17 November 2017
Fresh off leading his native Morocco to the World Cup with a win over Ivory Coast, Medhi Benatia did not hide his satisfaction in speaking to Mediaset & Sky Sports.
"It was the most beautiful moment of my career. I've won [the league] both with Bayern and Juve, but to captain Morocco and focusing on qualifying for so long, making my country happy was very nice. Even when I returned to Turin, everyone complimented me showing once again that we are all part of a family here.
Buffon, of course, was happy for me as well, while I expressed my sorrow to him and the other Azzurri players. A World Cup without Italy doesn't look right...Gigi is a champion that has won so much, is our captain and he knows how to re-focus. There are many important goals still remaining this year and we must try to win as much as possible to make them forget their disappointment."
SAMPDORIA AHEAD...
Sunday's match away to a Sampdoria side that has not lost at home this year will be tricky for the Bianconeri, a fact that hasn't escaped Benatia.
"It's always difficult to play in Genoa. Samp is doing a great job in Serie A this year and has a good team. They have a great pair of strikers in Quagliarella, who has scored wherever he plays, and Zapata who makes a real difference with his speed. We have to try to take the three points at all costs. We're entering a cycle of games that will say a lot about us and we have to deal with them with clarity and calm knowing that we can do great things when we play at a high level."
THEN BARÇA
After the Samp encounter, the focus immediately shifts to Barcelona at the Allianz Stadium with a round of 16 spot on the line for the victor.
"We have to try to win to finish first in the group, but we can't look past Samp. Is Champions League an obsession for Juve? Well it is for all the big teams. Juve has played in two finals in three years, that's not a small thing. We want to win it, like everyone else, but we're not alone. Of course, we want to win it as a gift for our captain."
