30 October 2017
ACHIEVING MORE BALANCE
"It's not like we have chosen to not deliver results that we would have wanted, but things happen by working over time and now there is a much better cohesion among ourselves. Our physical condition has improved and also our mental condition which was probably our biggest problem a couple weeks ago. I think by approaching every game the same way we can find the motivation and unity to get the results we need."
GIGI'S SECRET?
"I think I'm giving everything on the pitch - and when I say on the pitch, it also means during the week in training too. I know it's what the coach expects of me and what I need to do as a captain."
FULL CONCENTRATION
"We won't be lacking any concentration heading into this match, because we knew the importance every game would hold after losing the first one in Barcelona, the subsequent ones become decisive. The problem is that there are also opponents who are very strong Sporting Lisbon, in my opinion, is a team that can give us a lot of trouble...It is a team that counts among its players who have a lot of experience, have been on great winning teams and have physicality and speed. So it's a team that, beyond playing against Juve, is a hard team to beat for anyone. And it's normal that when you play games at this level, you also encounter difficulties."
PRAISE FOR TEAMMATES
"Gonzalo Higuain has been giving everything for the team, and knowing well how certain dynamics go, no one would have emphasized it so I said something because it seemed to me one thing that he had earned and deserved. As for Paulo, there is nothing to say, because Paulo has had such a great start to the season that even though for two weeks - because we are talking about two weeks or ten days - he hasn't performed 100% full of possibilities is certainly human and very normal."
EVALUATING JUVE'S STRONG START
"Apart from not winning the Supercoppa, one can say anything except that we are a team that has problems. It is clear that at this moment there are Serie A teams that are doing better than us in the table, but doing better than us means doing something extremely extraordinary. But they should be praised, Juve should not be denounced."
