Juventus reached an agreement with Olympique Lyonnais for the definite transfer of Fabio Grosso for a total of €2 million payable in three annual instalments. The value of the agreement can be increased up to a further €1 million upon reaching certain sport objectives during the length of the contract.
The agreement is under the condition that the international transfer in favour of Juventus reaches the club by Tuesday 1st September 2009. Juventus signed a three year contract with the player.
"The signing of Fabio Brosso – declared general manager Blanc – adds quality to an already very competitive squad. The international experience and the qualities of a world champion will certainly be useful to a team competing on three fronts. Ferrara, will therefore have at his disposal other technical solutions and will have a player who he got to know during his experience with the national team. With this signing Juventus have ended a very busy transfer market, which hand has now all the best conditions to concentrate on its sports objectives".
Fabio Grosso is to all a symbol of the world cup in Germany. He was the one to score the goal against Germany which opened the way to the final for Italy and his was the decisive penalty which drove an entire country into ecstasy on that night in Berlin.
Fabio Grosso’s career in the summer of 2006 reached its climax but did not burn out with the victory in Germany. To get to the top of the world, Grosso started from the very bottom from his debut in Serie C2 with Chieti in 1988, to Palermo in 2004 and the call-up to the national team.
After the world cup which he lived as a hero, he moved to Inter for one season before joining Lyon with whom in two years he made 52 appearances and scored 2 goals. Now, on the last day of the transfer market, he joins Juventus and return to the Italian championship where he wants to be a protagonist.
After the great victory against Roma at the Olimpico on Sunday, Ciro Ferrara granted the team two days of rest and therefore the players will return to training on Wednesday afternoon. It will be a return to work with many elements missing seeing that 14 players will be busy with their respective national teams.
Marcello Lippi called up 7 bianconeri for the matches against Giorgia and Bulgaria on the 5th of September in Tbilisi and on the 9th in Turin: Buffon, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Camoranesi, Marchisio and Iaquinta.
Lorenzo Ariaudo will be busy with the Italy Under 21 squad on 4th of September in Swansea against Wales and against Luxembourg on Tuesday 8th in Novara, two matches valid as qualifiers for the Under 21 European Cup which will take place in Denmark in 2011.
For the same competition, Mario Kirev has been called up with Bulgaria’s Under 21 squad for the matches against Kazakistan and Sweden.
Another 5 bianconeri will be playing in the other qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, all between Saturday 5th and Wednesday 9th September: Poulsen’s Denmark will play against Tiago’s Portugal, and both teams will continue in their march to South Africa with matches against Albani and Hungary respectively.
Grygera’s Czech republic will play first against Slovakia and then against San Marino while Caceres’ Uruguay will be meeting Perù and Colombia. Felipe Melo will be involved in an exciting match between Brazil and Argentina in Rosario before hosting Chile in Salvador da Bahia.
This morning, Claudio Marchisio underwent tests following the blow he suffered to the left foot during the match against Roma. The midfielder underwent x-ray tests which excluded any fractures. He in fact suffered slight muscle strain to the biceps of the right thigh which the medical staff of the Italian national team will analyze in the coming days.
Two victories and a draw: this is the summary of the results of the rivals of Juventus in Group A of the Champions League. On Saturday Maccabi Haifa in their second match day of the championship won 3-1 away to Hapoel Raanana thanks to two goals by Arbeitman and a goal by Dvalishvili.
Also on Saturday, Bayern Munich, after having collected only two points in three matches, beat Wolfsburg 3-0 in the 4th match day of the Bundesliga. The contribution of new signing Robben was vital as he scored two goals with the other being scored by Gomez.
On Sunday evening Bordeaux played away to Olympique Marseille coached by Didier Deschamps. The match ended in a goal-less draw which still meant the head of the table for Bordeaux. Blanc’s team is now at 10 points together with Lyon and Paris Saint Germain.
"I am happy with the two goals and the victory. We played a great match". Diego Ribas da Cunha is gleaming: two fantastic goals, a constant presence in the game and a fundamental victory. After the assist for Iaquinta in the match against Chievo, at the Rome Olimpico the Brazilian was the absolute protagonist of the match. His approach with the Italian championship could not be better:
"It is thanks to the Juventus environment, to Ferrara, to my team mates, to the affection of the fans. It is thanks to all this that I managed to fit in well. The strength of Juve is this: the capability of players of great class to adapt to a scheme and to sacrifice themselves if necessary".
A player who has been crucial in the victory but was forced to leave the field before the final whistle due to injury is Claudio Marchisio, fresh from his second call-up to Lippi’s Italy.
"I am happy with the result considering we played against Roma. Even in training things are moving well. We are better when it comes to keeping the ball on the ground and then players like Tiago and Diego have really fit in and are helping us. We are improving one week after another".
What did Ferrara tell you before letting you off?: "Well he was happy with the victory and told us well done. He was a bit angry with the way we conceded the goal. Ferrara told us even before the match to be careful on set-pieces since they strike quickly so he was rather angry when we conceded the goal in that manner but then he was obviously happy with the result".
What about the injury?: "I am quite in pain. I was stepped on and I couldn’t even keep my shoe on. I thought it was better if I were substituted because I wouldn’t be able to give my contribution. I will undergo tests but I think that I will be fine".
He took over in the last two matches of last season and won all four matches. He changed the formation and the players fit perfectly. Ciro Ferrara brought a new mentality to Juventus and the results followed just like today’s against Roma.
"It was a nice victory especially for the three points and the show of strength which is always important here in Rome. We wanted to understand what our potential was and I think we did so here. Tonight I must be happy and satisfied even though there are certain things which we must work on. We played with great personality and this is something really important. Those who played did really well".
The coach chose to field Marchisio instead of Camoranesi from the start: "Our intention was to win the match and since I knew that Camoranesi had certain problems with his knee and gave him half an hour of play".
The condition surely improved and yet a bit of anger about the goal was inevitable: "We must be angry when things don’t work out and in moments of difficulty. I got angry today when it came to the goal because we knew how they would have taken the free-kick immediately. The boys were angry too".
"In comparison to last week I think our condition improved quite a bit and we must improve it further. I am a bit worried about the break because I will only be able to work with a few players and will have only two days to work on the match against Lazio".
Finally the coach sent his best wishes to Pavel Nedved on his birthday: "Hey happy birthday Pavel! You’re getting old too!"
It is immediately a great match with a bit of tacticism in the beginning but great rivalry and determination and will to win throughout. Ferrara chose to field a 4-3-2-1 formation with Diego to act as ball feeder to strikers Iaquinta and Amauri.
On the 1st minute Felipe Melo with the help of Buffon clears a rather tricky ball in the area. Two minutes later, A Diego shot from outside the area is deviated into corner. The 4th minute sees a A Marchisio cross go straight into the arms of the keeper. On the 5th minute there is a corner for Roma but the ball goes very wide.
Three minutes later Roma benefit of another corner after a run and shot by Mexes with deviation. The Juve defence brings the ball out. One minute later, there is a ball into the Juve area but Chiellini heads away.
On the 10th minute there is a good cross by Iaquinta into the area but Amauri does not manage to head the ball. One minute later Cassetti shoots from way out but the weak shot does not create any problems for Buffon. On the 20th minute, Diego puts a ball into the Roma area but De Rossi heads away.
It is the 21st minute when Iaquinta recieves a ball in the area but the ball is shot into corner by the defence. From the flag the ball is put into the area but the defence clears. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, Tiago heads greatly but the keeper performs a miracle putting the ball into corner.
The Brazilian champion scores his first goal in the Serie A three minutes later. Diego wins a ball in midfield, goes past two defenders, enters the area and puts the ball behind the keeper for the opener (1-0). Three minutes later, there is a corner for Juve: ball reaches Iaquinta but is put one again into corner. Tiago back on the field shoots but the defence clears.
The 32nd minute sees a free-kick for Roma: Pizzarro puts the ball very wide for a goal-kick. Three minutes later De Rossi takes Juventus by surprise and shoots from a distance equalizing before the bianconeri have time to settle down for the free-kick (1-1).
Juve react and on the 37th minute benefit of a free-kick. Diego puts the ball into the area but Riise clears. One minute later another Diego free-kick followed by an Amauri header is saved by the keeper. On the 40th minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area but Melo puts into corner. Three minutes later it is Juve who go close to scoring again: Amauri hits the post after a good exchange in attack.
The 45th minute sees Diego with a great cross into the area for Amauri but the keeper manages to punch away. In the only minute of stoppage time two Juve defenders slip and Totti is alone in front of Buffon who performs a miracle just before the half-time whistle.
The second half continues where the first left off. On the 3rd minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area cleared well by Iaquinta. One minute later, Melo tries a shot from 25 metres but the ball is cleared. On the 5th minute, the ballis put into the area towards Amauri but Julio Sergio saves. Seconds later, Diego enters the area and passes to Iaquinta but Mexes manages to anticipate.
On the 9th minute Amauri receives the ball in the area and shoots but Julio Cesar denies him the goal. From the corner, the ball reaches Amauri who heads high. On the 12th minute Iaquinta with a great run enters the area, is disturbed by Burdisso who puts the shot into corner in what was a golden opportunity. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, the defence clears partially but the referee stops the action because Cassetti is on the floor. Two minutes later, A Iaquinta header goes inches high.
Camoranesi comes on for an injured Marchisio on the 17th minute. Four minutes later, a great header in the area by Amauri is saved by the Roma keeper. On the 23rd minute Diego shows all his phenomenal talent. The Brazilian receives from Iaquinta, goes round Mexes and shoots beyond the keeper for the 2-1! Simply magical!
On the 25th minute Diego dribbles past the defence who finally intercept the pass. Two minutes later Menez makes Juve hearts miss a beat finally putting a dangerous ball wide. On the 29th minute Legrottaglie on for De Ceglie. Cheillini moves to a full-back position. One minute later there is a corner for Juve: Tiago receives the ball and sees his shot headed into corner.
The 32nd minute sees Tiago who receives from Iaquinta but his shot is not powerful enough. One minute later, Totti hits the post after a Cannavaro deviation. From the flag a De Rossi attempt is waved away by Buffon and then another attempt goes very high. A Roma free-kick goes straight into the arms o Buffon.
On the 36th minute, A Chiellini conclusion goes wide after some really good action by Diego, Amauri, Iaquinta and the defender. Two minutes later, a powerful Diego shot from outside the area is saved by the keeper.
The 39th minute sees Poulsen come on for Diego. The Brazilian ace is applauded as he exits the stadium. Two minutes later, Amauri stopped for a foul in attack after some really good work. Menez tries a shot but the ball goes wide on the 42nd minute. The 44th minute sees a free-kick for Roma after a dubious foul of Amauri on Pizarro: Pizarro takes it but Chiellini clears.
On the 46th minute a A Poulsen shot goes high but two minutes later Felipe Melo wins a ball in midfield, advances, shoots and scores a great goal dfixing the final result on 3-1!
Juventus played a great game against a difficult team in a tricky stadium, once again responding to Ferrara’s instructions and bringing home a very important 3 points.
Serie A 2009/10 2nd Match Day Rome, Stadio Olimpico Sunday 30th August, 2009
ROMA – JUVENTUS: 1-3
Scorers: Diego (25th), De Rossi (36th), Diego (68th), Felipe Melo (93rd)
Roma-Juventus is a match between two great stalwarts of Italian football, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero who could be celebrating his 400th match in the Serie A in the capital city.
The two champions have a parallel career which sometimes even crossed paths in the national team, When it comes to goal scored in the championship, last season the duel ended in exact equilibrium, 13 goals each. This had never occurred before with the Juventus captain normally having the upper hand. Only in 4 tournaments did the Roman prove himself to be more deadly under goal.
During the 1998-99 season “taking advantage” of the absence of Del Piero, who was forced to stop after 8 matches due to the injury suffered in Udine, in the 2000-01 season when Totti contributed with 13 goals to the scudetto won by the giallorossi, in 2003/04 when with 20 goals he ended up third in the top-scorer list after Shevchenko and Gialrdino and finally in 2005-06 scoring 15 as opposed to the 12 scored by the Del Piero who was certainly penalized by Fabio Cappello’s choice to field the captain a mere 33 times many of which coming on as a substitute.
SPALLETTI’s DEBUTS
For Luciano Spalletti the 2009-10 season is the 5th in the capital city. With him as coach, Roma on their debut matches had 3 victories, 1 draw and the defeat suffered last Sunday at the Marassi in Genoa. His absolute first dates back to the 28th August 2005 and was absolutely positive seeing that Roma beat Reggina with a straight 3-0 with goals by Mancini, De Rossi and Nonda.
In the following season it was once again the Brazilian and the Italian international midfielder to score in the 2-0 victory against Livorno. The same score was registered in the tournament of regrets, the one lost to Inter by a mere 3 points.
In Palermo Spalletti fielded a beautiful team which wrapped up the score 20 minutes from the final whistle thanks to mexes and Aquilani. Finally, in the 2008-09 season, a home draw against Napoli : hamsik equalized Aquinali’s goal for the final 1-1 in a very balanced 90 minutes.
THE CLASSICAL VICTORY
In contrast to the last two victories of Juventus, both marked by a robust result (4-1) the most common result in the history of the encounter was a 2-1 victory by the bianconeri. This result came to be 6 times.
The first time was on the 13th January 1935, the last triumph for the Juve of the 5 consecutive championship titles. Two goals by “Farfallino” Borel marked the change in the result after the opener scored Scaramelli for the giallorossi. Eight years later it is once again Borel as coach who guided the bianconeri to an identical victory with goals by Magni and Meazza.
In 1964 Juve won the full points thanks to two goals by Stacchini: Sormani, father of Dodo, one of the trainers of the first team scored the only goal for Roma. The match of the 1972/73 championship is an unforgettable one: in the dying minutes of the match Josè Altafini and Antonello Cuccureddu gave Juventus their 15th scudetto after Milan suffered a surprising defeat in Verona.
Even in the year of the second tricolour for Roma, 1982-83, the bianconeri played a joke on Nils Liedholm’s team. Michel Platini from a free-kick and Sergio Brio with a header responded to Falcao’s opener in the second half.
The last 2-1 is that of the 2004-05 season and sees two protagonists of the current Juventus marking their names on the score sheet: Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Del Piero.
As foreseen Felipe Melo and Diego have recovered from their respective muscular problems and are available for the away match in Rome which will also see the particpation of Sebastian Giovinco who is now back with the group. Hasan Salihamidzic will not make it after failing to recover from the blow to the ankle suffered against Chievo. In all 21 players have been called-up for the match against Roma:
Juventus is preparing to play the difficult away match in Rome with three points and Felipe Melo. The Brazilian recovered from the muscular strain and is available for Ferrara who is happy to be able to count on him:
"Felipe is coming from a period in which he played a lot and we have tried to make him re-gain his optimal condition. From a character point of views he has had no difficulty with fitting into the environment since he is very open and available. Obviously, since we are at the beginning he must still integrate perfectly into our way of playing but he is an important point of reference in that position".
"You accuse him of having lost some important balls in delicate zones during the pre-season. It is true but he is an intelligent lad and he understood that at certain moments it is better not to risk".
The match against Roma will see the bianconeri face a team in excellent health notwithstanding the defeat suffered during the first match day:
"Roma are ahead of us when it comes to preparation. I believe that before 4 or 5 championship matches are played one cannot see the optimum condition and this goes for all the teams. Against Roma it will be a nice match, in an important stadium, against a team that perhaps conceded a few goals but also scored many".
"We have maximum respect for Roma and for Spalletti. It is a historical rival, which in the last years expressed great game play. It is certainly not the best of things to play against them in the second match day but when the fixtures where announced I immediately declared: It will be difficult for us but I think even Roma would have liked to avoid Juventus at the start. It is clear that it is a delicate away match against a great team".
"It would be very important to go there and try to win, not so much for the table, but because a victory would be a reasonable push for us. We are conscious of the strength of our team but it is the field that must give us answers and if tomorrow they had to be positive it would important for our self-esteem".
Roma-Juventus is also a duel between Totti and Del Piero, the last two standard bearers of Italian football:
"Totti and Del Piero are two symbols and it is nice that there are this type of champions who are attached to one jersey for the whole of their career. I think it is a positive message to youngsters, a good advert".
Going back to the athletic condition, that of Juventus is improving even though in the second half of the match against Chievo some bianconeri seemed to be a bit tired:
"This is because I fielded players with very little match time in their legs. I am thinking of Poulsen but also Tiago who in the last 15 days trained very little. I needed him, but under normal circumstances I would have rested him because he had trained very little lately".
Apart from Salihamidzic, Zebina and Sissoko Ferrara has practically the whole team available and will have to take a few important decisions especially when it comes to the attack:
"I have four high level attackers at my disposal and I will have to make a few choices but I haven’t decided yet. On the other hand, after the international break we will not have anymore tranquil weeks up to December and at that point I will have to manage the strength of the players available. This goes for all the positions".
"Today I spoke with other players who are living a competition and I told them I will be needing everyone because after the break we will constantly have times when we need to recover those who played most. The only way of doing this is being able to count on all the members of the squad. Then there are obviously players with more experience and I can’t possibly have all the players playing for the same amount of time. It wouldn’t be honest to say so".
The Juventus number one commented about the Champions League draw on his official website: "It could have been worse. I will be returning to three cities in which I already played. I am happy to finally enter the Allianz Aren"».
The day after, the talks are still about the draws of the Champions League. Even at Juventus, after the comments by Blanc, Secco and Ferrara, even Gigi Buffon commented about the groups through his official website www.gianluigibuffon.com.
After having read the names of Bayern Munich, Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa, the number one summarized everything by saying: "Manageable group but it depends on us to make it so". Buffon was not really unhappy in fact: "It could have been worse. As always, it will be the field to decide and we will have to face each match with the right attitude to make sure that this group is really manageable".
Besides the sports value, the keeper looked at the group also from a logistic point of view. On the eve of the draws he had expressed his wish to go to play in a nice stadium and having found Bayern on his way is a guarantee:
"Finally I will be able to enter the Allianz Arena. In 2005 I was injured to my shoulder and could not play. In the past years I have been able to go to both of the other cities: Bordeaux with Parma in 1999 where we qualified for the final and to Tel Aviv after having already qualified and it was Chimenti who played making some good saves".
Buffon then got back to talking about the draws and commented the groupings of the other Italian teams, especially the ones from Milan. "Seeing Real Madrid-Milan and Inter-Barcellona, I think the blindfolded goddess has really enjoyed herself".
After a few hours of “distraction”, the time necessary to dedicate to the Champions League and the names of the rivals in the first phase, the team this morning got back to concentrate exclusively on the championship and the imminent next match.
The home match against Bordeaux, the debut of the bianconeri in Europe, is still very far. First there are the two away matches in Rome. The one against the giallorossi is behind the corner and the performance of Spalletti’s side in the Europa League requires even more attention.
The team trained in Vinovo this morning. It was a lighter session compared to the previous ones with different activities. Felipe Melo and Diego followed a specific programme but there conditions – as expressed in the medical bulletin distributed yesterday – are not causing any worries in view of the match against Roma.
Salihamidzic trained in the gym and his eventual availability will be evaluated during the last training session scheduled for Saturday morning. Zebina and Sissoko will definitely be missing.
On Saturday the team will once again have a morning training session followed by a press conference by Ciro Ferrara at the Juventus Media Center which will begin at 12:30hrs and will be aired live on Juventus Channel. In the afternoon the team will depart for the capital city where at 18:00hrs on Sunday they will play the match valid for the 2nd match day of the 1st round.
The adventure of the bianconeri in Group A of the Champions League, starts and ends in Turin. The first match will be against French side Bordeaux followed by the away match in Munich. There will be two consecutive matches against Maccabi (at the Olimpico first). To end the group stage Juventus will play the most awaited match by the Juve supporters, the home encounter against Bayern.
Re-reading the components of Group A of the Champions League 2009/10, memory brings to mind the tournament of 5 years ago. In 2004, Fabio Capello’s Juventus found itself in a group similar to this one.
It was Group C and besides the bianconeri were Ajax, Bayern Munich and Maccabi Tel Aviv, another Israeli team like Maccabi Haifa.
An edition of…first timers. After entire seasons in the same competitions (with Dutch team Ajax they are the only ones who have won all the cups), the bianconeri and Bavarians played against each other in a double-encounter which saw Del Piero and friends smiling after winning both in Italy (1-0 with a goal by Nedved) and in Germany (goal by the captain).
The team must only wait for a short time before a repeat. The season after the two teams meet twice more. This time it is a draw: Bavarian victory at the Allianz Arena (2-1 with a useful final goal by Ibrahimovic) and Juventus response in Turin (same score with two goals by Trezeguet).
Now it is time for the third round against Bayern which remains one of the best teams in Europe and one of the most equipped. At Van Gaal’s disposal ( the coach joined the team in Summer and coached Ajax in the final won by Juventus in 1196) there are players of the sort of Luca Toni, Frank Ribery, Miroslav Klose and Bastian Sweinsteiger, just to mention a few. Last season they ended the Bundesliga as runners-up behind Wolfsburg and in the current championship haven’t really started off on the right leg having just won 2 points in the first 3 matches.
If Bayern and Juventus will be playing this Champions League as runners-up fo their respective leagues, Bordeaux and Maccabi are doing so as champions.
Bordeaux’s was a real feat after a dominion by Lyon which lasted 7 years. This was thanks to the team coached by Laurent Blanc (with a history in Italy and former team mate of Ciro Ferrara with Napoli) and led in the field by the extraordinary Gourcuff, former Milan player.
The title won in May was the 6th in the club’s history and was added to a number of national trophies. The team was less lucky in Europe where it only won an Intertoto Cup. It is an irony of sorts that in the seasons during which they did better in Europe it was Juventus and Bayern Munich to ruin their feast.
In the 1984/85 edition in the Champions Cup, the French team were eliminated in the semi-final by Trapattoni’s team. The decisive match was the first leg in Turin which ended with a 3-0 (goals by Boniek, Briaschi and Platini) and only partially recovered by the 2-0 in the return match.
In 1996, after an incredible march – thanks to Zidane who was ready to move to Turin – Bordeaux was beaten in the two-legged final by the Bavarian side.
The European history of Maccabi Haifa is nearly all yet to be written, at least when it comes to prestigious results. The team is one of the best in Israel and this is confirmed by the 11 national titles won. The last was that of last season.
The best moment in Europe coincides with the 2002/03 season which ended with the final in Manchester. Maccabi managed to get through the preliminaries and in the group stage hit the headlines by winning 3-0 against Greek side Olympiacos and then also beating Manchester United. The results however, did not allow it to qualify for the second round.
Now comes this new adventure after a great winning streak. In the preliminaries, they managed 5 consecutive wins in 6 matches – against Irish side Glentoran, Kazak side Aktobe and Austrians Salzburg – scoring 19 goals!
The Israeli team never played against Juventus. The bianconeri played once against a team from Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv, in 2004/05. In Turin it was Camoranesi who scored the winning goal while an already qualified Juve drew 1-1 thanks to a penalty by Del Piero.
After the draws of the Champions League, the Juventus general manager Jean-Claude Blanc was interviewed by journalists who judged the group of Juventus as quite easy. Blanc answered: :
"There is never an easy group. They are always hard. It is true, we will not be playing against English teams but we will be playing against our friends Bayern Munich which Juve already met in this competition. Laurent Blanc’s Bordeaux is a tough team but even Maccabi is and we will play against them with all due respect.
As a Frenchman he knows the French championship well. Blanc is asked about Bordeaux: "Lyon and Marseille made important investments while Bordeaux chose consistency and therefore they have a team which we know well and which will not be easy to beat".
Juventus sports director commented the draw of the group stage of the Champions League giving a clear picture of what can be difficulties against teams like Bayern Munich, Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa.
"Our group is a group that should not be taken lightly. Bayern Munich is a team we know well. We know they didn’t start of very well. Bordeaux are the French champions and this year are still first apart from great players like Gourcouf, Chamakh and others. I don’t know much about Maccabi Haifa but we must surely be careful with them".
"On paper I think Milan’s group is on the same level as ours while that of Inter is probably more difficult. I think we must play on two legs against all teams even though starting off at home means we can organize the logistics of the away matches more".
During a live link on Juventus Channel following the draws of the Champions League group stage, the bianconeri’s coach Ciro Ferrara spoke of the draws and his first impressions.
"The first impression is that of a well balanced group with teams who are currently going through a different situation with Bayern who are currently going through a bad patch and Bordeaux who last year did very well. It is a tough group but it also depends on when we will be playing the matches. I do not know Maccabi well but I am sure they will try to give us a hard time".
Juventus will make their debut this season at home: "The first match will be played on 15th September at home against Bordeaux. Bordeaux are doing well at the moment and playing at home we will have to perform well".
Bayern Munich bring happy memories to Ferrara in his years as a footballer and so does Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc: "Yes but memories are irrelevant. They are totally different teams. I will be meeting Blanc, an ex-team mate of mine with Napoli".
Juventus avoided the English and Spanish teams: "The greatest danger if you can call it so was meeting an English team or Spanish side but in my opinion it is a balanced group and a first seed is always a first seed".
Finally a comment about the condition of the French and German teams who started before: "The French and German team started before the Italians: The fact that they started before can affect the outcome".
"We have Roma on Sunday, then an international break and then another match in Rome and then we start and hopefully by then we would have a better physical condition. The motivation, however should be immediately high to qualify from the group".
If anyone had hoped for a soft start in this year’s Champions League, he will surely be disappointed as the bianconeri were drawn in Group A together with Bayern Munich, Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa.
It is hard to judge the difficulty of a group but one thing is certain: Group A (the one of Juventus is definitely not an easy one). The bianconeri avoided the 4 English teams in the first pot and also FC Barcelona, but none the less the top seeds in their group are definitely not an easy team: Bayern Munich will be a tough bone to chew as will also be French champions Bordeaux and Israeli side Maccabi Haifa (the only team to already have taken part in the tournament from amongst the fourth seeds).
Juventus will play the first match of the group stage in mid-September. In the mean time below are the Groups as drawn tonight in Monaco:
Group A Bayern Munich (Germany) JUVENTUS Girondins Bordeaux (France) Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
Group B Manchester United (England) CSKA Moscow (Russia) Besiktas (Turkey) Wolfsburg (Germany)
Group C Milan Real Madrid (Spain) Olympique Marseille (France) FC Zurich (Switzerland)
Group D Chelsea (England) Porto (Portugal) Atletico Madrid (Spain) Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus)
Group E Liverpool (England) Olympique Lyon (France) Fiorentina Debreceni (Hungary)
Group F Barcellona (Spain) Inter Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Group G Seville (Spain) Glasgow Rangers (Scotland) Stuttgart (Germany) Unirea Urziceni (Romania)
Group H Arsenal (England) AZ Alkmaar (Holland) Olympiacos (Greece) Standard Liege (Belgium)
Juventus today had a morning training session with the bianconeri taking part in a mini-match on the full field at high intensity. Zebina and Salihamidzic remained in the gym where Brazzo began a programme of functional athletic preparation with the possibility of him being available for the next championship match.
Ferrara fielded Martin Caceres as right fullback and the Uruguay national was a protagonist of a good performance even scoring a goal thanks to a powerful shot from outside the area ending in the corner of the net.
Felipe Melo and Diego worked separately with professor Gaudino. The former, due to a slight muscle strain to his left thigh while the latter due to a general muscle strain. Up to now both should be available for the match on Sunday afternoon.
Good news with regards to Momo Sissoko:
Following a consultation with Dott. Frenet and the instrumental tests (x-ray and scintograph) the healing of the inflammation is progressing well. In the next 15 days Momo will see the physiotherapy treatment being intensified just like the programme for the maintenance of the general muscular toning. After this Sissoko will get back to running and next will take part in specific training at the Juventus Center in Vinovo.
It was Ciro Ferrara who inaugurated the season of Filo Diretto, one of the main programmes of Juventus Channel. The coach answered many question by Juventus supporters including those about his long and victorious career as a player and those about his new role as coach.
So much about the future but with attention to the present and the next much awaited championship match:
"We know that on Sunday a difficult match in a difficult stadium awaits us. Roma lost their first match and will want to recover but we want to do well. The Milan derby? At this point of the season it is not so important for the table but for the morale. I will surely watch it but the match which interests me is going to be played in Rome".
It is the end of August and the middle of Summer and yet it is already time for direct encounters. It is a joke played by the fixtures which on the second day already presents two tasty dishes: the derby in Milan, but most of all from a bianconeri point of view, Roma-Juventus.
For Ferrara’s team it will be the first of two consecutive away matches in The capital city. For that against Lazio, which will be played after the break, there will be time to think. The attention at the moment is all on the big match against the giallorossi.
It will be a clash between warriors and Giorgio Chiellini is ready. The defender spoke during a press conference.
"Sunday’s match is the first real test. With all due respect to Chievo, we were playing at home and everybody expected us to win. We want to give a show of force against a great team which is doing well and which is in a more advanced preparatory state then us".
"It is true that on Thursday they will play in the Europa League and may be more tired then us but in this part of the season having played 5 official matches is an advantage. We just played one and played less well towards the end because no friendly match, not even the ones against great teams, can ever have the intensity of a championship encounter".
An away match against Roma at the start of the championship is nothing new. Two seasons ago, the bianconeri managed a draw at the Olimpico and gave everybody the impression they were back. It was the first of a series of useful results against the big teams. Chiellini remembers that season and sees a particular similarity:
"Today Roma is still a great team even though perhaps it does not have a large squad, but if we speak of the starting 11 they can easily compete with anyone, just like us two years ago. For us it will be important to go and try to win and perhaps hope for a draw in the derby".
"The scudetto race? In my opinion, we have drawn closer to Inter. I do not know if we will be capable of being at their level but we are all aware that we can do it. We want to be competitive in all tournaments".
To be a super Juve both in Italy and in Europe, the summer saw the signings of important players like Diego and Felipe Melo but it is most of all the return of Cannavaro that is the theme of the discussion during the press conference:
"I only met Fabio during training with the national team, before, however it is when you train together that you get to know each other. The chemistry is necessary for a central duo. For example, Legrottaglie and I can work together with eyes closed. We know each others defects and strong points. Nicola will be fundamental this year too, seeing all the matches we have to play, the suspensions and the injuries. We are three players of the same level".
Before getting down on the field in Rome, another event is much awaited by all and not only those at Juventus. Tomorrow is the day of the draws of the Champions League group stage. The defender from Livorno has his own idea and predicted the following:
"I think it is fundamental to avoid the best of the 2nd and 3rd seeds as much as it is to avoid those of the 1st seed which are all strong. I would prefer not meeting Atletico Madrid or not having to go to Russia, at least in this phase. Last year we suffered against Zenit who are were far more ahead in their condition".
After yesterday’s return to work in the afternoon, the team today started a series of morning sessions which will lead to Sunday’s match against Roma.
The bianconeri worked at the Juventus Center. After a first phase of warm-up the group was divided into two parts. On one side were the attackers (with the addition of Primavera players Bamba and Crivello) working with Ferrara and Sormani while on the other were the defenders under Maddaloni’s orders with the addition of four Primavera players:
Giuseppe Giovinco, Immobile, Esposito and Filippo Boniperti. Before the end of the session the team played a 10-a-side mini-match on a reduced field.
Sebastian Giovinco also trained normally with his mates for the second consecutive day, just like Del Piero. Zebina first worked on the field and then in the gym where he joined Salihamidzic.
Felipe Melo returned to the dressing rooms early after a slight pain to the left thigh which will be evaluated in the coming hours.
Diego and Marchisio celebrated with the Chiusa Pesio supporters in occasion of the last few days of the youth sector training camps. It has become an annual end of summer appointment for the Cuneo locality which for years has been hosting the Juventus youth teams.
Even Marchisio, when he played for the Primavera, had been in the camp in the locality and now one can say that he is constantly presence, at least symbolically, since his smiling face photographed after the victory of the Italian Super Cup with the Primavera a few years ago, is on one of the murals at the gates of the village.
Accompanied by Gianluca Pessotto, as a representative of the Juventus youth sector, the two players spoke of the season which has just begun and of the ambitions of Ciro Ferrara’s Juventus for which both players are fundamental.
Diego, who in just a few days became the idol of the fans, stated that "feeling this affection is a stimulus to work more and harder". The Brazilian champion said that he already feels comfortable in Italian football "which I do not think is more physical then the German one and I in my role am used to it". Satisfied with his and the team’s first match he is now thinking of Roma: "This is not the first exam. That was the match against Chievo because they are a well organized team. Now we will also be playing away but I am sure we are ready".
Even Marchisio is ready and charged-up for Sunday’s match, and even hopes to score "because I am happy with the goals scored last year and want to score more. Besides, this time I would like to score in order to celebrate the fact that at the beginning of the week I will become a father".
Claudio spoke of the new scheme: "We midfielders are working harder and so we are doing our best to improve further. The important thing was to start-off well. It is too early in the day to say where Juve may arrive but I think that with this dedication we can compete on all fronts, also because this team which was already strong last year has been strengthened further with the arrival of important players".
Work is the order of the day "and the best way – confirmed Marchisio – to gain the appreciation of Ferrara and Lippi when it comes to the national team". Finally a comment about the Champions League draws to be held on Thursday ("We must not worry too much about the teams we will meet. Last year we had Real Madrid and Zenit and we went through") and the away match in Rome:
"It will not be easy because it is never so at the Olimpico and because they will want to make-up for the false start. We hope that since during the week they will be playing in the UEFA Cup they will have a bit less energy".
After Sergio Bernardo Almiron, another bianconero left Turin to move to Bari. It is young Spanish player Yago Silva Falque. The playmaker who joined last year from Barcellona, moved to Puglia on loan.
Born in 1990, Yago was one of the protagonists of the Primavera’s last season coached by Massimiliano Maddaloni. With his performances and his goals he contributed to the success in the Viareggio Cup. He often formed part of the senior squad – even in the last pres-season – but never made any official appearances.
This afternoon, Juventus continued with its preparation after a Monday of rest granted by Ferrara following the victorious match against Chievo. Alessandro Del Piero, who missed the Chievo match because of a back ache, just like Sebastian Giovinco, got back with the group.
Hasan Salihamidzic, who was injured during the match following a blow to the ankle, remained in the gym together with Zebina. Momo Sissoko also returned to Vinovo after returning from France.
On Wednesday the team will train in the morning and will be followed by a Giorgio Chiellini press conference at 12:15 which as always will be transmitted live on Juventus Channel.
The adventure of Juventus in the championship started off well, with a marginal victory against Chievo, but as from the second match day the bianconeri are immediately called to play one of the most difficult matches. On Sunday at 18;00hrs Juventus will play away to Roma who will be attempting to get back on track after the 3-2 defeat suffered against Genoa.
It will be therefore necessary to have the best Juventus to return home with the three points which may turn out to be extremely precious, especially when one considers the fact that on Saturday Inter will play against Milan in the derby.
A few indications about the conditions of the bianconeri can be made clear today as they return to training. Juventus will be on the field at 18:00hrs for the first weekly session. The conditions of Hasan Salihamidzic, who was forced to leave the field between the first and the second half of the match against Chievo due to a slight pain to his ankle and left knee, will be verified.
During the week Alessandro Del Piero will be working towards a full recovery. "I am counting to be back by the away match against Roma on Sunday 30th August", wrote the captain on his website, tranquilising the supporters.
As expected, there are no disqualified players for Sunday’s match between Roma and Juventus valid as the second match day of the Serie A. The debut match of the giallorossi – at the Stadio Ferraria against Genoa – and the one of the bianconeri – in Turin against Chievo – only saw yellow cards being shown. Cannavaro, Poulsen and youngster Marrone were the first of the Juventus season.
To compensate, Ferrara and Spalletti will have back two important players who were absent in the first match due to old suspensions from last season. Felipe Melo on one side and Mexes on the other have seen out their suspension and are once again available.
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