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Marotta rules out Isla exit The Juventus director says the Chilean wing-back wants to stay in Turin despite interest from Inter, and has played down his side's chances of signing Juan Zuniga. Jul 30, 2013 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has insisted that his side will be hanging on to Mauricio Isla. The Chilean has endured a difficult start to life in Turin, making just a handful of appearances for the Bianconeri last term following his move from Udinese a year ago. He has since been linked with a move to Inter this summer, but Marotta says he wants to stay at the club. "Isla is our player,” the official told Sky Sport Italia. "I’m not denying Inter’s approach for him, but, with no substitute, he will remain ours. "He’s told us that he would like to stay and, with boss Antonio Conte’s blessing, he is a Juventus player." Marotta went on to say that Napoli defender Juan Zuniga, who has been liked with a move to Turin, will not be sold by his current employers this summer. "We have a good relationship with Napoli and we accept that they will not be selling him," he added. Finally, the 56-year-old said that his side are unlikely to make any more signings this summer, with their main priority offloading unwanted players. "I don’t think we’ll sign anyone else. We’ve added to sections of the team that needed it such as the attack and defence," he added. "We brought in a lot of players at the start of the summer, we have built a competitive team. In these tough economic times for Italian football, we have invested well. "We have an attack that needs reducing because six players of that level are a lot. We want five, perhaps with a youngster to develop. "The hope is that we find a positive solution for us. The requests will need analysing, but the desire of the player is more fundamental than that of the club."

Marotta slams Juventus fixture pile-up The club's director says teams competing in Europe should receive better protection from Serie A organisers following Juve's tough opening to the campaign. Jul 30, 2013 Giuseppe Marotta has hit out at Serie A organisers after Juventus were handed a tough run of fixtures at the start of the 2013-14 season. The champions begin the defence of their Scudetto crown with a visit to Sampdoria - the only side to beat them twice last season in Serie A - while a gruelling run of fixtures from the end of September sees them face a derby clash with Torino, AC Milan and Fiorentina, as well as two Champions League group games. Marotta feels Italian sides competing on the continent should be handed better protection from Serie A organisers, telling Tuttosport: "Certainly the calendar has been less yielding in the last few years. "There are many cup matches close to important games in the season, or head-to-head matches which are traditionally tricky. "The league should better protect those who represent Italy in Europe. I realise this is difficult, perhaps impossible in some cases, but it would benefit everyone." Despite their ominous-looking start to the campaign, Marotta is fully confident his side have what it takes to secure a third successive Serie A title. He added: "The beginning is tough and we should be aggressive in those games, but this is one of our characteristics. We do not lack the will to win the championship for the third time in a row."

Llorente hails Juventus squad Jul 30, 2013 Fernando Llorente says he has been surprised by the compactness of the Juventus squad following his summer arrival. The Spanish international has joined the Bianconeri on a free transfer after his contract at Athletic Bilbao expired. “It is a magnificent, an incredible group,” he told the Juventus website in a club video. “It has been a real surprise. “It’s not something you’d usually find in a team with such great players,” added the outfit’s new centre-forward. “Perhaps other teams have excellent players like ours, but it’s different here. Everyone is friends and great teammates. I feel really good here.” Llorente is currently with the Italian champions in USA, ahead of their Guinness International Champions Cup campaign. “I feel well,” Llorente continued. “I’m really happy to be here in San Francisco and America. “I believe it will be a very good tour. We begin against Everton and I think they’ll be a useful first test for us.” The two teams will meet at the AT&T Park tomorrow.

Bonucci fights for three-dom Jul 30, 2013 Leonardo Bonucci has dismissed suggestions Juventus boss Antonio Conte needs to change the system in Turin. Conte has used a variety of formations since his arrival two years ago, but the 3-5-2 has developed into his preferred shape. Bonucci is very much at the centre of the three-man defence, seeing as he is asked to start up play in the middle of Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini. “The truth is that the system gets the best out of all of us,” the Italian international noted. “We’ve won two Scudetti with the three-man defence and I don’t see any reason to change. “My job is to continue proving my worth, otherwise boss Conte wouldn’t pick me in the team.” Suggestions earlier this summer claimed that Conte was pondering a tactical evolution in view of becoming more competitive in the Champions League. The Old Lady will start the season as favourites for the championship and Bonucci insists Conte is working them just as hard as in the past. “The Coach hasn’t change over the last two years, he still has the same hunger,” the former Bari player added. “Just like all of us in the squad.”

Marotta: Isla staying, no Zuniga Jul 30, 2013 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta says Mauricio Isla won’t be sold and Juan Zuniga will not arrive from Napoli. The Chilean international, co-owned with Udinese, is wanted by Inter. While the Colombian wing-back is on Juve’s radar given that his contract at the Stadio San Paolo expires in 2014. “Isla is our player,” the official told Sky Sport Italia. “I’m not denying Inter’s approach for him, but, with no substitute, he will remain ours. “He’s told us that he would like to stay and, with boss Antonio Conte’s blessing, he is a Juventus player. “Zuniga? We have a good relationship with Napoli and we accept that they will not be selling him.” Marotta added that he believed the Old Lady’s summer spending spree was over, but they are looking to sell one of their forwards. “I don’t think we’ll sign anyone else. We’ve added to sections of the team that needed it such as the attack and defence. “We brought in a lot of players at the start of the summer, we have built a competitive team. In these tough economical times for Italian football, we have invested well.” Juve’s two biggest signings were Fernando Llorente from Athletic Bilbao and Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez. They join fellow attackers Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco, Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella at the club. “We have an attack that needs reducing because six players of that level are a lot,” Marotta noted. “We want five, perhaps with a youngster to develop. “The hope is that we find a positive solution for us. The requests will need analysing, but the desire of the player is more fundamental than that of the club.”

Marotta: 'Difficult Juve start' Jul 29, 2013 Beppe Marotta feels “this is the first time in three years Juventus have had such a difficult start” to the season. The director general spoke to Sky Sport Italia at the presentation of the 2013-14 fixture list, which was drawn up today. Juve begin the campaign away to Sampdoria, then host Lazio and visit Inter in Week 3. “This is the first time in three years Juventus have had such a difficult start,” said Marotta. “However, you have to face all the teams sooner or later.”

Juventus open season at Sampdoria Antonio Conte’s Bianconeri will begin their title defence at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, while big spenders Napoli will start life under Rafa Benitez by playing host to Bologna. Jul 29, 2013 Juventus will open the 2013-14 season at Sampdoria as they go in search of a third consecutive title. Delio Rossi’s side were the only club to beat the defending champions twice last season, earning a 3-2 victory at home, while a second-half brace from Mauro Icardi netted them a 2-1 win in Turin. Rafa Benitez takes charge of his first league fixture at home to Bologna, with his Napoli side hoping to launch a credible assault on the title, while last year’s third place team AC Milan open up at newly-promoted Hellas Verona. Elsewhere, Lazio host Udinese in an exciting week one showdown, while Roma travel to Serie B play-off winners Livorno and Inter face Genoa in the home comforts of San Siro. http://markting10.nl/ In the first battle of the heavyweights, the Bianconeri travel to Inter in week three, while a week later Milan play host to Napoli in a star-studded affair and Lazio visit Roma in the Derby della Capitale. Other derbies are renewed later in the season, as Torino host Juventus in week six and Chievo Verona visit Hellas Verona in week 11, though the first Milan derby of the campaign must wait until week 17. Last season’s top four sides all close out the season at home, with winners Juventus facing Cagliari, Hellas visiting Gonzalo Higuain and Napoli, Milan hosting Sassuolo and Fiorentina facing Torino.

Serie A 2013-14: The big games Jul 29, 2013 There are some big games straight away in the Serie A 2013-14 campaign, while the Milan Derby is a Christmas treat. The fixture list was drawn up this evening in a ceremony in Milan, as the tournament kicks off on August 24-25 and concludes on May 18 2014. Roma-Lazio comes early into the campaign in Week 4, the same round as a Milan-Napoli Scudetto showdown. The Curva Sud will be closed, though, as it falls within the period of Roma's ban for racist chants against Mario Balotelli. http://markting10.nl/ Week 7 is extremely interesting, as it includes Inter-Roma, Juventus-Milan and Lazio-Fiorentina. The Milan Derby will be just a few days before Christmas, while Walter Mazzarri and Rafa Benitez face their past in mid-December. Also worth noting is that the final round of the season will see Juventus-Cagliari, Napoli-Verona, Milan-Sassuolo, Chievo-Inter and Fiorentina-Torino. These are some of the most intriguing fixtures: Week 1: Lazio-Udinese Week 2: Juventus-Lazio Week 3: Inter-Juventus, Sampdoria-Genoa Week 4: Milan-Napoli, Roma-Lazio Week 5: Inter-Fiorentina Week 7: Inter-Roma, Juventus-Milan, Lazio-Fiorentina Week 8: Fiorentina-Juventus, Milan-Udinese, Roma-Napoli Week 9: Udinese-Roma Week 10: Fiorentina-Napoli, Milan-Lazio Week 11: Milan-Fiorentina, Udinese-Inter Week 12: Juventus-Napoli Week 13: Udinese-Fiorentina Week 14: Juventus-Udinese, Lazio-Napoli Week 15: Napoli-Udinese, Roma-Fiorentina Week 16: Milan-Roma, Napoli-Inter Week 17: Inter-Milan Week 18: Juventus-Roma, Lazio-Inter

Serie A 2013-14: Full Fixture List Jul 29, 2013 Week 1 25/8/2013 Cagliari-Atalanta Fiorentina-Catania Verona-Milan Inter-Genoa Lazio-Udinese Livorno-Roma Napoli-Bologna Parma-Chievo Sampdoria-Juventus Torino-Sassuolo Week 2 1/9/2013 Atalanta-Torino Bologna-Sampdoria Catania-Inter Chievo-Napoli Genoa-Fiorentina Juventus-Lazio Milan-Cagliari Roma-Verona Sassuolo-Livorno Udinese-Parma http://markting10.nl/ Week 3 15/9/2013 Fiorentina-Cagliari Verona-Sassuolo Inter-Juventus Lazio-Chievo Livorno-Catania Napoli-Atalanta Parma-Roma Sampdoria-Genoa Torino-Milan Udinese-Bologna Week 4 22/9/2013 Atalanta-Fiorentina Bologna-Torino Cagliari-Sampdoria Catania-Parma Chievo-Udinese Genoa-Livorno Juventus-Verona Milan-Napoli Roma-Lazio Sassuolo-Inter Week 5 25/9/2013 Bologna-Milan Chievo-Juventus Inter-Fiorentina Lazio-Catania Livorno-Cagliari Napoli-Sassuolo Parma-Atalanta Sampdoria-Roma Torino-Verona Udinese-Genoa Week 6 29/9/2013 Atalanta-Udinese Cagliari-Inter Catania-Chievo Fiorentina-Parma Genoa-Napoli Verona-Livorno Milan-Sampdoria Roma-Bologna Sassuolo-Lazio Torino-Juventus http://markting10.nl/ Week 7 6/10/2013 Bologna-Verona Catania-Genoa Chievo-Atalanta Inter-Roma Juventus-Milan Lazio-Fiorentina Napoli-Livorno Parma-Sassuolo Sampdoria-Torino Udinese-Cagliari Week 8 20/10/2013 Atalanta-Lazio Cagliari-Catania Fiorentina-Juventus Genoa-Chievo Verona-Parma Livorno-Sampdoria Milan-Udinese Roma-Napoli Sassuolo-Bologna Torino-Inter Week 9 27/10/2013 Bologna-Livorno Catania-Sassuolo Chievo-Fiorentina Inter-Verona Juventus-Genoa Lazio-Cagliari Napoli-Torino Parma-Milan Sampdoria-Atalanta Udinese-Roma http://markting10.nl/ Week 10 30/10/2013 Atalanta-Inter Cagliari-Bologna Fiorentina-Napoli Genoa-Parma Verona-Sampdoria Juventus-Catania Livorno-Torino Milan-Lazio Roma-Chievo Sassuolo-Udinese Week 11 3/11/2013 Bologna-Chievo Verona-Cagliari Lazio-Genoa Livorno-Atalanta Milan-Fiorentina Napoli-Catania Parma-Juventus Sampdoria-Sassuolo Torino-Roma Udinese-Inter Week 12 10/11/2013 Atalanta-Bologna Cagliari-Torino Catania-Udinese Chievo-Milan Fiorentina-Sampdoria Genoa-Verona Inter-Livorno Juventus-Napoli Parma-Lazio Roma-Sassuolo Week 13 24/11/2013 Bologna-Inter Verona-Chievo Livorno-Juventus Milan-Genoa Napoli-Parma Roma-Cagliari Sampdoria-Lazio Sassuolo-Atalanta Torino-Catania Udinese-Fiorentina http://markting10.nl/ Week 14 1/12/2013 Atalanta-Roma Cagliari-Sassuolo Catania-Milan Chievo-Livorno Fiorentina-Verona Genoa-Torino Inter-Sampdoria Juventus-Udinese Lazio-Napoli Parma-Bologna Week 15 8/12/2013 Bologna-Juventus Cagliari-Genoa Verona-Atalanta Inter-Parma Livorno-Milan Napoli-Udinese Roma-Fiorentina Sampdoria-Catania Sassuolo-Chievo Torino-Lazio Week 16 15/12/2013 Catania-Verona Chievo-Sampdoria Fiorentina-Bologna Genoa-Atalanta Juventus-Sassuolo Lazio-Livorno Milan-Roma Napoli-Inter Parma-Cagliari Udinese-Torino http://markting10.nl/ Week 17 22/12/2013 Atalanta-Juventus Bologna-Genoa Cagliari-Napoli Verona-Lazio Inter-Milan Livorno-Udinese Roma-Catania Sampdoria-Parma Sassuolo-Fiorentina Torino-Chievo Week 18 6/1/2013 Catania-Bologna Chievo-Cagliari Fiorentina-Livorno Genoa-Sassuolo Juventus-Roma Lazio-Inter Milan-Atalanta Napoli-Sampdoria Parma-Torino Udinese-Verona Week 19 12/1/2014 Atalanta-Catania Bologna-Lazio Cagliari-Juventus Verona-Napoli Inter-Chievo Livorno-Parma Roma-Genoa Sampdoria-Udinese Sassuolo-Milan Torino-Fiorentina http://markting10.nl/ Week 20 19/1/2014 Atalanta-Cagliari Bologna-Napoli Catania-Fiorentina Chievo-Parma Genoa-Inter Juventus-Sampdoria Milan-Verona Roma-Livorno Sassuolo-Torino Udinese-Lazio Week 21 26/2/2014 Cagliari-Milan Fiorentina-Genoa Inter-Catania Lazio-Juventus Livorno-Sassuolo Napoli-Chievo Parma-Udinese Sampdoria-Bologna Torino-Atalanta Verona-Roma Week 22 2/2/2014 Atalanta-Napoli Bologna-Udinese Cagliari-Fiorentina Catania-Livorno Chievo-Lazio Genoa-Sampdoria Juventus-Inter Milan-Torino Roma-Parma Sassuolo-Verona http://markting10.nl/ Week 23 9/2/2014 Fiorentina-Atalanta Inter-Sassuolo Lazio-Roma Livorno-Genoa Napoli-Milan Parma-Catania Sampdoria-Cagliari Torino-Bologna Udinese-Chievo Verona-Juventus Week 24 16/2/2014 Atalanta-Parma Cagliari-Livorno Catania-Lazio Fiorentina-Inter Genoa-Udinese Juventus-Chievo Milan-Bologna Roma-Sampdoria Sassuolo-Napoli Verona-Torino Week 25 23/2/2014 Bologna-Roma Chievo-Catania Inter-Cagliari Juventus-Torino Lazio-Sassuolo Livorno-Verona Napoli-Genoa Parma-Fiorentina Sampdoria-Milan Udinese-Atalanta http://markting10.nl/ Week 26 2/3/2014 Atalanta-Chievo Cagliari-Udinese Fiorentina-Lazio Genoa-Catania Livorno-Napoli Milan-Juventus Roma-Inter Sassuolo-Parma Torino-Sampdoria Verona-Bologna Week 27 9/3/2014 Bologna-Sassuolo Catania-Cagliari Chievo-Genoa Inter-Torino Juventus-Fiorentina Lazio-Atalanta Napoli-Roma Parma-Verona Sampdoria-Livorno Udinese-Milan Week 28 16/3/2014 Atalanta-Sampdoria Cagliari-Lazio Fiorentina-Chievo Genoa-Juventus Livorno-Bologna Milan-Parma Roma-Udinese Sassuolo-Catania Torino-Napoli Verona-Inter Week 29 23/3/2014 Bologna-Cagliari Catania-Juventus Chievo-Roma Inter-Atalanta Lazio-Milan Napoli-Fiorentina Parma-Genoa Sampdoria-Verona Torino-Livorno Udinese-Sassuolo http://markting10.nl/ Week 30 26/3/2014 Atalanta-Livorno Cagliari-Verona Catania-Napoli Chievo-Bologna Fiorentina-Milan Genoa-Lazio Inter-Udinese Juventus-Parma Roma-Torino Sassuolo-Sampdoria Week 31 30/3/2014 Bologna-Atalanta Lazio-Parma Livorno-Inter Milan-Chievo Napoli-Juventus Sampdoria-Fiorentina Sassuolo-Roma Torino-Cagliari Udinese-Catania Verona-Genoa Week 32 6/4/2014 Atalanta-Sassuolo Cagliari-Roma Catania-Torino Chievo-Verona Fiorentina-Udinese Genoa-Milan Inter-Bologna Juventus-Livorno Lazio-Sampdoria Parma-Napoli http://markting10.nl/ Week 33 13/4/2014 Bologna-Parma Livorno-Chievo Milan-Catania Napoli-Lazio Roma-Atalanta Sampdoria-Inter Sassuolo-Cagliari Torino-Genoa Udinese-Juventus Verona-Fiorentina Week 34 19/4/2014 Atalanta-Verona Catania-Sampdoria Chievo-Sassuolo Fiorentina-Roma Genoa-Cagliari Juventus-Bologna Lazio-Torino Milan-Livorno Parma-Inter Udinese-Napoli Week 35 27/4/2014 Atalanta-Genoa Bologna-Fiorentina Cagliari-Parma Inter-Napoli Livorno-Lazio Roma-Milan Sampdoria-Chievo Sassuolo-Juventus Torino-Udinese Verona-Catania http://markting10.nl/ Week 36 4/5/2014 Catania-Roma Chievo-Torino Fiorentina-Sassuolo Genoa-Bologna Juventus-Atalanta Lazio-Verona Milan-Inter Napoli-Cagliari Parma-Sampdoria Udinese-Livorno Week 37 11/5/2014 Atalanta-Milan Bologna-Catania Cagliari-Chievo Inter-Lazio Livorno-Fiorentina Roma-Juventus Sampdoria-Napoli Sassuolo-Genoa Torino-Parma Verona-Udinese Week 38 16/5/2014 Catania-Atalanta Chievo-Inter Fiorentina-Torino Genoa-Roma Juventus-Cagliari Lazio-Bologna Milan-Sassuolo Napoli-Verona Parma-Livorno Udinese-Sampdoria

SERIE A 2013-14: WEEK 1 Jul 29, 2013 The Serie A 2013-14 calendar has been drawn up with Week 1 including Inter-Genoa, Lazio-Udinese and Sampdoria-Juventus. The tournament begins on August 24-25 and concludes on May 18 2014. A fixture list was drawn up by computer in a ceremony in Milan this evening, less than a month before the competition kicks off. There are five local derbies this time round in Milan, Rome, Turin, Genoa and Verona. Derbies were not allowed in midweek rounds due to security concerns. was no seeding in the draw, though Champions League and Europa League teams were kept apart ahead of continental matches in Week 6, 9, 13 and 16. Week 1 25/8/2013 Cagliari-Atalanta Fiorentina-Catania Verona-Milan Inter-Genoa Lazio-Udinese Livorno-Roma Napoli-Bologna Parma-Chievo Sampdoria-Juventus Torino-Sassuolo

Buffon: Italian football is improving The Juventus shot-stopper feels that Serie A is becoming more competitive again having seen clubs bolster their squads on the transfer market. Jul 29, 2013 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is wary of the competition that awaits in Serie A this season having watched the Scudetto challengers bolster their ranks in the summer. The Bianconeri have triumphed in the last two campaigns in Italy, though the veteran shot-stopper believes that there are plenty of contenders who have strengthened their squads in the past couple of months. Buffon highlighted Napoli and Fiorentina in particular, though also refused to rule out the threat of AC Milan and Inter, who endured differing fates in Serie A in the previous campaign. "Our league is improving," Buffon told the club's official website. "Napoli and Fiorentina have been playing good football for a year, made spectacular progress and I think the players who have chosen to play in Italy have also come to this conclusion. "Napoli have bolstered their squad and recruited a winner as their coach. He’s someone I have a great deal of respect for, a great professional who knows what’s required in order to win. "Fiorentina also have the signing of Giuseppe Rossi, who if he clicks with Mario Gomez will form part of an international level strikeforce. "Milan are competitive even without making big statements in the transfer market, because they’ve already got players that allow them to be amongst the front runners. "Inter’s best signing has been their coach and they already have a foundation of six or seven young and important players. They’ll soon be able to get back to winning ways."

Buffon: Signing Tevez was a statement of intent The Italy international feels the Serie A champions have taken a "genuine step forward" with the Argentine's acquisition as they look to mount a Champions League challenge. Jul 29, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon feels Juventus have issued a statement of intent to the rest of Europe by signing Carlos Tevez this summer. Tevez joined the Serie A champions from Manchester City earlier this summer, and the experienced goalkeeper feels the 29-year-old's decision to move to Turin proves that the Bianconeri have truly returned to the continental elite. "The acquisition of Tevez was a real statement of intent from the club. Carlos is one of those who can tip the balance and the fact that a champion like him has considered Juve is also a point of pride for us players," Buffon was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "Evidently, his decision to come here means that we’ve also done something important on a European level." Tevez was joined by fellow forward Fernando Llorente and defender Angelo Ogbonna in moving to Juventus Stadium this summer, and Buffon is delighted with the strength in the depth at coach Antonio Conte's disposal. "The new arrivals have already blended in well with the group and don’t hold back when there’s work to be done. They’ve got an excellent attitude," he continued. "I’ve come back to a stronger Juventus side. Now we’ve got additional elements of excellent quality. We’ve taken a genuine step forward." Juventus are currently preparing for the the Supercoppa Italiana clash against Lazio on August 11.

'Fiorentina second only to Juve' Jul 29, 2013 Former Fiorentina Coach Emiliano Mondonico believes that the Viola will fight Juventus for the Scudetto next season. The Stadio Artemio Franchi side have brought in Mario Gomez and Massimo Ambrosini, amongst others this summer. And the 66-year-old is confident that Vincenzo Montella's men can challenge the Bianconeri for silverware. “I think that Fiorentina are second only to Juventus,” he told TuttoMercatoWeb. “I can see a great rivalry forming between the Viola and the Bianconeri. “But Napoli are also another team who have reinforced and will be near the top of the table.

Barzagli welcomes Ogbonna swoop Jul 29, 2013 Andrea Barzagli insists the arrival of Angelo Ogbonna will provide extra motivation for Juventus’ defenders. The Italian international, who has joined the outfit from city rivals Torino, will potentially provide competition for Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. “Ogbonna will help us,” the 32-year-old commented. “If you want to increase the quality of a squad then it is normal to buy high level players. “Angelo can become a great champion and his presence will be important in not only games but also in training. “To have a teammate who could be selected instead of you pushes you to work hard and give your best. That is why bringing in Ogbonna was the right decision.” Centre-back Barzagli had a fine 2012-13, but he did struggle at times for Italy during the Confederations Cup last month after a long season. “I was a bit overcooked after the Confederations Cup, but I want to play all of the time,” the former Palermo man added. “Will I work differently ahead of the World Cup? I don’t think I’ll change any of my preparation. The intention is to never give anything up. “It’s hard to think about the World Cup when we have such a busy season ahead of us. The priority is my club, then I’ll think about the national side at the right moment.”

Buffon: A stronger Juve, but… Jul 29, 2013 Gigi Buffon believes he is now part of an even more competitive Juventus, but he expects a real fight for the Scudetto in 2013-14. Although the Old Lady will likely start the campaign as favourites to win their third consecutive championship, the 35-year-old is keeping his feet on the ground. “I’ve come back to a stronger Juventus side,” the Italian international noted. “Now we’ve got additional elements of excellent quality. We’ve taken a genuine step forward. “However, it won’t be easy to reclaim our title. In fact, this year will be even harder than the previous two. “Milan are competitive even without making big statements in the transfer market, because they’ve already got players that allow them to be amongst the front runners. “Inter’s best signing has been their Coach and they already have a foundation of six or seven young and important players. They’ll soon be able to get back to winning ways. “Napoli have bolstered their squad and recruited a winner as their Coach – Rafa Benitez. He’s someone I have a great deal of respect for, a great professional who knows what’s required in order to win. “Fiorentina also have the signing of Beppe Rossi, who if he clicks with Mario Gomez will form part of an international level strike-force. “But the fact that our rivals are strengthening, coupled with Antonio Conte’s unrelenting approach, will only help us to remain on the ball.” The Bianconeri have completed some significant work on the transfer market with the captures of Fernando Llorente, Angelo Ogbonna and Carlos Tevez. “The acquisition of Tevez was a real statement of intent from the club,” the former Parma No 1 continued. “Carlos is one of those who can tip the balance and the fact that a champion like him has considered Juve is also a point of pride for us players. “Evidently, his decision to come here means that we’ve also done something important on a European level. “The new arrivals have already blended in well with the group and don’t hold back when there’s work to be done. They’ve got an excellent attitude.”

Valero hails Juve’s Llorente swoop Jul 29, 2013 Fiorentina’s Borja Valero has congratulated arch-rivals Juventus for their successful swoop of Fernando Llorente. The Old Lady wrapped up a deal for the Spanish international in January when he had less than six months left on his contract with Athletic Bilbao. “Juve have made a great signing,” the Spanish midfielder told the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Unfortunately for us, he will help Juve to more trophies.” The Italian champions have a new forward line after the summer Bosman capture of Llorente coincided with the signing of Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez. “With Llorente and Tevez, Antonio Conte’s club are, more than ever, favourites to win the Scudetto again.”

Juve targeting Supercoppa, says Chiellini The defender believes upcoming matches will help the Bianconeri prepare for the traditional curtain raiser and reassured fans that the club's newest signings are adapting well. Jul 28, 2013 Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini is targeting Supercoppa glory as the Serie A champions look to kick-off the new season with silverware. The 28-year-old, who returned from international duty following Italy's Confederations Cup campaign, will take part in the Guiness International Champions Cup in America, along with his team-mates, before facing Lazio in the curtain-raiser ahead of the new campaign. And he is hoping that their preparation in their upcoming fixtures will leave the Bianconeri in rude health ahead of the Supercoppa clash with Lazio. "The facilities are incredible, especially considering that it’s a university. In addition the climate is ideal in which to work hard and we’ll do just that. After our holidays, we were eager to reunite as a group and get going again," the defender told Juventus.com. “Our first target is the Super Cup and the upcoming games will be useful to regain our condition and perfect the movements we haven’t run through for a month or so. Games against sides from other countries help increase your awareness, even though your physical condition still isn’t at its peak.” Chiellini went on to reassure fans that the club's newest signings, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna have enjoyed a seamless transition to life at the club and suggested that the trio of signings will aid Juve's cause in retaining their Scudetto title. “Ogbonna’s a new arrival at Juventus, but we already knew each other from both playing in the international side and living in Turin, so he certainly won’t have any problems in settling in. The same goes for Llorente and Tevez, who already speak the language. They both have enthusiasm and desire, which are fundamental ingredients for the new season.” The Italians commence their Guiness International Champions Cup campaign on Wednesday against Everton.

Chiellini on Tevez and Llorente Jul 28, 2013 Giorgio Chiellini is confident Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente “can give a great deal to Juventus this season.” The Bianconeri are staying at the Stanford University campus during their tour of the US, which includes participation in the Guinness International Champions Cup. “It’s a splendid structure and it almost makes you want to go back to university,” Chiellini told Tuttosport. “This is going to be a tough week for us, as Antonio Conte has planned double training sessions and that is only right at this delicate stage of pre-season. It may be a struggle, but I can say that after a vacation I really wanted to get back to training and running. “It is fundamental we find our form straight away and practice those movements that perhaps some of us slightly forgot over the summer.” Juve won the last two Scudetti and have strengthened further with the arrival of Angelo Ogbonna from Torino, Tevez from Manchester City and Athletic Bilbao’s Llorente. “Ogbonna will have no problems settling in and he already knows many of us from the Italy get-togethers,” continued Chiellini. “Tevez and Llorente have also made a positive impact, showed they are ready to work and I am sure they’ll give a great deal to Juventus this season. They have already learned Italian and brought a lot of enthusiasm.” Juve face Everton in San Francisco on July 30, while they challenge Lazio for the Italian Super Cup on August 18. “Our first objective for the season has to be the Super Cup, so our next few games are to help us find form.”

Does Carlos Tevez complete the Juventus puzzle? Jul 27, 2013 In acquiring Carlos Tevez, Juventus have solved the striker issue they had been struggling with for the past two seasons. In a way, Fernando Llorente also did that, but Tevez brings an extra plus that meshes the whole Bianconeri strike force together. This summer Juventus have acquired both Llorente and Tevez. The Argentine is a very important element of how Juventus will lineup next season. In fact, he allows Juventus a lot of flexibility in terms of how they could play. What Tevez brings is his combination of mobility and goal-scoring. Antonio Conte likes his team to be fluid, where every player participates in all phases of the game. Conte also likes to use the entire pitch, neither focusing on playing a strictly narrow or wide game. What Conte has also shown over the last couple seasons, is that he often changes his attacking lineup. Now whether that was out of uncertainty or tactical design, it’s irrelevant for the purpose of our conversation. The most important asset Tevez brings is as a reference point. Not just in terms of being a reference on the pitch, but more so in Conte’s tactical setup. Given how malleable Tevez is, he will be a fixture in Conte’s lineup regardless of which formation the Italian decides to employ. Tevez is able to lead the line, hold the ball, run behind defences, play with his back to goal, work the channels or drop deeper to link up the play. In other words, Tevez can play and dovetail well with Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella, Alessandro Matri or Llorente. Let us look back at the last few months of Serie A when Conte played with a single striker in order to fit in all of his best midfielders on the field at once (with Paul Pogba playing in a higher central position). Conte chose Vucinic to fill that striker role then. But fundamentally, Vucinic is more of a seconda punto. At the same time, consistency would be an issue for Vucinic and Conte would probably not see this experimental formation as a long-term option. Carlos Tevez - JuventusThis is where Tevez’s value shines through. Conte could attempt his 3-6-1 with Tevez as the lone striker. But Tevez’s true value is also found in his work rate. We mentioned how fluidity was important to Conte. Tevez is a tireless worker who harasses defenders and contributes a lot to the defensive effort. This means he fits perfectly in Conte’s system where constant pressing is key to his strategy. Dynamism and mobility, those are the two aspects of Tevez’s game that will make him a key player for Juventus. Gonzalo Higuain would have also been a fine choice of course, but being essentially a poacher might have made him look a bit awkward in Conte’s system. Physicality is also an important aspect of Tevez’s game that Conte looked to bring to his side. In a way, this factor also explains the arrival of Llorente. Where Juventus really fell short, when Bayern Munich brushed them aside, in last year’s Champions League quarterfinals was in the physicality department. Conte certainly noticed that. And indeed, the 3-6-1 experimentations to try to crowbar Pogba into the midfield were just for that purpose. Today, Conte possesses both Llorente and Tevez to add that to his team. But Tevez also happens to be a neat package of just that and everything else a top striker possesses, making him an ideal signing for Conte’s Juventus.

Crespo backs 'champion' Tevez to shine for Juventus The former Argentina striker claims the 29-year-old is almost as reverred in his homeland as Lionel Messi due to his talent and fighting qualities. Jul 27, 2013 Former Inter striker Hernan Crespo has backed Carlos Tevez to bring huge success to Juventus this season. The 29-year-old joined the Bianconeri from Manchester City last month and Crespo - who scored more than 150 career goals in Serie A - believes his compatriot could help Antonio Conte's side to both domestic and European success this term. "Carlos is a real champion, a top player outside of the area," he told Tuttosport. "It will be interesting to see how Conte manages him. They are two real winners." "When I saw Carlos four months ago, he had become much more mature and calm than before. Tevez has joined a strong team. Juventus are sitting in pole position for the Scudetto and can also go far in the Champions League with a bit of luck. "Tevez is not the type of player to win games all on his own, though. Only Lionel Messi can do that. But he is a player who will not let you down. He is a guarantee for goals. He has what it takes to open up difficult games." Crespo went on to reveal the high esteem in which Tevez is held in his homeland, claiming that his combination of ability and fighting spirit makes him almost as popular as Messi. "People in Argentina nearly love Tevez even more than Leo," Crespo said. "He is a real fans' favourite with his style of play. He has learned his ways on the streets. He combines an impressive athleticism with a desire to fight."

Crespo: 'Higuain and Tevez right for Italy' Jul 27, 2013 Hernan Crespo is “not surprised” Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain turned down other options to join Juventus and Napoli. The former Parma, Lazio, Inter, Milan, Chelsea and Genoa striker commented on the big summer transfers. “Who got the best deal? Italian football,” Crespo told Tuttosport. “It is a sign that things are getting back to the glory days, when Serie A was at the top of European football. The real problem holding them back is that the same stadiums we dreamed of playing in 20 years ago have remained more or less the same, without adapting. “The only positive exception is Juventus, who have their own modern stadium.” Juve paid just €9m plus bonuses to sign Tevez from Manchester City, while Napoli needed €37m to prise Higuain from Real Madrid. “Tevez is a top player, a champion who makes the difference outside the system. The real question is will Antonio Conte allow him to stay outside the system? “It is going to be a fascinating challenge for both of them. Conte must explain how to move in order to be effective in Serie A, while also realising Carlitos has that creative streak that allows him to develop other things. “Tevez has become a more complete and organised player since coming to Europe. I saw him four months ago and he also seemed more mature. “Italian football has a very special place in the heart of Argentineans, as we feel at home here. I am not surprised, for example, that Higuain preferred Napoli to Arsenal. “Whereas Edinson Cavani arrived at a Napoli side that was already set up, Higuain will settle into a team that is in flux with a Coach who only worked for six months in Italy. “Pipita is a hitman, but can also help players like Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Maria Callejon score more goals too. “Actually, Juventus have an advantage over almost all the big clubs in the Champions League, as they have not changed their Coach. They must try to make the most of that.”

Marotta on Isla and Zuniga Jul 27, 2013 Juventus dg Beppe Marotta slammed the door on Mauricio Isla to Inter and Juan Camilo Zuniga to Turin. The transfer guru spoke in a telephone interview with SportItalia and briefly outlined his position on the latest rumours. “Isla to Inter? For now he is staying here,” replied Marotta. “Zuniga from Napoli? I don’t think he is going to arrive.” On Friday Napoli Coach Rafa Benitez reiterated that Zuniga is a valuable member of the team, so will not be allowed to join the Bianconeri. His contract expires in June 2014, so the club does not want to lose him as a free agent.

Tevez, Llorente fire friendly blank for Juventus The latest additions to the Bianconeri played in a pre-season tournament featuring Milan and Sassuolo but the strikers were unable to get on the scoresheet. Jul 24, 2013 Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna played together for the first time as Juventus suffered mixed fortunes in the Trofeo TIM. The trio, signed by Juve in the close-season, were all named in the starting line-ups for the two fixtures in the pre-season tournament as Antonio Conte's side were beaten by Milan and then triumphed over Sassuolo. Tevez had already opened his account for the club in a 7-0 win over Val d’Aosta on Saturday, but neither Ogbonna nor Llorente were able to do the same on Tuesday. Conte's side drew 0-0 with both Milan and Sassuolo in normal time, before losing to the former and beating the latter on penalties. Sassuolo replaced usual Trofeo TIM competitors Inter this year and it was Rubinho who was the hero in the match against the Serie A newcomers. The 30-year-old Brazilian saved three penalties to ensure that Juventus ended the tournament with a 50 per cent record. The Serie A champions have only won the competition once, with this success coming in Bari in 2009.