18 November 2017
MARASSI TEAM NEWS
“Tomorrow Buffon won’t play and neither will Barzagli, they’re fine but after a lot of intense work with the national side it’s normal that they rest. I think that they’re starting to get over the disappointment of not going to the World Cup, I know it must be tough for Gigi as it would have been a record sixth World Cup, but life goes on, it’s done and like all things it takes time.”
“Pjanic and Cuadrado are in good shape and in contention to play, Pjanic has been working hard for a week, whilst Cuadrado came back with a slight niggle and I will evaluate it tomorrow, but both could play. One of Dybala or Bernardeschi will start against Sampdoria but I don't know who yet. “
“I haven’t completely decided my team as I have some doubts for who will play in the full-back positions, in the middle and up top. We had training this morning and so I will think about tomorrow's line-up, but those that come in need to be ready and know what they need to do. At this stage in the season it’s not important if he plays or he doesn’t play, just that they put in a good performance away from home.”
SAMP STRENGTHS
“They are a team that we have to be careful of, because they are well organised and Marco Giampaolo is a very good coach. Sampdoria from a technical aspect are much better than they were last year, specifically they have gained a lot of that technical quality with the arrival of Zapata. The midfield has been strengthened and they also signed other good players such as Strinic and Ferrari. They are a team to be feared, especially because at the Marassi they never give up, so Juve will have to be at their best.”
FOCUS AND IMPROVEMENT
“I said to the guys today that we have conceded 11 goals in seven matches, and only in five games have we kept a clean sheet. For Juventus letting in 11 goals in seven games is too much, so it is something that needs to be addressed and improved upon.”
“After Sampdoria we play Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday and we have the chance to qualify, and in the championship we are just one point from Napoli so we can say that things are going well. But from tomorrow until January 6 it’s a very important month and a half for us, because there will be a lot of matches against our direct rivals. Juventus is a team that understands the importance of moments like this and I’m sure that we will approach this period in the right manner.”
ITALIAN DISAPPOINTMENT
“It’s unfortunate that Italy won’t be playing at the next World Cup, but Italy is a country full of pride, and usually when these things happen we know how to get back up and start again.”
