28 January 2025
Thiago Motta and Francisco Conceicao spoke to the press ahead of the match against Benfica on Wednesday, 29 January at 21:00 CET, on matchday 8 of the Champions League, League Phase.
Francisco Conceicao
“We know that Benfica are a quality team who like to keep the ball, but we want to focus on what we have to do and what we have been working on. We are working hard to raise our game, especially in front of our fans; the internal competition pushes us to give our all every day, because we want to prove our capabilities. When I heard that Renato Veiga could be coming to Juve, I called him to tell him that he would be joining a great club and I tried to convince him, because I believe he can help us. I have never scored against Benfica, I hope to do so tomorrow, although the important thing is the team result. Both Juve and Benfica aim to win and we are working every day to improve and win matches. The coach? He asks me to open up my qualities to the team: Italian football is very competitive, and I feel I can still grow. We learnt something from the defeat against Napoli: we put on a great performance in the first half, and there are always positive aspects to build on.”
Thiago Motta
“Tomorrow, we must be ready to do whatever it takes on the pitch, do it well, overcome our opponent and bring home the win. Andrea Cambiaso will not be available because he is nursing an ankle issue. We don't like negative results, and we want to forget them as soon as possible: tomorrow, we have a big game in which to do that. We have done better in Europe than in the league, but our goal is always to win, and we are working hard to achieve that. Dusan Vlahovic is well and is part of the squad; we'll see if he'll start or join the game later. Douglas Luiz could have a chance because he deserves it. With Cristiano Giuntoli and Maurizio Scanavino, the club is always close to the team, and we talk daily about how to improve: at Juve, the pressure is always high, because the goal is to win, and tomorrow is an opportunity to play a great game in front of our fans. Regarding the physical decline against Napoli, we had a great first half, but in the second half we went behind and had to regroup, but that chapter is now closed and we are focusing on Benfica. We will approach this match as if it were a knock-out game, because in a big club the only thing that counts is winning. Tomorrow, we have a great opportunity and we are ready to give 100 per cent, or even more.”
