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JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA April 19, 2014 - 6:30 PM Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Piero Giacomelli ‘Bologna motivated against Juve’ Apr 18, 2014 Davide Ballardini says that whilst Juventus’ greatest strength is motivation, Bologna have enough of it too to try and make things tricky tomorrow night. The Felsinei travel out to Turin in Week 34 still looking to secure their League status, as they currently sit 17th, just three points above the dropzone. For their tactician, facing the League leaders may be daunting, but it won’t see his side shrink into their shell. “It is a very exciting game against the best team, for me the game will be challenging,” Ballardini has told reporters today. “They are a great team, I hope it is a good match and that we are able to play a really good game. “We have many reasons to be motivated, but so do they, this is their greatest strength - I expect an atmosphere at their ground. “We know we have to play a careful game in defence, but we cannot go to Turin thinking only about doing one thing well. “We will also have to play with the ball and put them under pressure. We will try tomorrow night to show our best side, not to take any calculations and to have belief.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA April 19, 2014 - 6:30 PM Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Piero Giacomelli Conte: Nothing is easy Apr 18, 2014 Antonio Conte has reiterated that ‘nothing is easy’ for Juventus ahead of facing Bologna, as he updates on Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Barzagli. The Turin outfit can move a step closer towards a third consecutive Scudetto tomorrow evening when they host the Felsinei, in what is seen as an easier fixture than chasing Roma face later, away to Fiorentina. However, for Juve’s tactician, it would be a mistake to assume where the results may fall. “Nothing is easy, it may be easy at the 90th, 95th minute, when the game is won and then you can believe it is easy,” Conte responded to reporters at Friday’s Press conference. “I think that tomorrow against Bologna it will be a very difficult undertaking. “Precisely for this reason I wish and hope that tomorrow the stadium’s atmosphere will be very heated, because Juve’s fans should feel the importance of the moment, the importance of this game, because, I repeat, to win against Bologna we can definitely say would not be decisive, but would be crucial. “As for what the others [Roma] do, I always tell my boys, we try to win ours, because we are in an optimal situation, where we cannot look at others and must think only to our result. “We have to be very careful because Davide Ballardini has drawn here the last two years, with both Cagliari and Genoa, so we must pay great attention, not take anything for granted, we know this very well.” Conte was asked if he would risk bringing back Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Barzagli against Bologna, or preserve them for the following midweek’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Benfica. “I think they are different situations, in the sense that Carlos and Arturo have some issues and they were rested in the match against Udinese, they are recovering and we are trying to get them up to the best possible condition, because I would like them to feel good, to be able to give 110 per cent as they always do. “Barzagli is no longer injured. Barzagli has been away for more than a month, he is available. It is inevitable that now he has to return to the field, find the rhythm of the game, and then I do not know if tomorrow he will start or appear during the game. “Yet, Barzagli is able and called up, so these are two different situations.” The 44-year-old, who also spoke on his future, was asked if Sebastian Giovinco’s performance for the Bianconeri away at Udinese last week is a turning point after recent scrutiny from supporters. “Surely the match against Udinese was a tough game, tricky, and the fact that in the game he has done something decisive, certainly that should give him confidence, it must empower him. “But I repeat, for me, Giovinco is a player who has amazing qualities. If convinced, he can become decisive even in a squad like Juventus’, both in starting a game but also in entering a game, as happened against Lyon.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Conte grateful to Tevez Apr 18, 2014 Antonio Conte has thanked Carlos Tevez for his praise this week and responded with a similar message of confidence in the striker. The Argentine spoke very highly of the Juventus boss during an interview with Sky Sport, responding positively when the comparison between Conte and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was brought up. It is a message that got through to Conte and that he has chosen in Friday’s Press conference to respond to. “On what I have read that Carlos said last night, it definitely makes me very, very happy,” the Coach told reporters gathered. “They are important comparisons with respect to Coaches who have made history, and I am referring to Ferguson. “I thank him, I always thank my players, I always say that a Coach can have 100,000 ideas, they may have a particular way and everything, but you need to have great players and great men. “I have had the good fortune in these three years to have had this. And for this I will never cease to thank my players, and the club that has provided me with this arrangement. “With Carlos it was definitely an immediate feeling, from the first time we met to try to convince him to join our cause, to come to us. “I saw him as very determined, he is a player with great personality, the greater the pressure gets, he is there. “I had heard so much, also about the behaviour of Carlos, during training, that he did very little, but he has always been a great example and this definitely gives me great pleasure, because being able to see those such as Tevez trying to improve upon standards already established, it is certainly a source of pride and satisfaction.

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA April 19, 2014 - 6:30 PM Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Piero Giacomelli Juventus-Bologna Preview: Relegation-threatened Rossoblu out to upset league leaders The visitors have triumphed just twice on the road all season and are going up against a Bianconeri side who have not dropped a single point in Turin. Apr 18, 2014 Bologna will have to overcome a poor away record in order to dent Juventus' Serie A title bid and simultaneously boost their survival hopes. The Rossoblu - who sit 17th on 28 points, just three above the relegation zone - have only won twice away from the Renato Dall'Ara this season. Those away-day woes look unlikely to change at the Juventus Stadium on Saturday, with Antonio Conte's side having won all 16 of their league fixtures on home turf this term. Indeed, Juve have lost just twice in Serie A all campaign and - after passing a potentially tricky encounter 2-0 at Udinese on Monday - they could move to within two victories of collecting a third consecutive league title. Juve are eight points clear at the top with five games remaining, and Conte will be keen for his charges to wrap up the title before visiting second-placed Roma on May 9. One potential distraction could be Thursday's Europa League semi-final first-leg tie at Benfica, with the final set to be held at the Juventus Stadium. However, goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Buffon is confident of challenging on both fronts. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, he said: "Our objectives? We want the Scudetto and the Europa League, to return to being among the best in Europe. "The Europa League is not a requirement but it is definitely a goal that could be within our reach, or is within our reach." Centre-back Leonardo Bonucci and wing-back Stephan Lichtsteiner are both suspended for Juve, while Conte must decide whether to return top scorer Carlos Tevez (thigh) and midfielder Arturo Vidal (knee) to the starting line-up, after the duo were only deemed fit enough for the bench at Udinese. In contrast to Juve's title ambitions, Bologna have hit a lean patch at the wrong time and will be desperate to complete one of the biggest upsets of the season. Davide Ballardini's side have picked up just seven points from the last 30 available to them, dragging them into the dogfight at the bottom. The visitors' problems have largely been in attack this season, only bottom side Catania have registered fewer than Bologna's paltry league return of 27 goals this term. Head to Head Serie A ‎-‎ Dec 6, 2013 - Bologna 0 - 2 Juventus Serie A -‎ Mar 16, 2013 - Bologna 0 - 2 Juventus Serie A ‎- Oct 31, 2012 - Juventus 2 - 1 Bologna Serie A ‎- Mar 7, 2012 - Bologna 1 - 1 Juventus Coppa Italia ‎- Dec 8, 2011 - Juventus 2 - 1 Bologna Last Five Matches JUVENTUS Apr 14, 2014 - Udinese 0 - 2 Juventus - Serie A Apr 10, 2014 - Juventus 2 - 1 Olympique Lyonnais - EL Apr 7, 2014 - Juventus 2 - 0 Livorno - Serie A Apr 3, 2014 - Olympique Lyonnais 0 - 1 Juventus - EL Mar 30, 2014 - SSC Napoli 2 - 0 Juventus - Serie A BOLOGNA Apr 13, 2014 - Bologna 1 - 1 Parma - Serie A Apr 5, 2014 - FC Internazionale 2 - 2 Bologna - Serie A Mar 29, 2014 - Bologna 0 - 2 Atalanta - Serie A Mar 26, 2014 - Chievo 3 - 0 Bologna - Serie A Mar 23, 2014 - Bologna 1 - 0 Cagliari - Serie A http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Pogba crisis is normal, says Llorente The striker has backed his team-mate to come good after an inconsistent run of form since the January transfer window. Apr 18, 2014 Fernando Llorente has offered his backing to Juventus team-mate Paul Pogba, stating that his "small crisis" is understandable for a player of his tender years. The 20-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a stunning first 18 months for the Bianconeri but struggled since being linked with a move away from the club in the January transfer window. But Llorente - who is Pogba's room-mate on away trips - has dismissed any long term concerns over the France international. He told Tuttosport: "I don't think we should attach any importance to Pogba's small crisis. "It's normal that you can spend moments of this kind, especially at 20, when you may feel more pressure and maybe you are less experienced at managing the effects of fatigue. "But I have no doubt he will become one of the best players in the world I really have no doubts about this."

Tevez flattered by 'player of the people' nickname in Argentina That Juventus striker says that he is just "a normal guy" and so feels privileged to be so highly regarded among his compatriots. Apr 18, 2014 Carlos Tevez is flattered that so many of his fellow Argentines are pushing for him to be recalled to the national team for this summer's World Cup, admitting that he feels honoured to be known as "the player of the people". The Juventus striker has not played for his country since Alejandro Sabella took over as coach in 2011 and there appears little hope of the forward travelling to Brazil - despite the fact that he has netted 18 times in Serie A this season. That has not stopped supporters and pundits alike calling for Tevez to be welcomed back into the Albiceleste fold, though, and he is touched by the affection his compatriots continue to show for him. "I'm a normal guy and I don't give myself nicknames, like 'player of the people'," the former Manchester City striker told Sky Sport Italia. "But I'm pleased when the people in Argentina do so much for me and call me that." It has also been claimed that Tevez has carried Juve at times during his debut season in Serie A but he insists that the Bianconeri's strength is the collective spirit that coach Antonio Conte has cultivated in Turin. "Tevez's Juve? No, I believe that the team is all important here, not only one player," he argued. "It's the team that is stronger than the player; this is shown in every game. "And Conte is a top coach. He shows that in every game, in every competition in which Juve plays."

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA April 19, 2014 - 6:30 PM Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Piero Giacomelli How Juventus Will Line Up Against Bologna Apr 17, 2014 Juventus face Bologna this weekend with one eye potentially on a mouth-watering Europa League semi-final tie against Benfica next week. Most presume that the Bianconeri will prioritise their game against the soon-to-be Portuguese champions, but Antonio Conte has his eyes set on creating history in Serie A. The record for the highest points total, breaching the 100-point barrier and earning a record number of consecutive home wins in the league all get the juices flowing. So it is actually tricky to envisage what team Conte will look to put out against Bologna, who are fighting off relegation and will be keen to spring a surprise. Here is how Juve should line up. Goalkeeper and Defence Gianluigi Buffon will be the easiest pick for Antonio Conte, with the Azzurri stopper enjoying something of a renaissance between the sticks. Helping to protect the 36-year-old's goal will be Giorgio Chiellini, Angelo Ogbonna and Martin Caceres. This is quite straightforward for Conte, as Leonardo Bonucci is suspended and Andrea Barzagli has yet to gain enough sharpness to start a game after resuming training this week. The Azzurri international is expected to take his place on the bench after being out for over a month with a calf injury. Wing-Backs Stephan Lichtsteiner is suspended, which hands another opportunity for Mauricio Isla to start. The Chilean is enjoying his best moment in black and white and is expected to start his 16th game of the season. Lichtsteiner is not enjoying his best run of form, so Isla should feel that another good outing will give Conte food for thought about whether he can permanently take the Swiss international's place. Kwadwo Asamoah should line up on the opposite flank, as Conte will not want to rotate too much with the league still holding a significant amount of importance, despite the probability stacked in their favour in the race for the Scudetto. Central Midfielders Arturo Vidal is the main concern for Conte, as the Chilean missed the last game with a slight knee injury. The former Bayer Leverkusen star took his place on the bench but failed to come on as a substitute. Conte will probably not risk the Chile international, which will mean an unchanged trio through the middle. Andrea Pirlo, fresh off a media storm due to the new English translation of his autobiography, will be joined by Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio. Strikers Carlos Tevez should come back into the starting line-up for Juventus against Bologna, as he aims to beat off competition from Ciro Immobile and compatriot Gonzalo Higuain for the capocannoniere title. El Apache was rested for the Udinese game but will likely come back in here, replacing Sebastian Giovinco, despite the Atomic Ant's fine solo goal in Udine. The former Parma star came off with a slight knock, so Carlitos will resume his partnership with Fernando Llorente. The Spaniard also scored on Monday and will match up with the Argentine for the first time since Livorno, with Conte rotating his strike force for the last couple of games. Dani Osvaldo, Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella will have to continue to wait for their chance, which will surely come soon—if not here, then possibly during one of the matches against Benfica or the Sassuolo fixture in between. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Tevez: Conte top class Apr 17, 2014 Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has praised Old Lady Coach Antonio Conte, describing him as being ‘of the top level.’ Speaking to Sky Sport, the Argentine also revealed his surprise at how well his side’s season has gone to date. “I’m well, I’m recovering physically and I’m thinking about Saturday’s match,” Tevez said today. “Is this Tevez’s Juve? The team is the most important thing, not just one player. Game after game we have shown we are a great team. “When I accepted the transfer to come here I didn’t think we could be fighting for both the Scudetto and the Europa League at this stage of the season. “But we are Juve and we need to fight to win everything. We are happy we can do the double. “Conte is already a top level Coach. He shows it game after game in every competition. “He is already a great Coach and he has been key to my development.”

Bonucci has ‘good feeling’ Apr 17, 2014 Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci says he has a good feeling about his side’s Europa League tie with Benfica. The first leg of the semi-final against the Portuguese champions elect takes place in Lisbon next Thursday, with the return at Juventus Stadium a week later. “I have a positive feeling about the match with Benfica,” Bonucci told Juventus’ official website during a video interview. “It’s like a final but we want to lift the trophy, that’s our target every season. “Our secret is that we believe in ourselves, as the boss asks us to. I personally like to take a lot of responsibility. “Compared to last year I have improved, I have felt that the destiny of the team is also in my hands.”

How Fernando Llorente Has Helped Juventus and Himself Apr 17, 2014 Antonio Conte could have rushed this new signing, another Juventus forward. Instead he waited for Fernando Llorente to catch up. Conte was, after all, the man who wanted the Spaniard in the first place. But Conte would not loosen the leash. He told beIN Sports (h/t goal.com) in October that he had asked Llorente to be patient, to assimilate, to learn the system and embrace his new surroundings. And now Llorente is paying him back. The Spanish forward has scored 16 goals in all competitions, none of them penalties and half of them headers. He and Carlos Tevez have scored 32 goals in Serie A—already more than Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet managed in the 2005-06 season and close to the 40 goals scored between John Charles and Omar Sivori in 1957-58: David Amoyal @DavidAmoyal In Juve's history only Del Piero/Trezeguet in 2005/06 (29) & Charles Sivori (40) in 1957/58 scored more than Tevez/Llorente (26) via Gds It is not just the goals. Llorente uses his big frame and moves particularly well for such a tall player. There are times when he simply holds up the ball, playing patiently, slipping a pass through defenders. He isn’t afraid to do the little flicks, to backpedal and lay off the ball to an incoming teammate. Against Livorno, Llorente received the ball in the box while he was holding off a defender. He needed just a single touch to nudge the ball away; then he took a step and launched the shot into the top corner. And at other times he picks up the garbage, the loose ball inside the box. He is clearheaded while the rest scramble. His confidence only grew, but still: Everything was different. The workload was heavy. Llorente had spent the last year on the sidelines at Athletic Bilbao after announcing his intention to leave. He was shackled, and now he was free. He changed countries and cities for the first time in years. He had to learn a new language. Juventus were a world away from the one he knew. He was 11 the last time he made such a big move. He was born in the province of La Rioja, in the northwest of Spain, in a village that did not have any playground equipment. It was football, and that’s it. The people from Athletic Bilbao scouted the blond buck, who only knew his family and the town, Rincón de Soto. They took him to play with the reserves, and Llorente would take the bus to train, as it says on LaRioja.com. The travel was too much, according to the Spanish newspaper AS, and he would have to move permanently to the Basque country. This was particularly hard on his mother, missing the childhood of her son, but the parents accepted Athletic’s offer anyway. They wanted him to have the best life possible. But it wasn’t easy for Llorente. He said in an interview with the club’s official magazine that he cried every night away from his parents. He would see them on weekends, but it wasn’t enough. He was living with family friends in Bilbao, and he was studying and playing the game he knew best, as it says on AS. Llorente told Canal Plus that he could’ve been a bullfighter, or he could’ve been a singer. He even played the clarinet. But this was his dream. Some said he was the new Ibrahimovic. Llorente was the tallest on his team as a kid. He scored goals against the older boys, even if he was the one who looked oldest. You can see him playing on cement, a giant among on children, running around all of them. He is like that now at 29 years old, standing 6’4’’ and scoring headers. He played for seven years with the senior team from Bilbao, and he struggled with injuries during the first two. The fans eventually called him the Lion King. He scored 29 goals in all competitions during the 2011-12 season, already a top scorer. So it took time to adapt to Italy and Juventus, just like it did in Bilbao. That first game in 2005 was noisy, he told the magazine. He was a silent kid, introverted. He felt the change; he could hear it. In Torino it was no different. Llorente told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport in November (h/t FourFourTwo) that he had some doubts—especially during the pre-season. "At one point in the United States, I felt empty, completely drained," Llorente told the newspaper. "And if the body does not work, also the head starts to sweat." Llorente rarely played in any of the first five games of the season, but he slowly earned more playing time. “He's trying to get into our system,” Conte told reporters in August. “There ought to be respect and not just criticizing someone to create controversy.” Conte protected him, gave him a place of shelter, a new home, just like all those years ago. Llorente still goes a few games in succession without scoring, but he told Sky (h/t Football Italia) that he’s “having a great season.” He wouldn’t call it the best year of his life, but he did ask a valid question: "How is it possible that Tevez and I won’t play at the World Cup?" At the start of the year he was asking questions about himself; now he is asking about Brazil. Remember that Juventus signed the player for absolutely nothing, but he is worth so much more.

Tevez: I don't have any problems with Messi The 30-year-old has dismissed suggestions that his relationship with the Primera Division star has kept him out of the Argentina squad. Apr 17, 2014 Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has insisted that he does not have any problems with Barcelona star Lionel Messi amid rumours that he has fallen out with the Argentina skipper. A number of recent reports claimed that the former Manchester City forward has lost his spot in Argentina's national side due to his poor relationship with the Barca attacker, but Tevez has laughed off any such suggestion. "I don't know where these rumours that I have a bad relationship with Messi are coming from," Tevez was quoted as saying by Cronica. "Everybody publishes stuff like this, but the truth is that I don't have any problems with Messi. "We have shared a lot of moments together, have trained together, have played together and there have never been any issues. He is a great person. "This should be his World Cup and I wish him all the best because he is a marvellous player. He and Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom I played together at Manchester United, are the best in the world." Tevez has made 64 appearances for Argentina, but has not featured for the Albiceleste since 2011.

Andrea Pirlo reveals the secret behind his free kick brilliance This extract from Andrea Pirlo's autobiography, 'I think therefore I play', explains the legendary midfielder's recipe for success when it comes to dead-ball situations. Apr 17, 2014 I'm Italian, but I'm also part-Brazilian. Pirlinho, if you like. When I take my free-kicks, I think in Portuguese and at most I'll do the celebrating in my native tongue. I strike those dead balls alla Pirlo. Each shot bears my name and they're all my children. They look like one another without being twins, even if they do boast the same South American roots. More precisely, they share a source of inspiration: Antonio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Junior, a midfielder who's gone down in history as Juninho Pernambucano. During his time at Lyon, that man made the ball do some quite extraordinary things. He'd lay it on the ground, twist his body into a few strange shapes, take his run-up and score. He never got it wrong. Never. I checked out his stats and realised it couldn't just be chance. He was like an orchestra conductor who'd been assembled upside down, with the baton held by his feet instead of his hands. He'd give you the thumbs up by raising his big toe – somebody at Ikea was having a good laugh the day they put him together. I studied him intently, collecting DVDs, even old photographs of games he'd played. And eventually I understood. It wasn't an immediate discovery; it took patience and perseverance. From the start, I could tell he struck the ball in an unusual way. I could see the "what" but not the "how". And so I went out onto the training pitch and tried to copy him, initially without much success. In the early days, the ball sailed a couple of metres over the crossbar, or three metres above the sky to borrow from the Italian film of the same name. Much of the time it went right over the fence at Milanello and I'd end up lying to the fans gathered outside, pretending I'd done it deliberately. "Boys, I want to give you a present," I'd say, glossing over the fact that the session was behind closed doors and they shouldn't have been anywhere near it. As I was speaking to outlaws, I told myself that what I said was neither a sin nor a crime. The misses went on for several days and by that time the bloke in charge of the kit store was getting somewhat peeved. For him, it was a case of too many lost balls becoming a ball ache as I persisted with my experiments. Days soon turned into weeks. My own Eureka moment arrived when I was sat on the toilet. Hardly romantic, but there you go. The search for Juninho's secret had become an obsession for me, to the extent that it occupied my every waking thought. It was at the point of maximum exertion that the dam burst, in every sense of the term. The magic formula was all about how the ball was struck, not where: only three of Juninho's toes came into contact with the leather, not his whole foot as you might expect. The next day I left the house really early, even electing to skip my usual classic PlayStation battle with [Alessandro] Nesta as I rushed to the training paddock. All I had on my feet was a pair of loafers – I didn't need proper boots to demonstrate what I was now convinced was the right theory. The kit-store guy had already turned up for duty. "Can you pass me a ball, please?" I asked. "Get to f***," he said under his breath, almost hissing at me. "What was that?" I replied. "I said I saw a duck." "Right you are. Go on, you fool, throw me over a ball." Reluctantly, he chucked one across. Mentally, he was already preparing himself for a trip to the woods to recover it. Instead I stuck it right in the top corner, just where the post meets the crossbar. A geometric gem. I placed the shot so perfectly that it would have gone in even with a keeper. Luckily for our goalies, none of them were around. "Why don't you try doing that again, Andrea," came a provocative voice from behind. This was now a battle of two against one. Me on one side, the kit store guy and the ghost of Juninho Pernambucano firmly on the other. "Okay then, spoilsport. Just you watch," I said. "The ball needs to be struck from underneath using your first three toes. Keep your foot straight and then relax it in one fell swoop" Up I stepped and unleashed a carbon copy of the previous free kick. It was a thing of absolute beauty, stylistically impeccable. I lined up another five strikes and it was the same story every time. By now it was official: I'd cracked it. The secret was no more. In essence, the ball needs to be struck from underneath using your first three toes. You have to keep your foot as straight as possible and then relax it in one fell swoop. That way, the ball doesn't spin in the air, but does drop rapidly towards the goal. That's when it starts to rotate. And that, in a nutshell, is my maledetta. When it comes off exactly as I want, there's no way of keeping it out. It's specifically designed to head over the wall before taking a direction that nobody can predict. For me, the best feeling in life is watching the ball fly into the net after it whizzes a couple of centimetres over the heads of the defenders. They can almost reach it, but not quite. They can read the maker's name, but they can't stop it going in. Sometimes a pinch of sadism is the ingredient that makes victory taste that little bit sweeter. The further away from goal I am, the better. As the distance increases, so does the effect I can impart. The greater the space between me and the keeper, the quicker the ball tends to drop as it hones in on its target. I can obviously mix things up a bit, throw in a few little tricks to make every free kick unique, but the underlying concept never changes. Scoring from a dead-ball brings me massive satisfaction. It sets me up as an example for other players to follow, copy and perhaps even emulate over the course of time. For them, I'm a Juninho Pernambucano 2.0, a Brazilian with a Brescia accent. I've never told anyone, but my ambition is to become the leading all-time scorer of free kicks in Serie A.

‘Gattuso will always catch you’ Apr 17, 2014 Andrea Pirlo has revealed that one of his favourite past-times between games was to pick on then Milan and Italy teammate Gennaro Gattuso. Pirlo has just released his autobiography in English this week and in an exclusive extract, the creative midfielder recalls how his on-field relationship with Gattuso also included a lot of off-field teasing. My face, with its fixed expression, doesn’t let on what I’m thinking. But therein lies the beauty. I can make up the most crazy stories, say the most ridiculous things to my team- mates and everyone thinks I’m being deadly serious. They don’t realise what’s happening and I have a whale of a time. I’ll be smiling inside, but outwardly completely impassive as I plot my next joke. And sometimes it’s cost me a slap, particularly when Rino Gattuso was around. With him not being a man of letters, a distinguished orator or a member of the Accademia della Crusca, whenever Rino opened his mouth the dressing room turned into the Rio Carnival. People would be blowing raspberries, making trumpet noises, doing the conga. Always the same reaction. We’d never let him finish before we started taking the piss. It was the Maracana at Milanello (or Coverciano), and he’d be speaking Portuguese without even knowing. To be fair, it’s the same story with Italian where Rino is concerned. I’d call him te***ne and he’d hit me. To get my own back, I’d nick his phone and send a bunch of texts to Ariedo Braida, our general manager. This one time, Rino de Janeiro, like me, was waiting for his contract to be renewed. I did the negotiating on his behalf by means of a single message. “Dear Ariedo, if you give me what I want, you can have my sister.” Rino found out and gave me a beating before ringing up Braida. “It’s just one of Pirlo’s stupid jokes,” he said. I’ve always wondered if the response was, “what a pity”. Before Italy games, De Rossi would hide under Rino’s bed and wait. He’d be there for anything up to half an hour. Gattuso would come in, brush his teeth, stick on his leopard- print pyjamas, get into bed, take out a book and look at the pictures. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Daniele would reach up from under the bed and grab his sides, while I’d burst out of the wardrobe like the worst kind of lover, making horrendous noises. Rino took it really well, despite risking a massive heart attack. First he’d beat up Daniele and then he’d do the same to me. Just to prove he was even handed. Another time we gave him a soaking with a fire extinguisher. A draw away to the Republic of Ireland had been enough to secure our qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and so the last group game, against Cyprus in Parma four days later, had become almost like a friendly. Pretty much meaningless, and that’s exactly how we treated it. Lippi gave us a night off in Florence, and almost all of us went out for dinner. Gattuso didn’t – he stayed at the team hotel. When we got back, we were quite drunk, actually very drunk, and we ended up chatting in the lounge. We weren’t tired, so we needed to find something to pass the time. Everyone had the same idea: “Let’s go and piss off Gattuso.” He was already asleep, with his little nightcap on his head. On the way up the stairs to Rino’s room, De Rossi spotted a fire extinguisher. “I’m off to put out Gattuso,” he said. We knocked on the door and out Rino came, screwing his eyes up as he advanced. Daniele started spraying, covering him in every last drop before running off to hide in his room (i.e. our room). He left me at the mercy of that monster in its underpants, absolutely dripping with foam and shouting total gibberish. Listening to him, though, I knew he was beginning to wake up and regain his senses. I tried to escape, but I was already done for. When the guy on your shoulder is Gattuso and he’s out to do you harm, you can run as hard as you like, but he’ll always catch you. You could be a gazelle or a lion – it makes absolutely no difference.

Tuttosport says Sebastian Giovinco will play in Serie A, Carlos Tévez in the Europa League Apr 17, 2014 The news following Juventus' 2-0 win over Udinese on Monday has been, well, relatively slow when it comes to actual on-the-field matters. It's pretty easy to understand why. There's no Scudetto race to hype up with Juve being ahead of Roma by a comfortable eight-point margin and Juve are about to battle with a couple of relegation battlers rather than title contenders. There's been plenty of interviews, though, if that's your thing. Gigi Buffon talked about Paul Pogba and how he trusts the Juve management when it comes to the French midfielder's future at the club. Andrea Pirlo wrote in his English-version book about how Rino Gattuso tried to kill people with forks. Beppe Marotta talked about Antonio Conte and a contract renewal for the Juve manager. You know, some stuff we've heard for months, some stuff that is relatively new and interesting. But on Wednesday morning, Tuttosport rolled out something that would directly impact Juventus on the field. And not as they cranked up their in-house Transfer-O-Meter another notch for next season. This has to do with Juve this season. Hell, it has to do with Juve this weekend. Well, potentially this weekend if their report has any kind of juice behind it. It's something coming from Tuttosport, you know, so we probably have to take it with a grain of salt until it actually becomes a reality. But let's say all of this is what Antonio Conte is planning on doing for the final month of the season. Instead of spitting out typical transfer blabber on a daily basis, they actually went with something that makes a decent amount of success. The gist of it, if you didn't figure out the caption by now, is that Sebastian Giovinco will be the one playing in Serie A matches and Carlos Tévez will put his attention towards Juve's upcoming Europa League games against Benfica — and possibly beyond if Juventus get that far. The two biggest things of having a Tévez-Giovinco alternation? 1. Having Tévez solely concentrated on the two Europa League matches against Benfica — and a possible cup final in the middle of May at Juventus Stadium — would allow him to rest any kind of injury he has been bothered by over the past week. It's why Conte kept him out of Juve's trip to the Friuli on Monday night and you would like to assume it's why any kind of Giovinco-related playing time will be coming in the future. 2. Giovinco will get playing time — and a lot of it. And based off what he has done his last couple of times out, he's adding something positive to the team. His goal against Udinese this past Monday night will be the headliner of why he should be playing more these days — and I understand why. You never know, if this playing time scenario is the case and Giovinco is playing the rest of the way in Serie A, he could very well be showing what can do when it comes to next season. And while it won't be the biggest sample size in the world, this would be Giovinco's first regular playing time for the first time since last season. A year ago, the little guy started over half of Juve's games in Serie A. This season? All of four. That's what you'd expect out of somebody like Simone Padoin, not a player like Giovinco who is a known favorite of Conte. (I know there's been injuries, but just go with me here, people.) Just consider this: Juventus have an eight-point lead over Roma and two big-time European games on the horizon. Would you rather have Tévez get extra rest against Bologna and be 100 percent and ready to break that favorite discussion point of everybody outside of Juventus circles a week from today? I think I know which one I'd go after. But it's not like if you open Door No. 1 you're going to get a magical prize. Well, maybe Juventus playing in the Europa League final next month. In that case, I'd say Door No. 1 is a pretty good choice. I understand that Conte wants to win everything left on the schedule because that's what Conte does. But a healthy Tévez is so much better than any other striker in Serie A these days.

Llorente: Tevez and I deserve Brazil Apr 16, 2014 Juventus forward Fernando Llorente believes both himself and Carlos Tevez deserve to be going to the World Cup this summer. The duo have been in fine form for the Old Lady this season but both could well miss out on being named in their respective countries’ squads. “How is it possible that Tevez and I won’t play at the World Cup?” Llorente said to Sky. “The Italian League is difficult and competitive and we are hoping we can go to the World Cup. “It will be difficult but we are doing well with Juve. Let’s see. “If everything goes well maybe we will have something to celebrate.” The Spaniard then commented on his side’s charge for the Scudetto. “We are in a great situation but it’s still not won. There are still three matches left for us to win it mathematically, but we hope to do it as soon as possible. “Is it the best year of my life? I don’t know but I’m having a great season.”

Llorente & Tevez not giving up on World Cup dream The former Athletic Bilbao striker has fallen out of favour with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, while his Argentine colleague has never been picked by Alejandro Sabella. Apr 16, 2014 Fernando Llorente has revealed that he and Juventus team-mate Carlos Tevez have not yet given up hope on playing in this summer's World Cup. After a slow start to life in Italy, the Spaniard has enjoyed a stellar debut season in Serie A, netting 14 times in total as well as forming a formidable partnership with his Argentine accomplice, who has 18 goals to his name. Tevez, though, has not featured for his country since Alejandro Sabella took over in 2011, while Llorente has fallen out of favour with Spain boss Vicente del Bosque. However, Llorente says that both he and Tevez are still dreaming of travelling to Brazil with their respective nations. "The Italian championship is difficult and competitive, and we're hoping to be able to go to the World Cup," the former Athletic Bilbao hitman told Sky Sport Italia. "It's difficult but we're doing well with Juve and if everything goes well, maybe we'll be rewarded [at international level]. "Is this the most beautiful year of my life? I don't know but I'm having a great season." Llorente and Tevez's goals have put Juve within touching distance of a third successive Serie A title triumph, but even though Antonio Conte's men are eight points above second-placed Roma with just five games to go, he is taking nothing for granted. "We're in a privileged position in terms of the Scudetto but nothing is won yet," he warned. "We're still three games away from mathematical victory, but we're hoping to reach that goal as quickly as possible."

Gianluigi Buffon considered Roma Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has told Sky how he was close to joining Roma before Antonio Conte's arrival convinced him to stay in Turin. Apr 16, 2014 Prior to Conte's appointment, Buffon admits he was growing disillusioned with life with the Bianconeri. "We had finished seventh two years in a row, and the fans were wondering whether I would ever be myself again after injury, and at times like those, a player does want to start over again, and the only solution was to make a change," the 36-year-old said. Instead, Conte was appointed as Juve coach in the summer of 2011 and Buffon, who remained with the club in 2006 despite their enforced relegation to Serie B, felt that change had been made for him -- without leaving Turin. "Like I've said, everybody's destiny is laid out, or at least there is a path which either you choose to follow or change, and at a certain point there was a series of events, including Conte's arrival and the president getting closer to the club again, that gave me renewed energy to try to win the league again," continued Buffon. "Considering that now we're close to winning a third scudetto in a row, then I think I've never made a better decision than that one. You only have regrets when you make the wrong decisions, and my decision to stay with Juve and write an important chapter in this amazing club's history cannot allow any room for regret. "How could I ever regret not having joined Roma seeing how my story with Juve has continued?" Juve need to win just three of their remaining five matches to secure a third straight Serie A title with eight points currently separating them from Roma, who host the Bianconeri on the penultimate weekend of the season, when the title may already have been decided.

Tevez has been great for Juve, says Buffon The veteran shot stopper praised the Argentina international and hailed Antonio Conte for the way he has motivated the players after winning two straight Serie A titles. Apr 16, 2014 Gianluigi Buffon has credited Carlos Tevez for being one of the driving forces behind Juventus' title challenge this season. Tevez arrived at the Juventus Stadium in a reported €10million deal from Manchester City in the close-season, and has responded with 18 league goals in a fruitful debut campaign thus far. And Juve captain Buffon believes that the Argentina international's desire for victory has been crucial this term, particularly at the start of the season. "I have to say that in key moments of the season, in my opinion, the will to win and the characteristics of a driver like Carlos Tevez has given us a big hand, especially at the beginning, when we were a bit apathetic," he told Sky Sport Italia. "His great physical prowess, although he is not enormous, his competitive spirit, in many games, especially at the start, dragged us through and earned us the three points." Juventus are seemingly on their way to a third straight Serie A title, and hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Roma with just five games remaining. Buffon also paid tribute to head coach Antonio Conte for continuing to motivate the team. "He has brought a lot this year on a motivational level, because it can be argued that after two titles, the third is not so clear cut because in some groups there can be a sense of fulfilment that can cause issues," Buffon added. "But someone like him has helped us this year to always stay on track, not to take anything for granted."

Pogba is a force of nature, says Buffon The Italy international has nothing but praise for his young team-mate and has little doubt the Bianconeri directors will make the right decision on whether to sell the midfielder. Apr 16, 2014 Juventus shot stopper Gianluigi Buffon has voiced his admiration for Paul Pogba, describing the young Frenchman as "a true force of nature." The midfielder has established himself as one of the brightest young players in Europe following his excellent form for the Bianconeri since his move from Manchester United. The 21-year-old is continually being linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with the Ligue 1 giants reportedly willing to pay up to €70 million for the powerful midfielder, and while Buffon admits such a fee could prove too tempting for the club to ignore, he is eager for the player to stay at the club. "Paul is a natural talent. There's no arguing about that. He is a true force of nature," the Juventus goalkeeper told Sky. "He has surprised everyone. He has just exploded and didn't need much time for it. We all understood within two months or so that he was a huge talent and that we were talking about a great player. "But in a difficult economic situation like this, you have to take a lot of things into consideration if a big offer comes in. "But I would like to stress that the directors and the president have always made the right choices and will do the same in this case." Pogba has a contract with Juventus until the summer of 2016.

The hilarious story of Rino Gattuso trying to 'kill' Andrea Pirlo with a fork This extract from Andrea Pirlo's autobiography, 'I think therefore I play', details some of the hilarious pranks that the Italy star played on his former team-mate. Apr 16, 2014 My face, with its fixed expression, doesn't let on what I'm thinking. But therein lies the beauty. I can make up the craziest stories, say the most ridiculous things to my team-mates and everyone thinks I'm being deadly serious. They don't realise what's happening and I have a whale of a time. I'll be smiling inside, but outwardly completely impassive as I plot my next joke. And sometimes it's cost me a slap, particularly when Rino Gattuso was around. With him not being a man of letters, or a distinguished orator, whenever Rino opened his mouth the dressing room turned into the Rio Carnival. People would be blowing raspberries, making trumpet noises, doing the conga. Always the same reaction. We'd never let him finish before we started with the p*** taking. I'd call him "te***ne" (a derogatory term for a southern Italian) and he'd hit me. To get my own back, I'd nick his phone and send a bunch of texts to Ariedo Braida, our general manager. This one time, Rino de Janeiro, like me, was waiting for his contract to be renewed. I did the negotiating on his behalf by means of a single message. "Dear Ariedo, if you give me what I want, you can have my sister." Rino found out and gave me a beating before ringing up Braida. "It's just one of Pirlo's stupid jokes," he said. I've always wondered if the response was, "what a pity". Before Italy games, Daniele De Rossi would hide under Rino's bed and wait. He'd be there for anything up to half an hour. Gattuso would come in, brush his teeth, stick on his leopard-print pyjamas, get into bed, take out a book and look at the pictures. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Daniele would reach up from under the bed and grab his sides, while I'd burst out of the wardrobe like the worst kind of lover, making horrendous noises. Rino took it really well, despite risking a massive heart attack. First he'd beat up Daniele and then he'd do the same to me. Just to prove he was even handed. Another time we gave him a soaking with a fire extinguisher. A draw away to the Republic of Ireland had been enough to secure our qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and so the last group game, against Cyprus in Parma four days later, had become almost like a friendly. Pretty much meaningless, and that's exactly how we treated it. Lippi gave us a night off in Florence, and almost all of us went out for dinner. Gattuso didn't – he stayed at the team hotel. When we got back, we were quite drunk, actually very drunk, and we ended up chatting in the lounge. We weren't tired, so we needed to find something to pass the time. Everyone had the same idea: "Let's go and p*** off Gattuso." He was already asleep, with his little nightcap on his head. On the way up the stairs to Rino's room, De Rossi spotted a fire extinguisher. "I'm off to put out Gattuso," he said. We knocked on the door and out Rino came, screwing his eyes up as he advanced. Daniele started spraying, covering him in every last drop before running off to hide in his room. He left me at the mercy of that monster in its underpants, absolutely dripping with foam and shouting total gibberish. Listening to him, though, I knew he was beginning to wake up and regain his senses. I tried to escape, but I was already done for. When the guy on your shoulder is Gattuso and he's out to do you harm, you can run as hard as you like, but he'll always catch you. Rino ran me through his full range of slaps. Gattuso's also superstitious to a pretty disgusting degree. At the 2006 World Cup, because things were going well, he kept the same tracksuit on for more than a month. It was something like 40 degrees in Germany and he was going about dressed like a deep-sea diver. From round about the quarter-finals, he began to stink. Never mind a fire extinguisher – what he really needed was an industrial supply of lavender. "Gattuso would grab a fork and try and stick it in us. Some of us ended up missing games because of Rino's fork attacks" Rino's always been my favourite target, top of the table by some distance. This despite the fact that on several occasions he's tried to kill me with a fork. During meal times at Milanello, we'd invent all sorts to torment him and put him on the spot. When he got his verbs wrong (pretty much the whole time), we'd jump on him immediately. And then when he actually got them right, we'd make out that it was still wrong just to wind him up even more. Me, Ambrosini, Nesta, Inzaghi, Abbiati, Oddo: that was the group of bast***s right there. "Rino, how are you?" "Bad. We got beat yesterday. I was better if we won." "Rino, try again. It's: 'I'd be better if we'd won.'" “But it's the same thing." "Not exactly, Rino." "Fine then. I'd be better if we'd won." "Rino, just how ignorant are you? 'I was better if we won.' That's how you say it." "But that's what I said before." "What, Rino?" "That thing about winning." "What thing, Rino? Can you repeat it?" You could see the red mist coming down and he just wasn't able to hide it. We could tell what was coming and so we'd commandeer all the knives. Gattuso would grab a fork and try to stick it in us. On more than one occasion, he struck his intended target and the fork sank into our skin. We were as soft as tuna; the kind you can cut with a breadstick. Some of us ended up missing games because of one of Rino's fork attacks, even if the official explanation from the club was one of “muscle fatigue”. We'd get out of his way when he got mad but once he'd calmed down and gone to his room, we'd come back out, pile up the sofas in front of the door and block his exit. "Let me out – training starts in a while." "Deal with it, te***ne." He'd then go crazy again, smashing up everything in sight. But even when he was angry, he was one of the good guys. Amongst other things, I've seen Rino catch and eat live snails for a bet. He really does belong in a film.

Tevez denies Messi rumours Apr 16, 2014 Carlos Tevez denies that one of the reasons he is not being selected for Argentina is because he has a poor relationship with Lionel Messi. The 30-year-old is set to miss out on a place in his country’s squad for this summer’s World Cup but says he is on good terms with the Barcelona man. “I really don’t know where certain stories come from,” Tevez said as part of his interview with Cronica. “The truth is that we have played together in matches and training and there has never been a problem. “He is a very nice person and very polite. This should be his World Cup and I wish him well from the bottom of my heart because he is a marvellous player. “He and Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom I played at Manchester United, are the best players in the World.”

Tevez ‘won’t follow’ Argentina Apr 16, 2014 Juventus forward Carlos Tevez says he has no plans to follow Argentina at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. The 30-year-old seems set to miss out on a place in Alejandro Sabella’s 23-man squad for the tournament but refused to criticise the tactician for his exclusion. “No, I don’t think I will go to watch Argentina’s matches,” Tevez said to Cronica. “I have plans to go to Disneyland with my wife and children instead! “When I was at Corinthians I had a great relationship with Sabella. We never had any problems and the respect was always there. “Everyone asks me why I’m not in the national team, but I can’t answer that because it would not be respectful. It’s just the way things are. “I think the CT is just happy with the players he has called up and that’s it. If he wins, everyone will thank him for his decisions. “Because of this it wouldn’t be right if I were called up now. “I haven’t been part of the journey. So once I have finished celebrating Juve’s victories at the end of the season, I will go to Disneyland.”

'Conte extension at end of season' Apr 16, 2014 Beppe Marotta has revealed that Juventus will sit down with Antonio Conte at the end of the season and discuss a contract renewal. The 44-year-old has a deal with the Bianconeri until June 2015, but the sporting director has admitted that they are likely to sign an extension soon. “Conte has already said that a renewal will be discuss at the end of the current season,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We, as a club, are fully satisfied with the work of our Coach. He has a contract with us, and is our leader. “We are really proud to have Antonio with us. “We have already spoken, and by mutual agreement we have agreed to meet after winning something special - whether that's the Scudetto or the Europa League...or both!"

Marotta: Juve are a buying club Apr 16, 2014 Juventus sporting director Beppe Marotta has insisted that the club will endeavour to keep Paul Pogba this summer. Several of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, have been linked with a move for the France international at the end of the season. But the Bianconeri board member has claimed that the Turin outfit would do all they could to keep the youngster, after Gianluigi Buffon admitted earlier on Wednesday that he would ‘understand’ if Pogba was sold. “Buffon’s statement on Pogba and financial equilibrium? Buffon made an argument not only as a player but also as a businessman,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We will make the appropriate evaluations on the squad, but I reiterate that Juve are a buying club not a selling one.”

'Still room for Pogba improvement' Apr 16, 2014 France national team Coach Didier Deschamps has warned against extreme expectations from Paul Pogba this summer. The Juventus midfielder has been one of the stand-out performers for the Bianconeri this term, and is expected to light up the tournament in Brazil. However, Les Bleus’ boss has insisted that the former Manchester United youngster still has a lot of maturing to do. “Paul’s still a young lad and this World Cup will be his first competition,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “He has huge potential, but even if he’s doing very well, I still think Paul has room to mature and improve. “We’re all calm though ahead of the World Cup.”