourth place.
The home side had their two most representative players, captain Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, out injured, so Mirko Vucinic played alone up front in a 4-2-3-1 system with Max Tonetto, Julio Baptista, and Jeremy Menez in support. Meanwhile, Juve played in their usual 4-4-2 formation with Vincenzo Iaquinta and captain Alessandro Del Piero in attack.
First Half
Both teams made a cautious start to the match, and there were precious few chances in the opening stages.
The first opening came in the 14th minute, when Sebastian Giovinco found Iaquinta in the area, and the striker tried to play it to Hasan Salihamidzic, but the Roma defence managed to clear the ball away.
Juve got their first scare four minutes later, when Zdenek Grygera saw John Arne Riise go past him on the left, and the Norwegian full back played it back to Tonetto, who fired a shot from inside the area, but the Bianconeri’s defence managed to block it.
In the 28th minute Iaquinta sent in a dangerous cross aimed for Del Piero’s head, which took a strange trajectory before hitting the crossbar and going out.
Six minutes later though, the visitors did take the lead thanks to Iaquinta, who controlled the ball from a superb pass by Giovinco and beat Alexandre Doni from inside the area with a low shot toward the far post.
Not much happened in the remainder of the first half, which was quite an uneventful affair.
Second Half
The second half started with no changes to either team.
Roma started in determined mood, and had the equaliser with their first real chance. In the 48th minute, Menez sent in a corner and found defender Simone Loria unmarked in the area, and he had no problems beating Gianluigi Buffon with a left-footed shot from inside the area.
However, it did not take long for Juve to react, and on the next opportunity they struck again. A cross from the right by Grygera was deflected by Riise and found Iaquinta, who scored his second of the night with a header from close range in the 55th minute.
Iaquinta could even had had a third seven minutes later, as he found himself alone in front of Doni on a counterattack, but he couldn’t find his feet and so passed it back to Del Piero, who looked certain to score, and only a great last-gasp clearance by Riise kept Roma in the game.
The visitors did find a deserved third goal in the 68th minute, when defender Olof Mellberg was found unmarked in the area on a corner kick and powered home a header that left Doni without a chance.
The knockout punch was delivered six minutes later by substitute Pavel Nedved, as the Czech star fired a wonderful left-footed volley from outside the area that found the net after Christian Panucci headed the ball. This fourth goal was perhaps a tad too much on Roma considering the way the match went.
The home side had a final chance in the 88th minute through substitute Marco D’Alessandro, one of the many youth players drafted into the squad by coach Luciano Spalletti for this match, but in a one-on-one situation he lacked the coolness to get it past Buffon.
All in all it was a deserved victory for Juve, while for Roma it was perhaps inevitable that they would struggle with so many injuries and suspensions. This result will certainly put some pressure on leaders Inter, who are now just four points ahead of Claudio Ranieri’s side, while Roma will hope Genoa and Fiorentina slip up tomorrow to avoid moving too far away from fourth place.
Teams
Roma (4-2-3-1): Doni; Panucci, Mexes, Loria (63’ Montella), Riise; Filipe, Brighi; Tonetto, Baptista, Menez (81’ D’Alessandro); Vucinic (92’ Stojan). Coach: Spalletti.
Juventus (4-4-2): Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Tiago (70’ Nedved), Poulsen, Giovinco (72’ Marchionni); Iaquinta, Del Piero. Coach: Ranieri.
Goals: 34’ Iaquinta (J), 48’ Loria (R), 55’ Iaquinta (J), 68’ Mellberg (J), 74’ Nedved (J)
Booked: Mexes, Loria, Riise, Menez (R); Molinaro, Tiago (J)
Danilo Pochini,
Goal.com
Picturers:
Iaquinta: "Now Let Us Win The Other Nine Matches!"
The years pass but Juventus does not seem to lose one of its best attributes: never stop to rejoice for a victory but think immediately of the next match.
This is perfectly understood by Vincenzo Iaquinta. Mere minutes after the splendid 4-1 against Roma and the fifth consecutive victory the striker is already thinking of what is to come after the break:
"We will continue looking at ourselves and not at Inter. There are still nine matches to go and we want to win them all, pursuing this route. Today I am happy with my performance and that of the team. We were compact. Team-spirit has always been our strength and we showed this once again tonight".
Juventus.com
Giovinco: "It Was Important To Win"
The young Sebastian Giovinco has shown great personality and has been in constant crescendo in the last matches showing a great form:
"I am happy. It was important to win and play as we did in the last matches keeping up the consistency". The Atomic Ant is constantly getting more used to captain Del Piero and the other veterans:
"When there are technical players it is normal to take advantage and this favours Alex and Iaquinta. I am happy to play with him and get more used to him. I always tried to do my best and my team mates are helping me a great deal. I still have a lot to learn".
Juventus.com
Mellberg: "It Is A Very Important Victory"
Another good performance and a great goal. This is the outcome of Mellberg’s match against Roma. The Swede is slowly becoming a point of reference in the defence and seeing from his goal today a regular scorer in Rome.
Here are the words of the Viking from Sweden: "It’s true this stadium brings me luck. It is a very important victory. It is always a difficult match against Roma but we played well. I think for us to win the championship, Inter are the ones who have to make a few mistakes but we must just look at ourselves and see what happens".
Olof seems to have settled well with Juventus especially when one considers that he came from an experience in English football: "When you come to a new team you never know how much you will be playing. We had a good pre-season and I think this was important for me to settle. I feel very much at ease with my colleagues in the defence and with Chiello with whom I think I played some good matches".
Juventus.com