Socrates

Tevez as good as Juventus icon Zidane - Lippi The former Bianconeri boss believes that the Argentine has established himself as "the leader of the team" - just as the Frenchman did under him in the 1990s. Oct 17, 2014 Marcello Lippi has hailed Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, claiming he is as good as former France superstar Zinedine Zidane. Tevez has been in magnificent form this season, scoring eight goals in all competitions and six in Serie A, with the Bianconeri currently topping the table with a 100 per cent record. Consequently, Lippi feels that Tevez is proving just as influential as former charge Zidane, who inspired Juve to two Serie A titles during his five years in Turin during the 1990s. "Tevez is playing so well that he reminds me of Juve's best days. He has reached the level that Zidane was at while at Juventus," Lippi told Tuttosport. "He is now a leader of the team and he has not missed one step. "He is so unique. There is no phenomenon like him, not even at Roma, who have many highly talented players." Lippi added: "The squad is very experienced. Tevez is doing great things for Juventus but Juventus is doing great things for Tevez also. "As a former coach of Juventus, with the club in my heart, I can only wish that the team takes off in the Champions League." Lippi, who also hailed Roma's Miralem Pjanic as a "great player", ended by stating that Arturo Vidal will stay at Juventus despite again being linked with a transfer away from the club. "His future is in Turin, and I think that the Chilean has already said that," he concluded.

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 - 8:45 PM Città del Tricolore Stadium - Reggio Emilia Referee: Luca Banti Sassuolo - Juventus Preview: Basement boys braced for visit of league leaders Massimiliano Allegri's men will be confident of making it seven wins out of seven against a side without a single win to their name. Oct 17, 2014 Juventus will seek to move on from their controversial win over Roma when they take on Sassuolo in Serie A on Saturday. Massimiliano Allegri claimed that "everyone is against Juve" after the champions came under fire following the award of two questionable penalties and a contentious winner in their 3-2 home success against title rivals Roma. That result, which came before the international break, made it six league wins on the bounce for Allegri's side, who are red-hot favourites to claim maximum points against rock-bottom Sassuolo. Allegri insisted Juve's excellent display against Roma was overlooked as the focus fell more sharply on the performance of the referee and the notion that the hosts had been given some apparently favourable decisions. For Sassuolo, one glimmer of hope may come from the fact that a host of Juve players represented their countries during the latest international schedule, offering the possibility of fatigue among the squad. One man who did not feature, though, was Carlos Tevez, who was once again overlooked by Argentina. The industrious 30-year-old hit his first Juventus hat-trick in a 4-0 win at home to Sassuolo, before scoring again in a 3-1 away victory in the teams' second meeting of 2013-14. Tevez has netted four times in his last two appearances and heads Serie A's scoring chart. He is bidding to become the first Argentine to win the Capocannoniere award since Hernan Crespo in 2000-01. Pogba has also excelled for Juventus this term and, after receiving the Best Young Player Award for his performances at the recent World Cup at the Paris Motor Show on Wednesday, expressed his desire to win a more prestigious gong. "I'm going to do all I can to win even more [individual] trophies," said the 21-year-old. "My aim is to become the best player in the world." Allegri must decide whether to recall reported Manchester United target Vidal. The coach claimed he dropped the Chile midfielder against Roma for "tactical reasons", though he suggested otherwise by referring to the 27-year-old as a "silly boy" after he was reportedly involved in a nightclub scuffle. Vidal did, however, play every minute of Chile’s recent two friendlies in his homeland – a 3-0 win over Peru and a 2-2 draw with Bolivia in which he scored a last-gasp equaliser. Another player who returned to Turin from another continent was Kwadwo Asamoah, who helped Ghana beat Guinea 3-1 on Wednesday. Allegri will nevertheless be thankful Andrea Pirlo, who recently returned from a hip injury, was left on the bench as Italy won in Malta in midweek. The 35-year-old has yet to play for Juventus this season, but was given a run out for his country against Azerbaijan last Friday. Defender Federico Peluso, who left Juventus for Sassuolo in the close-season, is suspended, but Domenico Berardi, fresh from scoring twice in the 3-2 loss at Lazio, is free to face his parent club. LAST FIVE MATCHES Sassuolo - L L D D L 2014/10/05 - Lazio 3 - 2 Sassuolo 2014/09/28 - Sassuolo 0 - 1 Napoli 2014/09/24 - Fiorentina 0 - 0 Sassuolo 2014/09/21 - Sassuolo 0 - 0 Sampdoria 2014/09/14 - Internazionale 7 - 0 Sassuolo Juventus - W L W W W 2014/10/05 - Juventus 3 - 2 Roma 2014/10/01 - Atlético de Madrid 1 - 0 Juventus 2014/09/27 - Atalanta 0 - 3 Juventus 2014/09/24 - Juventus 3 - 0 Cesena 2014/09/20 - Milan 0 - 1 Juventus HEAD TO HEAD 2014/04/28 - Sassuolo 1 - 3 Juventus 2013/12/15 - Juventus 4 - 0 Sassuolo http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 - 8:45 PM Città del Tricolore Stadium - Reggio Emilia Referee: Luca Banti Sassuolo V Juventus – Preview: Top Plays Bottom As Pressure Mounts At Both Ends Oct 17, 2014 Sassuolo will play host to Juventus this Saturday evening, as Serie A returns after its break for the European Championship qualifiers. The Bianconeri, currently leading the race for the Scudetto, travel to the Mapei Stadium to face Eusebio Di Francesco’s men who prop up the table after an indifferent start to their current campaign. The last time the two sides met in Reggio Emilia back in April, Carlos Tevez, Claudio Marchisio and Fernando Llorente dispatched Sassuolo, after Simone Zaza had given the home side an early ninth minute lead. This season the Neroverdi have struggled to put together any consistency, and find themselves still searching for their first win of the campaign. With three draws and three defeats after six games, the coach would have hoped for a slightly less complicated opponent than the current champions of Italy. The delicate nature of the match has forced Di Francesco into a tactical rethink and the 45-year-old has reportedly experimented with a 3-4-3 formation which he may decide to adopt come Saturday evening. With Luca Antei, Domenico Berardi, Simone Zaza and Saphir Taider returning from international duty relatively unscathed, concerns now surround the current injury situation to Thomas Manfredini, Antonio Floro Flores and Lorenzo Ariaudo. The three are a doubt to win their race for fitness and may struggle to make the starting line-up. Ex-Juve defender Federico Peluso will definitely miss out, having picked up a ban for this match. The Bianconeri have a few issues themselves, the suspension of Alvaro Morata but more worryingly the fact that their other Spanish front man has yet to open his goal scoring account. Fernando Llorente has failed to net in his six league matches, despite the Bianconeri having won every game thus far in dominant fashion. Coach Massimiliano Allegri will still keep faith with his centre forward, fully aware that last season the 29-year-old only started finding the net regularly from November onwards. There is still no sign of defender Andrea Barzagli returning to the Juventus side and Martin Caceres will also be absent after having picked up a knock last time out in their controversial win over Roma. Angelo Ogbonna will deputise, alongside fellow Italy internationals Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Tickets are already difficult to find as the match is expected to be a sell-out and may break the current attendance record at the Mapei Stadium of 14206. Expected Starting XIs Sassuolo (4-3-3): Consigli; Longhi, Antei, Cannavaro, Gazzola; Taider, Manganelli, Biondini; Berardi, Zaza, Sansone. Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichsteiner, Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Llorente. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 - 8:45 PM Città del Tricolore Stadium - Reggio Emilia Referee: Luca Banti Preview: Sassuolo vs. Juventus Oct 16, 2014 Juventus can extend their winning run in Serie A to seven games on Saturday if they grab all three points over Sassuolo, who are currently rooted to the bottom of the league table. Prior to the international break, Massimiliano Allegri's side managed to overcome rivals Roma with a 3-2 victory, courtesy of goals from Carlos Tevez and Leonardo Bonucci. With that, the Old Lady pushed a three-point gap between themselves and second-placed Roma at the top of the standings, while Sassuolo are still searching for their first win in Serie A this season. Taking three points out of a possible 18 has left Eusebio Di Francesco's side at the bottom of the table, but with a victory they could possibly climb out of the relegation places. Last season, Juventus secured emphatic wins over Sassuolo both home and away with a 4-0 victory and 3-1 triumph. The home side are likely to start Simone Zaza and Nicola Sansone up front, while Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez are likely to provide the goal threat for Juventus. Recent form Sassuolo: DLDDLL Juventus: WWWWWW Possible starting lineups Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Antei, Longhi; Biondini, Magnanelli, Taider; Berardi, Zaza, Sansone Juventus: Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio, Evra; Llorente, Tevez Sports Mole says: 0-3 http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Juventus Close To Renewing Contract Of Pogba Oct 16, 2014 Juventus look set to extend the contract of midfielder Paul Pogba with the French international set to stay with the Turin giants until 2018. The former Manchester United player has attracted Europe’s top clubs with a string of impressive performances for the Bianconeri but the reigning Serie A champions look set to keep him at the club. Sportmediaset report that Pogba is prepared to commit his future to Juventus as he feels he is an important cog in the Serie A Champions machine, with the signing coming as soon as the weekend. The 21-year-old was voted the Hyundai Young Player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and has scored 12 goals in 68 appearances since joining the Bianconeri in August 2012.

Pogba: I want to become the best player in the world The 21-year-old France international says that he is driven by the desire to win individual awards and team titles with Juventus. Oct 16, 2014 Paul Pogba has revealed that his ambition is to "become the best player in the world". The midfielder has helped Juventus win two Serie A titles since joining from Manchester United in the summer of 2012 and only further enhanced his reputation by starring for France at this summer's World Cup. Pogba's performances in Brazil saw him named the Young Player of the Tournament and he has now admitted that he is driven by the prospect of winning more individual and collective trophies. "I'm very proud to receive this award and it was an honour for me to play in the World Cup," the 21-year-old told FIFA.com on Wednesday. "I can't predict what's going to happen in the future but I'm going to do all I can to win even more trophies. "I'm going to keep working hard. My aim is to become the best player in the world." Pogba's current contract with Juventus runs until 2016 and he was repeatedly linked with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and United during the summer. However, the former Le Havre prodigy is in talks with the Bianconeri over a new contract and is imminently expected to pen a three-year extension.

Brio: 'De Sanctis called Juve thieves' Oct 16, 2014 Former Juventus player Sergio Brio blasted Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis for calling the Bianconeri “thieves.” De Sanctis gave an interview to La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport on the controversial 3-2 result of their head-to-head. “He called Juventus thieves and that is not acceptable, especially for someone who is on the Federal council,” Brio told Tuttomercatoweb. “In my view De Sanctis is just bitter because he was only in the Juve youth academy and never got to experience the first team, as that’s reserved for special players. I will add nothing more. “The only correct thing De Sanctis said was that Roma are currently a superior team to Juventus. Roma can win the Scudetto, their squad is just as strong.”

Capello: 'Juve have winning mentality' Oct 16, 2014 Fabio Capello was “disappointed” by the Juventus-Roma controversy. “The difference is a winning mentality.” The Bianconeri beat Roma 3-2 in a fiery Turin clash, which saw two red cards and several contentious decisions. “Juventus-Roma was not a beautiful game in many respects, particularly the controversy both during and after the match,” Russia Coach Capello told reporters. “I was disappointed, as it should’ve been an example of Italian football coming back to a top level. The difference is in how accustomed they are to winning. There are clubs where you go and breathe in the winning mentality. Juventus have that mentality.” Despite a poor start to the campaign, Capello believes Napoli can get back into the Scudetto race. “When I was in charge of Milan there were seven teams fighting for the Scudetto, because there were also certain great Presidents. “Now the only remaining clubs are Roma, Juve and Napoli. The rest make do with simply competing. “The level of player in Serie A has dropped too. If you train with a great player, you learn and improve. Today, not having top players in their squads, they copy mediocre levels. “Abroad the clubs who have more money can buy the most talented players, so they take on a winning mentality. “Fortunately during this economic crisis Italian football is doing a good job of finding talented young foreigners. Only one top player arrived and that was Carlos Tevez.”

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 - 8:45 PM Città del Tricolore Stadium - Reggio Emilia Referee: Luca Banti Luca Banti to ref Sassuolo-Juve Oct 16, 2014 Luca Banti will officiate the Sassuolo-Juventus game this weekend, but Juventus-Roma referee Gianluca Rocchi is dropped. The Lega Serie A announced the officials for the Week 7 fixtures. Rocchi, who was bitterly criticised after Juve’s 3-2 victory over Roma, is nowhere to be seen this weekend. Atalanta-Parma (Guida) Cagliari-Sampdoria (Gervasoni) Fiorentina-Lazio (Peruzzo) Genoa-Empoli (Cervellera) Verona-Milan (Valeri) Inter-Napoli (Orsato) Palermo-Cesena (Damato) Roma-Chievo (Calvarese) Sassuolo-Juventus (Banti) Torino-Udinese (Russo) http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 - 8:45 PM Città del Tricolore Stadium - Reggio Emilia Referee: Luca Banti Sassuolo take down barriers Oct 16, 2014 Sassuolo announced they will remove the barriers separating fans from the pitch at the Mapei Stadium. Most Italian stadiums still have barriers and nets to prevent objects being thrown on to the field, although some are now adopting a more English-style approach. Sassuolo today confirmed they will be joining the campaign to progressively eliminate the barriers at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. It’ll begin with this Saturday’s Serie A game against Juventus, hoping to make it “an increasingly comfortable and secure arena, transforming it into a place for healthy and sporting support based on education and respect for the rules.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Juve continuing Pogba talks Oct 16, 2014 Juventus are continuing contract negotiations with Paul Pogba and are reportedly offering a four-year extension. The Bianconeri have been expected to agree an extended and improved deal for the France international having ended speculation of an exit from Turin this summer, despite reputed interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Tuttosport today update on the progress of those talks and say that a meeting has been held in Milan between Juve officials and Pogba’s representatives, Mino Raiola and Walid Ben Zefti. It is speculated that terms of the proposal have been tabled and that the Old Lady is looking to tie Pogba down to June 2018, with an option also in place for a further year. Representing an initial two-year extension to his current contract, the offer also apparently will have the 21-year-old’s salary boosted to €4m - currently the midfielder is earning €1.5m each season. Tuttosport say Beppe Marotta is eyeing another meeting as soon as possible with Raiola and Ben Zefti and this will most likely come after next week’s Champions League clash with Olympiacos, with an agreement aimed to reached by the end of this month. The Turin publication also quote Ben Zefti: “Paul is happy in Turin, the negotiations for the renewal are underway, they could take a long time just as they could be closed very quickly, we’ll see. “It depends on several things, not just the money.” Pogba yesterday picked up the Hyundai Young Player Award for his part played at the 2014 World Cup.

Boca President eyes Tevez, but… Oct 16, 2014 Boca Juniors President Daniel Angelici claims Carlos Tevez could return to the club as soon as next year. The Argentinean striker began his career with Boca and has more than once offered comments like this one in 2012: “My biggest wish is to finish my career in the Boca shirt.” Boca President Angelici, though, is targeting a quicker return to La Bombonera than most would have anticipated. “Let’s see if Tevez will come back next year,” Angelici has told ESPN this week. “We’ll talk with him, and try to find out if it would be a good time [for him to come back].” However, the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport has poured cold water on Angelici’s claims. According to the Milan-based sports daily, not only does Tevez have a contract until 2016, but the 30-year-old will be offered a new deal to keep him in Turin until 2018.

Mancini: Juventus team to beat Oct 16, 2014 Roberto Mancini believes Juventus are still the team to beat for anyone looking to claim the Scudetto. The former Inter Coach left Galatasaray in the summer, and was this week linked with a possible Serie A return on the Bologna bench. The 49-year-old did not address the speculation, but did give his thoughts on the Serie A title race. “Juve remain the team to beat,” Mancini has told La Stampa. “If Roma had equalised in Turin it would have been deserved. Roma were matching Juventus, even on a physical level. Juve have the strength of their recent victories, but it remains undecided.” Many have suggested that the strength of Juventus and Roma, coupled with the poor starts made by their rivals means the Scudetto is a two-horse race. Mancini, however, does not see it that way. “I think Napoli will soon be challenging at the top. They could well have their say in the title challenge. “The Milan clubs? Inter have good foundations, all they need is time to find a balance and start getting results. Clearly some players have been below par. “As for Milan, Inzaghi is a leader. The players are following him, and he’s brought confidence back, a combination which will definitely be good in the long-run.”

Juventus Moving Towards Renewal Of Wingback’s Contract Oct 16, 2014 Juventus look set to tie up Swiss defender Stefan Lichsteiner to a contract extension as a meeting is scheduled for the end of the month. The former Lille full-back is only contracted to the Bianconeri until the end of this season, but both parties seem keen to extend that deal. Sky Sport Italia report that Lichsteiner’s representative will meet those of Juventus towards the end of the month with the intention of securing a contract that will keep the 30 year old with the Vecchia Signora. Marko, Lichsteiner’s brother and lawyer, and Federico Pastorello, the player’s agent, are hoping to ensure another two years, which would see him stay at the Juventus Stadium until 2017. Lichtsteiner joined the Bianconeri from Lazio in 2011 and has made 96 appearances for the side, winning the Scudetto in each of his seasons with the club.

Everyone is against Juventus, says coach Massimiliano Allegri Oct 15, 2014 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said he has only just discovered how much anti-Juve sentiment there is in Italian football in the wake of his side's 3-2 win over Roma. The fallout to that game has disappointed the former Milan coach, who sees Italian football as the only real loser of the protracted debate. In an interview with Il Corriere della Sera, Allegri was critical of the culture in Italy, saying the game is only becoming so bad because people continue to make it that way. "The thing that did the most damage to Italian football was that all the talk has been about the incidents and little has been said about the actual game," Allegri said. "Technically, it was a good, intense and pretty game to watch, yet there's been total silence on that. "In Italy, people are always keen to highlight the bad things. Everybody says 'Italian football's rubbish,' but nobody does anything to improve it. Everybody says 'Italian referees are the worst' and then we see an Italian referee in the World Cup final. When we go abroad and dubious penalties are given, we keep our mouths shut, but it's not like that when it happens in Italy." According to Allegri, there is a culture of negativity which is preventing the Italian game from evolving. He said that Juve is everybody's favourite victim. "We need to appreciate all the good moves more and start to appreciate them, otherwise everything becomes an excuse," he continued. "The decisions referee Rocchi made have been blown out of all proportion just because it was Juve-Roma. If they had happened in a lesser game, nobody would have cared. "Because of this, a great performance by Juventus against a fantastic Roma side with an extraordinary player in Totti all got lost. There are 50 million football fans in Italy, 12 of which support Juve and the others support Milan, Inter, Roma and so on. But they all are against Juve and it's only now that I'm realising that." Allegri did not care to follow the days of diatribe that followed the top-of-the-table clash nearly a fortnight ago. Instead, he has been spending time with his family and improving his English. Before returning to management with Juve less than six months after being relieved of his duties as Milan coach, Allegri spent several months in England, not only learning the language but also appreciating a different culture which opened his eyes. "I had to go live in Leeds because there are too many Italians in London," said the 47-year-old. "It was positive to see their league because it helped me to understand a few things. "The game's not as spectacular as it's made out to be, but what does make it so beautiful is the atmosphere, the people. You'd never find a young kid being told to cover his Tevez shirt [like a young child who was refused access to Atalanta's home clash with Juve until he covered his shirt] over there. That would be out of this world. "Once, I was giving my daughter a driving lesson and we ended up outside the San Siro. With all the gates, barriers and metal fencing -- I'd never go to a place like that as an ordinary fan."

Pogba: 'I'll be best in the world' Oct 15, 2014 Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba said his “aim is to become the best player in the world” after a FIFA award. The France international picked up the Hyundai Young Player award for his part in the 2014 World Cup during the Paris Motor Show today. “I’m very proud to receive this award and it was an honour for me to play in the World Cup,” the 21-year-old told FIFA.com. “I can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future, but I’m going to do all I can to win even more trophies. “I’m going to keep on working hard. My aim is to become the best player in the world.”

Del Neri: Roma, Juve unreachable Oct 15, 2014 Former Juventus and Roma Coach Luigi Del Neri believes the battle for the Scudetto is between the two, whilst he talks over the Bianconeri’s tactics. The 64-year-old, who coached the Giallorossi in 2004-05 and had an difficult spell on the Juventus bench, leading the Bianconeri to seventh in 2011, can’t see beyond the two for this year’s title. “Juventus and Roma have great sides,” Del Neri has told Roma Radio today. “Inter have problems with the atmosphere at the club, then there are Fiorentina, Milan, Napoli and Lazio. Juventus and Roma are unreachable.” Del Neri also evaluated the fortunes of Italian clubs in the Champions League, and believes Roma’s four-man defence is more suited to top-level European football than the back three of Juventus. “European football is very standardised. It seems to me that 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 are the most common formations. “There’s always a four-man defence, with very deep full-backs. I think that in that football you have great flexibility and can withstand players better one-on-one. “In a three-man defence you not only have to help in defence, but also in attack. When you’re defending it becomes five defenders. “I think it's difficult to impose yourself with a three-man defence, you leave too much space between the lines. “As long as the wing-backs do their job, they [Juve] can do both phases. But if the running isn't there, you have problems. “Will Allegri continue with the three-man defence? I think Massimiliano has accepted the thinking of another Coach [Conte], and at the moment it's useless changing Juventus. “In the long-run I think he will see if the two wing-backs can maintain the same intensity, or take some of the strain off of them by adopting a back four. “Ultimately it’s down to the ability of the players. If they keep performing as they have been, the formation will not change. “Why change something which Conte has built so well, and which has brought great results? Allegri has shown intelligence and quality, he hasn’t upset the balance of the team.”

Allegri: There is no Vidal case Oct 15, 2014 Max Allegri says there is no case with Arturo Vidal, whilst it is too early to suggest the title race is only between Juventus and Roma. Juve’s international break has been hit by growing speculation over Vidal’s future at the club, following reports on why he was left out of the starting line-up against Roma in Week 6. For his Coach, though, there is no issue to focus so much attention on. “First, against Roma he has been left out because, with the return of Pirlo, I needed a more tactical player, Marchisio,” Allegri has looked to explain today to the Corriere della Sera. “Every now and then the guys do something stupid. They need to understand when they afford it and especially now, with mobile phones, photographers everywhere. “Under the aspect of training and the intensity of Arturo, there is nothing to say. There is no case with Vidal.” Allegri, who also complained of a negative approach from Italians to their football, also considered his philosophy at Juve. “The idea is to have good players that can allow you to win games. I do not like to provide many points of reference nor remove the creativity of the players. “And on this there should be a broader discourse, talking about the youth sector. “You cannot hold kids to two hours on a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, as they will lose the passion. The Coaches should not teach, they should train themselves. “Who has impressed me the most? Marchisio.” The team are facing a shortage of players in defence, with Andrea Barzagli and Martin Caceres out for a month each with injury. “Ogbonna has done very well. We will recover Marrone, and on the edge Lichtsteiner can be a third. Or we can play with four at the back.” It was put to Allegri that in spite of being only six weeks into the season, the title race is already just between the Old Lady and Roma. “Milan have only lost to us, Inter I did not expect to be in difficulty, but they are a very good team and will come out in the long run, as will Napoli and Fiorentina. “It is not yet nor will it be just Juve-Roma. There needs to be balance. We lost in Madrid, and if the same had happened against Roma, what would have happened? The value of the team is not lost in a week. “Juve in Europe? Let’s talk at the end. If in Madrid it had ended 0-0 we would be talking about great personality. “We played the right game, conceding on the only error. Certainly we have room for improvement.”

Italian football isn't rubbish, says Allegri The 47-year-old believes too much attention is paid to controversial refereeing decisions in Serie A and has slammed the league's detractors. Oct 15, 2014 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has denied that Italian football is in terminal decline, arguing that its positives are always overlooked. Serie A teams have performed badly in Europe of late, with the Bianconeri failing to reach the last 16 of the Champions League last term. However, Allegri feels that people focus too much on controversial incidents - such as the ones which plagued his side's recent 3-2 win over Roma - and fail to recognise the good work players put in. "In Italy, they always show you the less good things. Everybody says: 'Italian football is rubbish', but nobody does anything about the good stuff. "Everyone says: 'Italian referees are the worst'. Then we have them officiating the World Cup final. Italian teams concede questionable penalties abroad and stay calm. "What does harm to Italian football is that everyone talks about incidents and not the game. The game itself was good, intense, great to watch. "You have to appreciate the play more and evaluate it, otherwise everything becomes an excuse. "The decisions of Rocchi came into focus because it was Juve-Roma. Nobody cares about that in a game of a lower level. "So we lose a great Juventus performance against Roma, a great team with a great player in Francesco Totti." Allegri went on to say that he now realises the full extent of how badly people view Juventus within Italy. "In Italy, there are 50 million fans: 12 million support Juventus, the rest are of AC Milan, Inter, Roma and so on. But they are all against Juventus. I see that now."

How short of a leash should Fernando Llorente get going forward this season? Oct 14, 2014 By merely looking at the simplest of stats, one could surmise the difference in success when it comes to Juventus' two main strikers, Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente. In one corner, there's Tévez who has eight goals in seven games in all competitions. In the other, Llorente — who trailed only Tévez in the goals scored column last season — is still searching for any kind of consistent and positive form to write home about. It certainly has been a change of fortune for Llorente in his second season. Once he got consistent playing time last year, the rust from so much inactivity at Athletic Bilbao during his final season in Spain seemingly shook off like a dog after a run through the rain. Instead, this season has been anything but your favorite pooch drenching you while he shakes his fur off. Nah, it's more than just that. I bring all of this up because we don't know when Llorente will snap out of his funk. We don't know if he will open up his scoring account this weekend or four weeks from now. And surely, neither does Max Allegri. How long does Allegri continue to trot out Llorente? Or, better yet, how much longer should Allegri continue to trot out Llorente before making some kind of move and changing what has been Juventus' starting striker partnership for the last 12 months? The decision, at least in the short term, is certainly a little easier with Álvaro Morata suspended for the next two games Sassuolo game because of his little spat with Roma defender Kostas Manolas in the second half of Juve's 3-2 win over their closest competition in Serie A. Between the two of them, I'm pretty sure we can determine who has been the better player, even though the sample size for Morata is much smaller than that of his fellow Spaniard. But when it comes to Llorente, the simple numbers aren't that pretty. Not one bit. Llorente has gone nearly 400 minutes this season (WhoScored has him at 402, for what it's worth) without scoring a goal in Serie A. In those 397 minutes played — spanning over six games (five starts, one sub appearance) — he has put just three shots on target. Three, people, three shots. That's it. Just as a comparison, Morata has played over 300 fewer minutes than Llorente and has put four shots on frame, including his first Juventus goal against Atalanta over two weeks ago. That kind of production is, hmmmm, not what we were expecting coming into this season. The Llorente projection thread back at the end of July was full of optimism and talk of lots of goals. Not that six games into the season is the be-all, end-all when it comes to evaluating a player's season, but it's nowhere what many of us thought Llorente would do this season. Instead of leading the line and scoring goals like he did a year ago, he's watched Tévez score goals at a frantic pace to begin the season. While, in turn, his form has been nothing close to last year. The reality of what has happened with Llorente: The complete opposite of what we expected. It's natural for players to go through ebbs and flows during a season, dealing with patches of struggles and rich veins of form. And maybe that's why when I think about Llorente's starting status I'm a more little hesitant to pull the plug faster than some American television networks with their news shows that have been premiering in the states over these last few weeks. We know what kind of striker Llorente can be when everything is clicking. We've seen it with our own two eyes last season. He not only scores goals, but he makes Tévez — or whomever is playing alongside him — that much better with his hold-up play and ability to pass the ball with flicks and the rest of his diverse arsenal. But what we have seen this season is nothing close to what we saw in Llorente's first season in bianconero. And at some point, you have to think that the prospect of Morata, a different kind of prima punta to Llorente, starting will cross Allegri's if it hasn't already. He's like the brand new car that has barely had the chance to be driven since being purchased a couple of months ago. Something is going to change — whether it's Morata in the starting lineup or Llorente finding the back of the net. It's an either/or situation, because it's pretty easy to figure out if one those takes place, the other one won't.

Platini: TV replays bad for game Oct 14, 2014 UEFA President Michel Platini has laughed off Juventus-Roma controversy, but is sternly against television replays assisting match officials. The fall-out from the match in Turin has seen the debate over assisting referees with slow-motion replays reach a new height, with FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio contacting FIFA on the point. However, for UEFA’s chief, the controversy from Week 6’s match must be taken in context. “It’s the same old story that Juve are always favoured, or that whoever wins is because they are favoured by referees. It’s always been like this,” Platini is quoted as saying by ANSA. “I did not even see Juventus-Roma, neither have I seen the images of the [bonucci] goal. I've heard a lot of things about it, but it’s always the same. “Of course I remember those challenges [involving Juve]. The title was between two fine teams, but we did not need the referee to win.” The Euro 1984 champion also touched on the ‘evils’ that slow-motion video replays would bring about if they were ever introduced into football.​ “Of all the evils, slow motion replays in football would be a disaster. All this would stem the flow of the game, so it wouldn’t be a good thing for its future,” Platini added. “Nonetheless, it’s the International Board’s decision - not Tavecchio’s, nor mine. But I hope that no-one ever introduces it for the sake of football.”

Everton, Saints eye Asamoah Oct 14, 2014 Tuttosport reiterate that clubs from England are following Juventus’ Kwadwo Asamoah and now list Everton and Southampton. It was suggested heading into the October international break that the Ghana utility man was being monitored by clubs in the Premier League and from Ligue 1, namely Paris Saint-Germain. Whilst believed in response to the player’s unhappiness at increased competition for game-time from Patrice Evra, Tuttosport indicated that there was little chance of Juve selling the 25-year-old. However, the Turin publication today reiterates that interest remains in Asamoah and they specifically list Everton and Southampton. Even so, Juve are again seen as unlikely to be open to a January sale, particularly with contractual uncertainty continuing with both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sebastian Giovinco, who may have to exit that same month.

Argentina will 'certainly call Tevez' Oct 13, 2014 Argentina Coach Gerardo Martino revealed Juventus striker Carlos Tevez “will certainly be called up soon.” He had been frozen out of the international scene by previous tactician Alejandro Sabella, but the new boss has other ideas. “Tevez is doing very well,” Martino told Tyc in Argentina. “He is one of the many players we are tracking. He will certainly be called up soon.” Tevez has scored eight goals in seven games for Juve this season between Serie A and Champions League.

10 Reasons Why Juventus Are Not to Blame for the Controversy in Serie A Oct 13, 2014 The issue of match-fixing in Italian football continues to be a highly sensitive one in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal of 2006. The scandal involved several clubs, but Juventus were the harshest punished, the peninsula's most popular team. After a forced relegation and a year spent in Serie B, the Old Lady of Italian football spent a number of years fighting to become a major force once more. in 2014, Juventus are well and truly a force in Italian football once more, having won three consecutive league titles. Following a controversial 3-2 win over the previously undefeated Roma in Round 6, in which several key refereeing decisions went the Bianconeri's way, Francesco Totti raised the spectre of match-fixing once more. The Roma captain made the following comments to Sky Italia (via Joe Ridge of the Daily Mail): Juventus ought to have their own league, as by hook or by crook they always win. Are we back to the same doubts? I am not the only one saying this, as these are things everyone in Italy should discuss. With Juventus when there is any doubt whatsoever, it’s always a penalty. I have to stop now, as if I keep talking then I’ll get suspended. Totti was right to be angry as Roma appeared to be very harshly done in by being in the top-of-the-table clash, but his insinuations that there was something untoward going on were uncalled for. Here are 10 reasons why Juventus are not to be blamed for the controversy. They Would Never Dare Try It Again The fallout from Calciopoli caused years of despair for everyone involved with Juventus. Not only were they punished on the pitch, but the reputation of the club also suffered immensely. Even when they fought their way back to Serie A, it took years for the side to return to the forefront of Italian football. To risk getting involved in another controversy such a short time later would be on the verge of madness. Referees Themselves Would Not Take the Risk Not only would it be foolhardy for Juventus to get involved with any bribing of match officials, it would be ludicrous for referees themselves to engage in any dodgy dealings. Having seen how deep the probing from prosecutors went back in 2006, there is no way a referee currently plying his trade in Serie A would think it a good idea to get involved with any such activities in 2014. Phone records and other forms of communication are easily accessed by law enforcement agencies, as Calciopoli showed, so nobody in their right mind would put themselves at risk nowadays. The Players Themselves Cannot Be Held Responsible in Any Case Even during Calciopoli, there was never any suggestion that the players themselves had any involvement. It was understandable, then, that squad members from that era are still vehement that they won those Scudetti on the pitch. When Totti or others infer that the current Juventus side are receiving too many favours, they are in no way implying that the team members themselves have anything to do with it. Referees Make Mistakes All the Time As the old adage goes, referees are human too. Like players, they make mistakes sometimes. Just because a ref gets a decision wrong does not mean there was ill intent behind it or that he was being influenced by outside forces. Often fans focus on the calls that went against their own team but conveniently forget those that fell their way. It's one of the reasons there are such passionate debates after each round of action. Just because supporters (or players, in Totti's case) from other clubs think Juventus get all the decisions going their way, it doesn't mean that is necessarily the case. Roma Were Awarded a Penalty in the Game in Question One pertinent argument against biased refereeing in the recent Juventus-Roma clash was that Roma themselves were awarded a penalty in the first half. The penalty was duly converted by Totti to make the score 1-1. Juan Iturbe then found the net to give Roma the advantage, before a second Carlos Tevez penalty made it 2-2 and Leonardo Bonucci scored the winner for the Bianconeri late in the game. If the referee had been intent on Juve winning the match, he surely wouldn't have made his own task more difficult by giving Roma the leg up of a first-half spot-kick. In General, the Bigger the Team, the More Decisions Go Their Way Ask many fans in England who referees favour and anyone who is not a Red Devils fan will likely mention Manchester United. Similarly, supporters of anyone, bar Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, will tell you those teams receive many advantages from match officials. The same goes with Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina. This could in part be because the giant clubs are the ones opposition supporters most love to hate. But it may also be based on an unconscious favouritism that match officials show the bigger sides. When it comes to making split-second decisions, perhaps there is something in the referees' minds that tell them to make the call that will cause them the least amount of hassle in the aftermath of the game. Clubs with the most supporters also tend to have the most cheerleaders in the media. A 50-50 call that goes against a Bayern Munich or a Juventus is always going to be greeted with an uproar during the week, and that could be something which affects the way those calls are handled, even if it is not intentional. Juventus Are a Different Club Now That Moggi Has Gone The main protagonist of the Calciopoli scandal was former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi. There was a great deal of evidence against Moggi collected by prosecutors, and he was on the receiving end of a lifetime ban from football. As a result, he was obviously excluded from any involvement with the Bianconeri from that point onward and does not have any influence over Italian football at present. Others Are Quick to See Controversies Whenever Juventus Are Involved It is understandable that Juventus are often the first club accused of nefarious activities by others when debatable incidents occur on the pitch. Juve's sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, made that very point following Totti's comments: I have great respect for Totti as a player. It’s understandable that he’s upset about the result but what he said was unacceptable. In the past Juve have had to bear the brunt for others' mistakes, but when the team has won it has won legitimately and deservingly from a footballing point of view. Every year Juventus are accused of being favoured in dubious or unclear situations, but I believe that these decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. When we won the penalty it reminded me of the Juventus v Roma match that was played at the Olimpico in Turin. That year Roma got the decision and this year it was our turn to get a penalty. Juventus were promoted back to Serie A in 2007 and won their third successive title this year. Italians Love a Good Conspiracy There is a word in Italian, "dietrologia," which describes the tendency of Italians to always search for hidden meanings and conspiracies behind day-to-day goings-on. Though paranoia does not always exist without reason, the fact that such a word exists in the language indicates that the good people of the peninsula are always on the lookout for connivance, even when perhaps it does not exist. Juventus Are Simply the Strongest Team in Italy at Present Despite all the complaints from other Serie A sides about favouritism, it is very hard to argue that Juventus have not been the strongest team in Italy over the past few years. Napoli, Roma and Milan have all been competitive since Juve's reign at the top started, but none can claim to have had such a powerful side with the squad depth of the Bianconeri. Other Serie A outfits would dream of having the likes of Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba on their books. It is not that difficult to understand, then, how Antonio Conte's side won three titles in a row and how Massimiliano Allegri's team have a perfect record after six games this campaign. Conspiracy theories are not always needed to explain one side's dominance over the rest of the competition. Sometimes one side is just better than the rest.

Why Paul Pogba Should Be Manchester City's Top Transfer Target Oct 13, 2014 According to a report in The Times written by James Ducker, Manchester City are once again being linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, a player many believe to be the natural heir to Yaya Toure’s throne. Pogba, who made his senior debut with Manchester United, has forged a reputation as one of the world’s best central midfield players since he moved to Serie A in 2012, winning two league titles and two Italian cups. His performances for France at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil further underlined his credentials, with a series of top-class performances confirming his position as one of the fastest-rising stars in the game. City, it seems, have highlighted Pogba as a top transfer target, and with 31-year-old Toure struggling to recreate his wonderful form of last season, where he scored 20 league goals and was voted the club’s Player of the Year, it makes sense for City to be monitoring the Frenchman’s situation. Pogba is the complete midfielder, full of pace, power, energy and an ability to drive forward and score goals. He’s perhaps the only player in Europe possessing the right mix attributes to replace Toure in this City side. The Ivorian is a force of nature on his day, a player capable of dominating a midfield battle and providing match-winning abilities, and City can’t afford to lose that facet of their game. So often last season during the club’s title win, Toure was the catalysts for three points, and finding a younger player capable of offering the same dynamism is no easy task. Pogba, it seems, is emerging as the club’s primary transfer target on the basis of being one of the very few young players considered to have the necessary tools to fill the void Toure will eventually leave. Pogba has hit 14 goals in 91 appearances at Juventus since leaving Old Trafford two years ago, and already has 18 caps for France. Alex Ferguson’s strange reluctance to give him a chance in the United midfield, which had been substandard for some time prior to his emergence as a potential first-team player, looks increasingly misguided the more he plays for the Turin giants. The one stumbling block is the homegrown quota. City’s next wave of recruitment seems certain to include players who tick the Premier League’s homegrown criteria, yet Pogba, despite his United links, appears to fall just short of fulfilling the measures. City know they need homegrown stars, and the club’s new academy, a state-of-the-art complex adjacent to the Etihad Stadium which opens in the next few weeks, is seen as the long-term solution to the problem. However, it will take time for the academy to bear fruit, and in the meantime City need an injection of homegrown stars. With Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Gareth Barry all having left in the summer transfer window, it has left City on the precipice of failing to comply with homegrown guidelines. Dedryck Boyata was subsequently offered a new deal despite his limited first-team chances, and with James Milner’s contract set to expire in June, the club need to act. Pogba, though, is too good to miss out on, regardless of his homegrown status. Like Toure, he can dictate proceedings. He can offer defensive solidity and attacking prowess. And he is improving all the time. Very few can replace Toure but he most certainly could.