11 February 2024
Monday night will be a special one for our boss, Massimiliano Allegri. When the whistle blows to start Juventus’s game against Udinese - at 20:45 CET at the Allianz Stadium - Allegri will hit 405 games as Juventus coach, drawing level in second place in our all-time list with Marcello Lippi and behind only Giovanni Trapattoni.
Ahead of Udinese’s visit, the coach has given his usual pre-match press conference, and we’ve picked out some of the best bits.
Looking ahead to Udinese
“The group has worked well and tomorrow it’s important to get back to winning ways against a side in Udinese who don’t deserve to be where they are in the table. They’ve dropped a lot of points late on, but they have excellent players, they’re physical and they deserve respect.”
Hitting 405 appearances as Juventus coach
“I’m very proud to hit 405 games in charge of Juventus, especially because it puts me level with a coach like Lippi, someone who wrote history and someone whom I have a lot of affection for.”
Reacting to Inter’s win at Roma
“We didn’t learn last night that Inter are the favourites, and that they’re doing great things. We’ve got 53 points and it’s important to get back to winning ways tomorrow. We need to pull further clear of fifth place, and go within four points of first.
“We have no shortage of motivation. We want to get back into the Champions League and tomorrow, even if it’s not decisive, is a very important game. Mentally we’re in good shape.”
Chiesa or Yildiz
“[Carlos] Alcaraz has a lot of quality and the potential to improve, he’s put himself at our disposal but he’s not ready to start tomorrow. I’ll choose between [Kenan] Yildiz and [Federico] Chiesa, and we’ll have [Leonardo] Cerri with us too.
“If Chiesa plays from the start, he’ll have a big opportunity. He’s a player we expect a lot from. Alex Sandro could also play tomorrow, and he and [Daniele] Rugani are two guys who have a lot to give.”
