02 January 2025
Juventus take on AC Milan in the semi-final of the 2024/2025 Italian SuperCoppa, tomorrow, Friday 3 January 2025 at 20:00 (CET).
Today, in a press conference at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, Coach Thiago Motta and Manuel Locatelli spoke to the media ahead of the fixture.
Here is a summary of what they had to say.
THIAGO MOTTA
“We want to thank Saudi Arabia for the welcome: we're in a great location, in terms of facilities and climate, to enable us to perform at our best. As for tomorrow, we go into the game to win, it will be a unique situation compared to the league, because if you lose, you go out. We want to play our best in order to win it and continue in the competition. Milan are a team with good players and a new coach who did very well at Porto. We'll give our all, these are good games to play, there will be a great desire to be on the pitch. We'll be ready to face the best Milan side possible, who are a team used to playing important competitions: we know what we have to do and what we have to avoid.
“Everything makes a difference, even the small details, so we have to be focused and determined, with great attention to detail in everything. We respect our opponent but we want to implement our style of play. Personally I want to win as a coach, but it's not an obsession: I am calm and convinced of our strength and I want to do everything I can to get the boys on the pitch in the best possible condition. We feel the love of our fans and we use it every day as an extra motivation to take this team and this club where it deserves to go.
“Francisco [Conceicao]? He's well, he's motivated, as always, he'll be focused on the game, whether he starts or comes on later: he knows what to do, the situation doesn't change much. He plays with freedom, which is what he has to do. [Teun] Koopmeiners can play in various roles, we'll see if he'll start, as with all his teammates. [Kenan] Yildiz is at the beginning of his career: he is young, he must continue to develop and improve, looking at the many positive examples he has in this squad, for example players just like [Manuel] Locatelli who is here next to me.”
MANUEL LOCATELLI
“Milan are a strong team, but we have to think about playing our game and giving our all. It can't end in a draw, this is a match we have to win, playing with desire and intensity in every duel, because we are here to win the trophy: challenges like these will be decided by the small details, so we have to be extremely precise. We are on a path of growth, which we must follow one step at a time, and this can be an important step: we feel excited and motivated, we live one step at a time.
“We were very well received here in Saudi Arabia, winning for our fans here is an extra motivation.
“My position on the pitch? I'm comfortable in all positions on the pitch, wherever the coach asks me to play. Wearing the captain's armband is an honour for me, it's something I can't even describe.”
