Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri spoke to media a little over 24 hours ahead of the Coppa Italia final between the bianconeri and Lazio, at the Stadio Olimpico
Hours after landing in Rome the Juventus boss and his rocky defender, Giorgio Chiellini held the ritualistic press conference ahead of tomorrow’s finalissima in Rome where the Serie A champions elect will play Lazio (20:45 CET). Here is what Allegri said, as reported by TuttoJuve.com:
Do you immagine a different match from when you met in league play?
“It’s surely a different match because it’s a final, it’s a one-game tie, and there’s a trophy to play for. It will be a balanced game, which may take longer than 90 minutes to solve”.
Pirlo wasn’t among the best in Madrid. How will you manage him tomorrow?
“With respect to Pirlo, first off he’ll play tomorrow, he won’t rest. I believe that from here to June 6 we have several matches to play, therefore it’s impossible to stay at rest until then. We need these matches to help us keep our shape and to arrive at the Champions League final in optimal shape. In the meanwhile, let’s worry about tomorrow’s match then we’ll see what needs to be done the day after.”
Is Juve’s work a symptom that Italian football is improving?
“In all football leagues there are peaks and valleys, but Italian football is not to be tossed out entirely. This year in Europe – Juventus aside – Napoli and Fiorentina have grazed the Europa League final. I think that Italian football is experiencing growth. Surely, we can’t return to our hay day from one day to the next. We need patience, work, just like in every thing in life there are cycles. It’s normal that Serie A and the nazionale to experience the same. I hope that with this year’s results at the club level we see similar results at the national team level”.
How does it feel to play a final in the same stadium in which you won your first scudetto? Also, do have some doubts, with respect to starting line ups?
“I hope that it brings me luck. With respect to the starting line up, I still have my doubts, however, I have 23 players at my disposal which is very important, also because the game can go beyond the 90 minutes, therefore we’ll need players in excellent condition, especially those on the bench”.
Why is the final important to you? Conte never won this trophy…
“The Coppa Italia is important because it’s the second seasonal objective. The first was the Serie A title. Then we have the Champions League final to play. I think that tomorrow’s match will be very difficult but we must try to win it because making the Coppa Italia ours is very important, in order to prepare the Champions League final in the best way possible”.
You’re not interested in a comparison with Conte?
“In life and in football it’s normal to compare one thing to the other but in the end what matters are the results, work and respect. Especially work and professionalism. Having said this, I belive that Conte has done an excellent job and remains in the history of this club. The club survives, football goes on (even after the men leave). The comparisons have never bothered me, but it’s normal that they were made. Above all, for us it’s important to try to win this cup, even though it won’t be easy”.
Don’t you run the risk of becoming bored of your superiority over your competitors in Italy? The gap is destined to grow…
“Juventus has won four consecutive scudetti bears witness of the work brought forward by the club, the players and the coach that preceded me. It’s not easy to win again after four years, next year it will be even harder. I think Juventus this year did it in the best way possible. No, one never gets bored also because when we play games where we’ve already achieved our objective, the team plays with the same agonistic fervor as if the three points were worth something towards our goal. This is important because when we lose, we’ll get mad and it will become harder to practice. In this moment we need to try to lose the least possible, because we have these two finals to play for. The better shape we arrive at them, the better prepared we’ll be”.
Do you agree with Sarri who had made a negative comment about the Coppa Italia’s format? Would you like to see the winner of the Coppa Italia qualify for the Champions League preliminary rounds?
“I believe that everyone’s working to improve the Coppa Italia’s format. I think it’s normal that the teams that arrive in the top 8 play fewer games, but it’s also true that they’re busy playing in UEFA club competitions. Therefore it’s hard to schedule Coppa Italia rounds. So far, the Europa League winner will play in the Champions League, which is a step forward. To add a domestic cup winner to the Champions League would be nice but hard because every national competition would add a Champions League participant”.
This summer, before arriving at Juventus Lotito tried to sign you. What went wrong?
“I chatted with Lotito last summer, but nothing came of it. He chose Pioli and lucky for him to do so because he chose an excellent coach, who has shown to have great qualities. A lot of Lazio’s performance is due to his good work”.
What kind of animal is this Juventus?
“Like a tiger “.
Wouldn’t it have been better to play this final later, in order to keep the tension high for the final against Barcelona?
“The only advantage would be if we win it. We’ll see on June 6. We must play, this is what the schedule says therefore we must do well to prepare this game in the best way possible and to arrive at the June 6 final in the best physical and mental conditions. Obviously, tomorrow’s game raises our tension because Juventus hasn’t won it in 20 years and it could be the tenth which would be an important achievement which would allow us to prepare with more enthusiasm the Champions League final”.
What similarities do you see between tomorrow’s final and the one against Barcelona?
“The only thing that’s similar is that they’re both finals but for us they both have the same value because the Italian Cup is of great importance for us and we’re gonna try to bring it home. I hope that we can continue to give it our best as we have so far this season and that we won’t allow the thirst for victory to be quenched”.
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