Socrates

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Vucinic wary of Inter threat Mar 28, 2013 Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic believes that Inter will pose a tough proposition when the two teams meet on Saturday. The Bianconeri travel to San Siro this weekend looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points. But the Montenegrin striker has claimed that the Derby d'Italia is always a tricky match. “We play against Inter, and the name says it all,” he told Sport Mediaset. “They are a strong team and I do not believe anyone who says they are in trouble. “I watched their Europa league second-leg win against Tottenham and they threatened a lot. “We need to focus – approaching the game as if it were the game of our lives.” The 29-year-old then commented on Coach Antonio Conte and potential arrivals over the summer. “Conte? The results speak for themselves. He came to Juve and won the League in his first year. “We can only hope that that continues. “If a top player arrived here I would be quite happy,” Vucinic added. “That would give us a big hand. “But let's not forget – everyone at Juventus is a top player.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

‘Buffon still superior to Handanovic’ Mar 28, 2013 Juventus’ Gigi Buffon remains a better goalkeeper than Inter rival Samir Handanovic, says Stefano Tacconi. Handanovic has had a splendid campaign with the Nerazzurri following his summer move from Udinese, but the former Juve and Italy custodian insists he’s not the true No 1. “Buffon is still better,” Tacconi told TMW. “I’m certain of that fact, even if Handanovic is doing really well. “The difference between the two is down to the experience with which they play the game. There is no comparison in that area. “Technically speaking they are different types of goalkeepers.” The two men will come face-to-face on Saturday afternoon when Inter entertain the Old Lady in Serie A. “I hope it goes well for Juventus,” Tacconi continued. “But Inter are looking to save a peculiar season. We’ll see which side has the character to take home the points.”

Muller not in awe of Juventus Mar 28, 2013 Bayern Munich will have no trepidation of Juventus when the two sides meet in the Champions League next week, says Thomas Muller. While the German international has respect for the Italian giants, he’s confident that his team can reach the semi-finals of the competition. “There is no fear of Juventus,” the attacker told Tages Zeitung. “The Italians will be a tricky opponent, but we are not in awe of them. “Andrea Pirlo, Gigi Buffon, Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic are excellent, but we too have players with great quality. “We should also not forget that we have done very well in recent games against them.” Bayern Munich were actually the last team to beat Juventus in the Champions League, thanks to a 4-1 win in Turin during December 2009. The two European giants have only met on six occasions in the past and all have come in the continent’s most prestigious competition. Juve have the upper hand with three wins, two losses and one draw. They have scored six and conceded seven.

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Kovacic: It’s just a game… Mar 28, 2013 Mateo Kovacic is treating Inter’s game against arch-rivals Juventus on Saturday like any other match. “They’re all worth three points.” The two will face each other at San Siro in the Derby d’Italia, but the January signing isn’t feeling any extra pressure. “It’s my first Derby d’Italia, but all games are the same for me as they are all worth three points,” he told the Corriere dello Sport. “Juventus are a great team, but a football match is always a football match. And I want to win,” the midfielder added. “Juve have a good squad, a good Coach, they are the strongest in Italy who have done well in the League and in the Champions League. “We, however, can beat them.” The 18-year-old has played in seven games for his new club following his switch from Dinamo Zagreb, but he’s still waiting for his first goal. “It would be beautiful to score against Gigi Buffon, but the most important thing is that we win,” he added. “It doesn’t matter who scores.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Marchisio: Inter first then Bayern Mar 28, 2013 Claudio Marchisio has put next week’s game against Bayern Munich to the back of his mind. “Inter come first,” says the Juventus player. The Old Lady will face the German giants in the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, but they have a Derby d’Italia date on Saturday first. “We’re trying to not think about the Champions League too much,” the midfielder told Tuttosport. “We have Inter in the championship and that is a game that we really want to do well in. “Our first task is to maintain the gap in the standings over Napoli and Milan. And, of course, there was also that stinging defeat against Inter. “I admit that, after that 3-1 loss, there is a great desire for revenge…” Inter ended Juventus’ unbeaten League run at 49 games earlier this term and also became the first away side to win at the new Juventus Stadium. Turning his attention to Bayern Munich, the Italian international admitted that his side would not start the last eight tie as favourites. “They are certainly superior to us in terms of experience and quality because they have great champions,” he added. “However, we will go there without any fear. We’ll go there and play as we did at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, the European champions, and as we did at Shakhtar and Celtic. “We can go and play anywhere and win. We are united, the compactness of our squad is one of our strengths.”

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Ranocchia: 'We're with Strama' Mar 28, 2013 Andrea Ranocchia assures the Inter squad is “behind Andrea Stramaccioni” ahead of the Derby d’Italia against Juventus. There have been question marks over the Coach due to recent poor results, including the Europa League elimination at the hands of Tottenham. “These rumours do not and must not affect his work, as we are all behind him,” Ranocchia told Sportmediaset. “There are 10 games that we absolutely have to win. We’ll fight to the end for a place in the Champions League, though it’ll be tough because there are so many teams in this race.” The Italian international defender admits he is only now finding his feet at San Siro. “My personal target for this season is to continue improving. I have changed so much from last season and I needed that disastrous year, as it helped me to grow.” Inter ended Juve’s unbeaten Serie A record in Turin earlier this term, but now welcome the Serie A leaders to San Siro on Saturday afternoon. “We hope to repeat the trick and win again. We can beat Juventus by working as a team, that’s the real method. We should take an example from our performance in the second leg against Tottenham, when we moved as one.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Marchisio: Juventus gunning for Inter revenge The midfielder is desperate to make amends for the Bianconeri's home defeat earlier this season when both sides lock horns again at the weekend. Mar 28, 2013 Claudio Marchisio says Juventus will be gunning for revenge when they take on Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday evening. The Serie A leaders were beaten 3-1 in Turin earlier this season, and the Italy international has revealed the Old Lady are desperate to make amends. "We are trying not to think too much about the Champions League. We have the league match against Inter coming up first, and we are all looking forward to that game," Marchisio told Tuttosport. "Not just because we lost the home match versus them, but mainly because we want to maintain our lead over Napoli and AC Milan. "However, there's of course that home loss against Inter, too. We were unbeaten at our new stadium until then. "I cannot deny that we are gunning for revenge after the 3-1 loss in Turin." Juventus currently sit atop of the Serie A table, holding a nine-point lead over second-placed Napoli. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Inter can beat anyone, says Kuzmanovic The Serbia international is eagerly anticipating the Derby d'Italia and is confident his side can grab a good result. Mar 28, 2013 Zdravko Kuzmanovic says Inter can beat anyone ahead of Saturday's Serie A match against reigning champions Juventus. The Nerazzurri recorded a 3-1 win in the Derby d'Italia earlier this season, and the Serbia international is confident they can record another victory at San Siro on Saturday. "We have to put in 100 per cent against Juventus. We're Inter and we can beat anyone," Kuzmanovic told Sky Sport Italia. "We proved that in Turin and we can do it again. What's the difference between them and us? They're top and we aren't. We're still off the pace in the table, they're doing better this year. "But our target remains the same: to get into the Champions League." Inter currently sit joint fifth in the Serie A table, trailing leaders Juventus by 18 points. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Totti goes down in history as Italy great - Buffon The Azzurri captain has written to his compatriot to congratulate the Giallorossi star on completing two decades of Italian top-flight football. Mar 27, 2013 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has penned a personal note to friend and former Italy colleague Francesco Totti to recognise the 20th anniversary of his first Serie A appearance. The creative attacker, known for his flair as well as a prolific goals tally, has spent his whole career at Roma, his hometown club. Buffon's career has dovetailed with that of Totti's and the former Parma goalkeeper showed his respect for the marksman. "Dear Francesco, you have made history in Italian football," began the letter published by ANSA. “Twenty years in Serie A, what an achievement … I still have the image of your first goal in my mind, it was a Roma-Foggia tie. “We’re friends, you know how much I care about you. We started together with the Under-15 side, we had some splendid years together in the national team and we continue to meet as opponents in Serie A. “You often score against me (10 times to be precise, that’s how many goals you have netted) like a champion who has forgotten our friendship … “Then, at the final whistle, there are smiles between us again, like when I saved a penalty that I feared you would chip – it saddened me that was you. "You not only wrote football history, you are writing its present and its near future." The pair won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 and Totti retired from international football a year later. The 36-year-old is Roma's record goalscorer and the second most lethal in Italian football history. "The two of us are lucky," added 35-year-old Buffon. "Once you get past 30, every season is worth seven." Totti made his Serie A debut back in 1993 as a substitute against Brescia.

Chiellini: Bayern & Inter clashes will need concentration The Bianconeri defender believes the two crunch matches will be especially tough as they come so close together. Mar 27, 2013 Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini has urged for his team-mates to concentrate ahead of "two major challenges" against Inter and Bayern Munich. The Bianconeri face their fellow Serie A giants on Saturday at the Giuseppe Meazza before playing the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final three days later against the Bavarians. And Chiellini believes focus is paramount as they enter a defining stage of their season on both fronts. "Two major challenges await us and they are close together, and our concentration will need to be at its maximum!" he wrote on Twitter. Juve currently sit nine points clear at the top of Serie A as they chase a second successive title, and reached the last eight in Europe with a 5-0 aggregate win over Celtic.

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Schelotto: Inter ready for Juventus clash The 23-year-old is confident that his side will be up for the challenge when the Nerazzurri host the reigning champions on Saturday. Mar 27, 2013 Inter winger Ezequiel Schelotto is eagerly anticipating this weekend's Serie A encounter against Juventus and has insisted that he and his team-mates will be more than ready for the match. The Giuseppe Meazza side recorded a 3-1 away win in the first Derby d'Italia of the season back in November, and Schelotto is keen to bag the full three points and do the double over the league leaders. "We've had the international break and that's given us time to prepare properly for the match and we've been working very hard. We're fired up and ready for it," Schelotto told reporters. "Juve have just won an important game, whereas we didn't play, so we were able to rest a bit more. It's going to be a tough game." Schelotto netted a crucial goal against rivals AC Milan earlier this season, and he admits he is keen to add to his personal tally versus Juve. "Would I like to follow up my goal against Milan by hitting the net against Juve? It's always great to score but Inter comes first. I'm happy with my goal against Milan but if we beat Juve and I don't score I'll be just as happy." The 23-year-old has scored once in six Serie A appearances for Inter so far. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Juve-Bayern Munich sold out Mar 27, 2013 The Juventus-Bayern Munich Champions League quarter-final on April 10 has already sold out before going on general sale. The Juventus Stadium will be packed out for the second leg of this prestigious European clash next month. Today the club announced that the tickets had already gone before non-registered members were able to get in line. Tickets were first put on sale for current season ticket holders, then this morning the Premium Members had the opportunity to snap up a seat in Turin. Juventus announce that if there are any extra tickets that become available, they will be sold to Premium Members on April 5.

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli When Conte scored at sunny San Siro… Mar 27, 2013 Juventus boss Antonio Conte has happy memories of the last time his side faced Inter at San Siro in an afternoon game. The two teams will play each other on Saturday at 15.00 hours local time, 17 years after their non-evening clash at the Meazza. The Old Lady won that game 2-1 thanks to an Attilio Lombardo goal, before Conte, a midfielder for the club back then, made it 2-0 with a fine strike. Maurizio Ganz got a consolation goal for the home team in a Derby d’Italia game that was played on 20 April 1996. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Schelotto fired up for Juve Mar 27, 2013 Ezequiel Schelotto says his Inter side are ready to cause Juventus problems in Serie A on Saturday. “We’ve had the international break to prepare for the match and we’ve done that in a calm manner,” the January signing from Atalanta noted. “Juventus are coming off the back of an important win at Bologna, while we were able to rest as our match with Sampdoria was postponed. “It will be a hard game against Juventus, but we are fired up and ready for it.” The 23-year-old has scored one goal in six matches for his new club and that strike came in the derby against Milan. “It is always nice to score, but the most important thing is Inter,” he added. “I was happy with the goal against Milan, but if we beat Juventus without me finding the net then that will be just fine…” Inter beat Juventus in Turin earlier this season, bringing an end to the Old Lady’s 49-game unbeaten League run. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Buffon’s message to friend Totti Mar 27, 2013 Juventus captain Gigi Buffon has sent a message to Francesco Totti on the 20th anniversary of the Roma icon’s Serie A debut. “Dear Francesco, you have made ​ Italian football history,” the custodian said in a statement to news agency ANSA. “Twenty years in Serie A, what an achievement… I still have the image of your first goal in my mind, it was a Roma-Foggia tie. “We’re friends, you know how much I care about you. We started together with the Under-15 side, we had some splendid years together in the national team and we continue to meet as opponents in Serie A. “You often score against me (10 times to be precise, that’s how many goals you have netted) like a champion who has forgotten our friendship… “Then, at the final whistle, there are smiles between us again, like when I saved a penalty that I feared you would chip – it saddened me that was you. “We are from a fortunate generation. It’s true that every season after the age of 30 is worth seven, but you seem to go back in time instead of ageing. “You’ve written the history of Italian football, with the present and the future – you are a player who can not be doubted. “And, for me, you’ll always be an Azzurro. An embrace from your friend, Gigi.” Totti, now 36, made his Italian top-flight debut on 28 March 1993 at Brescia. Boss Vujadin Boskov threw him on as a substitute for Ruggiero Rizzitelli. Totti, Serie A’s second highest goalscorer of all-time, and Buffon won the World Cup together for Italy at Germany 2006.

Deschamps backs sent-off Pogba Mar 27, 2013 France boss Didier Deschamps has no regrets about fielding Juventus’ Paul Pogba in the 1-0 loss to Spain. The 20-year-old won his second cap last night, but his performance was marred by his dismissal late in the game. “Paul showed his potential before the two yellow cards,” the former Juventus midfielder and tactician told RMC Sport. “His first booking was as a result of the fact that he jumped with a high knee and his foot was too far forward in the second incident. “Paul was winning his second cap against players like Xavi, Busquets and Xabi Alonso who have much more experience. “I know what Pogba is capable of doing and my mind has not been changed. It is thanks to games like the one against Spain that youngsters will grow.”

Juventus keen to take up €9 million Asamoah option The Serie A leaders plan to take permanent ownership of the Ghana midfielder, and want another campaign of co-ownership with Mauricio Isla. Mar 27, 2013 EXCLUSIVE By Romeo Agresti Juventus are keen to seal a deal to take full ownership of midfielder Kwawdo Asamoah at the end of the season, Goal.com understands. The Ghana international is currently co-owned by both Udinese and the Serie A leaders, but Bianconeri coach Antonio Conte is planning on taking up the option to sign the player on a permanent basis for an additional €9 million fee. The Italian champions also want to extend their co-ownership deal with Zebrette for versatile Chile international Mauricio Isla, as they remain reticent to pay another €9m to secure the 24-year-old's signature permanently. It is understood that the Udinese owners, the Pozzo family, would be happy to acquiesce to Juventus’ offer for Asamoah, with the family enjoying a good working relationship with the board at Juve. Udinese are also thought to be keen to generate funds this summer as they look to rebuild the squad ahead of the 2013/14 season. Isla and Asamoah both initially moved to Juventus Stadium in the summer of 2012.

Buffon unhappy with Italy performance The Azzurri did enough to bag the full three points against Malta, but their captain was not impressed with their display. Mar 27, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon has expressed his disappointment with Italy's performance in Tuesday's 2-0 World Cup qualification win over Malta. Two goals from Mario Balotelli helped the Euro 2012 finalists to the full three points as Buffon kept out a Michael Mifsud penalty, but the Juventus goalkeeper feels the Italians allowed their opponents too much space throughout the match. "There were some difficult playing conditions, as it was very windy and the pitch was extremely wet. Plus if there isn't 100 per cent focus and concentration, then you are going to run into trouble," Buffon was quoted as saying on the Fifa website. "I wasn't the only one who got angry, as we all did. These situations happen when there are games that aren't high profile. It is a characteristic we have had for years, as we always seem to leave it open for ourselves, our fans and our opponents. "The penalty was an incident, but added to the other five or six chances it showed it was not a walk in the park. Those no longer exist in football, especially away from home." Italy top Group B with 13 points from five games, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Bulgaria.

Pogba: Red card was harsh The 20-year-old feels his dismissal in Tuesday's crucial World Cup qualifier was an unfair punishment. Mar 27, 2013 France midfielder Paul Pogba has voiced his frustration with referee Viktor Kassai's decision to dismiss him in Tuesday's 1-0 World Cup 2014 qualification loss against Spain. The Juventus starlet was booked after 77 minutes of play for a high challenge on Xabi Alonso, only to receive his second yellow card hardly 60 seconds later for a late tackle on Xavi, and Pogba feels Kassai's decision to send him off was harsh. "I hardly touched him. Yes, there was contact with his foot, but he started screaming and only then did the referee pull out the second yellow card," Pogba was quoted as saying by Ouest France. "That's football, though. There's nothing I can do to change what happened. "I feel bad about it because it weakened the team when we tried to get back in the game." France have dropped to second spot in Group I following Tuesday's loss, trailing la Roja by a single point with three games left to play.

Prandelli applauds captain's performance from Buffon The Azzurri coach was full of praise for the Juventus shot-stopper who marked his landmark 126th cap with a penalty save. Mar 26, 2013 Cesare Prandelli singled out Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon for praise after the Azzurri's 2-0 2014 World Cup qualifying victory away at Malta but conceded that he was not too impressed with the side's performance. A first-half double from Mario Balotelli ensured Italy secured all three points but they were thankful to Buffon, who marked his 126th Azzurri cap in style. The Juventus shot-stopper kept a clean sheet and prevented the hosts from equalising in the 16th minute when he saved expertly from Michael Mifsud's spotkick. Speaking to reporters after the match, Prandelli said: "Buffon marked this landmark like a captain with a great save at the crucial moment." After an impressive fightback against Brazil last Thursday, Prandelli had hoped for another convincing display but witnessed a rather lacklustre performance from his side. "We take away an excellent performance against Brazil and these three points. When there are no spaces and a team is very organised, we must learn to be quicker in our build-up. “We knew there would not be spaces and were perhaps a little too slow in construction, so ran into trouble. We still maintained possession throughout the game. We lacked a bit of intensity in the finishing. “We were too distant between defenders and midfielders, so the passes got misplaced. It may seem absurd, but the wind affected the long passes too. “We did some things well, others not so well. We must learn from this that against clammed-up teams we have to pass the ball short and quick.” Riccardo Montolivo was also keen to pay tribute to the performance of his Milan team-mate Balotelli who has now scored 10 goals in nine games for club and country in 2013. "Malta were clammed up and it was tough to find spaces. Luckily we had that superstar in attack and he sorted it out for us. “I think Mario has become fully aware of his abilities and has learned not to fall into the trap of provocation. He has had a remarkable impact on Milan too and I hope he won’t stop. “Balotelli is a centre-forward and is therefore the leading point of the attack. We can even give him the ball badly, as he is so physically strong that he can hold off defenders and find space. Right now, he is a complete player." Montolivo concluded by praising Serie A clubs Milan and Juventus, who between them, made up the complete starting 11 for the Azzurri - the first time the national side has comprised of players from solely two clubs since 1947. “It means these two teams focus on home-grown talent, so that is a good sign for Serie A and the Nazionale." Bulgaria's 1-1 draw with Denmark ensured that Italy moved three points clear at the top of group B. Cesare Prandelli's side return to qualifying action away against Czech Republic on June 7.

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) - "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Juve tie vital, says Stramaccioni Mar 26, 2013 Andrea Stramaccioni is hoping to celebrate his year in charge of Inter by beating Juventus on Saturday. “This game is absolutely vital to us, both in terms of the importance for the standings as well as for how much it means to us,” he told Inter Channel. “We’ll tackle it giving even more than our all, giving 101 per cent. We’re going to work hard this week and be ready for kick-off in a full San Siro.” The young tactician was handed the Nerazzurri hotseat a year ago today after a loss at Juventus saw Claudio Ranieri axed. “It changed my life,” he added. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it because it’s a dream for me to be experiencing this job on this stage in the first person.” On receiving the phone call from President Massimo Moratti informing him that he was to take over, Stramaccioni said: “Time comes to a standstill in a moment like that… You feel emotion, pride and even a bit of fear over whether you’ll be up to it or not.” The former Roma youth team sector tactician also remembers two victories in particular on the Inter hotseat. “The win in the first derby will always remain in my memory. Seeing a packed San Siro coloured blue and black, and such a strong Milan side, even if they didn’t win the League. It was an incredible rush. “And then the win in Turin against a Juventus side that hadn’t lost for 50 games. “Inter stunned the Juventus Stadium and we got to see our fans celebrating in their section as the rest of the stadium emptied out.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

'Transfers depend on results' Mar 25, 2013 Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta has revealed that the club will only discuss summer transfer targets once the season is over. The Bianconeri have been linked with a number of players for next term, including Stevan Jovetic and Alexis Sanchez. But the board member has insisted that the team is concentrating entirely on the current campaign. “We are focusing on the end of this season,” he told Rai Sport. “The team we have now is giving us a lot of satisfaction. “We are fighting to win the championship and soon we'll be playing in the [quarter-finals] of the Champions League. “We'll talk about the transfer market later. What we do also depends on the final results that this team achieves.”

Milan rejected €4m Chiellini Mar 25, 2013 Milan turned down the chance to sign Juventus and Italy stopper Giorgio Chiellini while he was at Livorno. “I dined with Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri, Vice-President Adriano Galliani and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis on Saturday,” Livorno chief Aldo Spinelli told Radio RAI. “Talking to Galliani, we remembered when he didn’t want to spend €4m for my Chiellini who was with us at the time. “We had a little laugh…” The centre-back, who started his career as a left-back, was netted by Juventus in the summer of 2004 from Livorno. He spent the 2004-05 campaign on loan at Fiorentina before moving to Turin the season after. Chiellini, a Scudetto winner with the Old Lady, has won 57 caps for his country.

Buffon cools talk of Champions League glory The 35-year-old goalkeeper is hesitant to discuss how far Juventus can progress in this year's tournament with the challenge of Bayern Munich looming. Mar 24, 2013 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has played down talk of Juventus going all the way in this year's Champions League. The Bianconeri have enjoyed a successful return to Europe's elite competition so far, having emerged as group winners before coasting into the quarter-final with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Celtic. However, two meetings with German giants Bayern Munich in the next round mean Antonio Conte's side will face a rigorous test of their Champions League credentials and, speaking to Canal +, Buffon erred on the side of caution in discussing Juventus' aspirations. "It would be a bit too optimistic, presumptuous, to say that Juventus can win the Champions League," he said. The 35-year-old has spent 12 years with the club, but says he will continue playing amid rumours of retirement as a decision to prematurely hang up his gloves would betray the "gifts" he was given. "I will keep on playing as far as I am stimulated to continue. Nature gave me something important, and I must respect these gifts," he added. "It would not make sense to finish my career as a normal goalkeeper, I've never been and I will never be one." The veteran also offered his sentiments on the emergence of potential future Juve stars, including Paul Pogba, and tipped the Frenchman to enjoy a successful career. "Pogba is a great player, we have noticed this early at the first trainings. He has the right state of mind to become a famous player, he has great qualities."

Buffon: 'Racism is a disease' Mar 24, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon agrees with Kevin-Prince Boateng that “racism in football is like malaria and must be wiped out, but it’s different from general mickey-taking.” This week Milan midfielder Boateng gave a speech to the UN on the problem of racist abuse in the sport. “Boateng is right, racism in football is like malaria and must be wiped out,” Buffon told Rai Sport. “It is a delicate issue. It’s right to stigmatise certain incidents and there are some truly very seriously offensive insults. It’s different from general mickey-taking.” Buffon was asked about his private life and what he’s like at home with his slippers on. “It’s not something you see often! I have too many professional commitments for that. I am a perfectly normal person, though. I stay home with my family, change nappies and read fairy tales to my kids. “My wife is a great cook, so she focuses on that area. When I lived alone in Parma I’d do my own cooking and my speciality was pasta with tuna. “Am I jealous? No. I like respect and trust, as if there is love then these ingredients are crucial. I have many hobbies and passions, as I’d really like to learn English.” Buffon was also impressed by Pope Francis I, the new pontiff. “He has a wonderful face and a wonderful soul too. He has the face I dreamed a Pope should have.”