Socrates

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Maran: 'Beating Juve not impossible' Oct 27, 2012 Catania Coach Rolando Maran is not afraid of welcoming Juventus tomorrow. “Nothing is impossible and we want to give our fans a dream.” The Bianconeri extended their unbeaten run to 47 Serie A matches and take to the field at the Stadio Massimino at 11.30am UK time on Sunday. “We know the type of test that awaits us, so must be perfect and give even more than usual. I can see the lads really believe in themselves and we are ready to sacrifice ourselves to get the result. “Tomorrow’s game can only be seen as a motivating force. It would be a dream to beat Juventus and we are ready to do everything possible to give our fans that dream. “If we are to beat the Bianconeri, then we must surprise them,” continued Maran in his Press conference. “Juventus are a side without weak spots, as they are still unbeaten in the Champions League too. “Naturally we will try to limit Andrea Pirlo’s influence on the game, as all their attacking moves start from him. “The hard work of the strikers in tracking back will be very important, as we need everyone to work their socks off to bring home the result. Our strength is in unity and we are aware that by playing as a team unit we can beat anyone. We’re fired up and we’ll prove it to you!” Catania squad for Juventus: 21 Andujar, 1 Frison, 34 Messina; 22 Alvarez, 33 Capuano, 6 Legrottaglie, 12 Marchese, 2 Potenza, 3 Spolli, 5 Rolín; 4 Almiron, 28 Barrientos, 27 Biagianti, 19 Castro, 13 Izco, 10 Lodi, 24 Ricchiuti, 30 Salifu; 9 Bergessio, 35 Doukara, 17 Gomez, 15 Morimoto http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Alessio: 'Juve cranked up in Catania' Oct 27, 2012 Juventus stand-in Coach Angelo Alessio insists they cannot repeat the same mistakes against Catania. “We’ve got to crank up the tempo from the first minute.” The assistant manager continues to sit on the bench now that his ban has expired and Antonio Conte remains in the stands for tomorrow’s tricky trip to Catania. That game kicks off at 11.30am UK time and you can read a match preview here. “Catania have been an excellent team for years, so changing Coach to Rolando Maran doesn’t alter the fact they have been playing together for a long time,” said Alessio in his Press conference. “Last season they caused us problems in both games, while this term they drew against Napoli despite playing with 10 men. That says it all about the quality of this side. “We must face Catania with extreme concentration and attention, as they have great players who can be deadly on the counter-attack.” Juventus were held to a third consecutive Champions League draw by Nordsjaelland this week, which raised many questions on how the Bianconeri are handling two competitions this season. “We usually keep a high tempo in the second half, but tomorrow we’ve got to take control and crank up the tempo from the first minute,” added Alessio. “We are not thinking about the 47-match unbeaten run in Serie A. We instead focus on getting on to the pitch and winning every time. Clearly every opponent will try to break that run by beating us, but we play every game with the utmost determination. “We didn’t get the win against Nordsjaelland, but we played a good game and the statistics show that with 18 corners, 30 shots on goal and many saves from their goalkeeper. We wanted to win, but lacked that little bit of luck that is necessary. “It's not true that we are dependent on Mirko Vucinic, as we have five very strong strikers. Juventus always manage to play their game with intensity, organisation and putting pressure on the other team, so we have no reason to change tactical system.” Simone Pepe is back in the squad, although still nowhere near 100 per cent fit after his lengthy injury lay-off. The assistant manager also explained how Juventus will adjust to the unusual lunchtime kick-off in Sicily. “Over the last few days the team has changed its schedule preparing for tomorrow’s game, eating earlier and training at the kick-off time. We are ready.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Juve-Fiorentina row escalates Oct 27, 2012 The bitter row between Fiorentina and Juventus escalated again after Daniele Pradè challenged Beppe Marotta to “say that to my face in a locked room.” These two clubs have always been rivals, but the rapport deteriorated to a new low after this summer’s chaos over Dimitar Berbatov. The Viola accused Juve of poaching the player while he was en route to complete a medical, though the Bianconeri insist they only stepped in after Manchester United had alerted them to Berbatov turning down the offer. He eventually signed for Fulham instead. “I have not snubbed or insulted Fiorentina,” argued Juventus director general Marotta this week. “If anything, we did them a favour and helped them to avoid an embarrassing situation.” Viola director of sport Pradè gave a rather aggressive response. “Let him say that to my face in a locked room, just the two of us. I need add nothing more.”

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Preview: Catania vs. Juventus Oct 26, 2012 Juventus will be looking to continue their excellent start to the Serie A season when they travel to the Stadio Angelo Massimino to face Catania on Sunday. The Old Lady currently top the table after dropping just two points from their opening eight games of the season. However, Catania will prove stern opposition due to their impressive home form, which has seen them go undefeated on their own turf so far this campaign. Mirko Vucinic is likely to return to the Juve starting lineup after making a goalscoring appearance as a substitute in their Champions League draw with FC Nordsjaelland. He may be partnered in attack by Sebastian Giovinco, despite Nicklas Bendtner vocalising his frustration at a lack of game time since arriving on loan from Arsenal. Catania captain Marco Biagianti could miss the match through injury, while central defender Nicola Legrottaglie will line up against his former club. Recent form: Catania: LWLWDL Juventus: WWWDWW Possible lineups: Catania: Andujar; Alvarez, Legrottaglie, Spolli, Marchese; Izco, Lodi, Almiron; Barrientos, Bergessio, Gomez Juventus: Buffon; Lucio, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal, De Ceglie; Giovinco, Vucinic Sports Mole says: 0-2 http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Catania v Juventus – Probable line-ups Oct 26, 2012 Catania will entertain Juventus on Sunday, as the Bianconeri look to extend their unbeaten streak in the championship. The Elefanti lost 2-0 to Inter in their last match, and will be looking to rebound and steal a few points from the Bianconeri. Catania (4-3-3): Andujar; Alvarez, Legrottaglie, Spolli, Marchese; Izco, Lodi, Almiron; Barrientos, Bergessio, Gomez. Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Caceres; Vucinic, Quagliarella. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni We can stop Juventus says Catania’s Spolli Oct 26, 2012 Catania defender Nicolas Spolli believes Catania has what it takes to end Juventus’s 47 match unbeaten run in Serie A on Sunday. Speaking to CalcioCatania.it, the Argentine believes the Elephants have a chance so long as they make no mistakes that Juventus could capitalise on and keep Andrea Pirlo under wraps. “We must be alert and gift them nothing, we have faith and we know we have the ability to obtain a great result,” Spolli said. “The support at the Massimino will give us a big hand. “Key tactics? First of all, stop Pirlo, who is the team’s playmaker. For the rest, we showed against Napoli that by closing down space well and counterattacking quickly, our team is one that is able to annoy stronger line-ups too.” Spolli also considers striker Mirko Vucinic to be another threat the Sicilian club will also need to nullify in order to obtain a result. “For me Vucinic is an important player, he has shown to be a great champion. Juve doesn’t have one, but many top players. This does not mean we cannot put them in trouble.” Catania are currently seventh in Serie A, having secured 11 points from eight matches. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

WhoScored.com Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Oct 26, 2012 Team News Catania Bergessio and Morimoto are in competition for a place in the starting XI. Also, Castro may get a chance during the game, possibly in place of Gomez or Barrientos. There will be no changes in midfield and defence from the lineup that played in San Siro last week. Juventus Conte is likely to apply some rotation in the next match against Bologna, so the typical XI should start in Catania. The only exception is Pogba, who is claiming more space and may give Vidal a little rest. Vucinic is completely recovered and will play up front alongside Giovinco or Quagliarella. Match Facts Juventus are undefeated in their last 47 matches in Serie A. Juventus have scored at least 2 goals in 9 of their last 10 matches in Serie A. Juventus are undefeated in their last 6 matches against Catania in all competitions. Prediction Catania are quite happy with their position in the table, so they may have the ambition to be the first to beat Conte's Juventus in the Serie A. That said, Maran will probably try to get one point and keep their distance from the relegation zone. Juventus are still struggling in the Champions League, but last week the Bianconeri took the reins domestically with a 2-0 win over Napoli. Knowing that the title contenders will have quite an easy match against Chievo will ensure Juve push for the three points from the start. The hosts are the third ranked team in the league in terms of points won at home, with 10 from 4 matches. Juve have the same points tally away from home (and an even better one at the Juventus Stadium), so expect this clash to be in the balance to the last breath. Both teams also have top set piece takers so every corner or free kick will be a potential match-winner. Prediction: Catania 0 - 0 Juventus http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Del Neri asks for Padoin Oct 26, 2012 New Genoa boss Gigi Del Neri has reportedly asked for his first January reinforcement – Juventus’ Simone Padoin. http://markting10.nl/ Del Neri replaced Gigi De Canio on the Marassi bench this week following the Rossoblu’s 4-2 home defeat to Roma. And with the winter transfer window just over two months away, Del Neri is already considering strengthening the squad. http://markting10.nl/ Del Neri is understood to like Padoin, a midfielder who he has worked with in the past while they were at Atalanta. Padoin, born in 1984, joined Juventus last January but he has only played in seven Serie A games for the Old Lady.

Agnelli: FIGC ran like a local sports club The Juventus president fears Serie A will become marginalised and has called upon a complete reform to prevent his worse fears from becoming a reality. Oct 26, 2012 Juventus president Andrea Agnelli says the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is run "like a local sports club" and has called for a revolution of the game in the country. Though the Bianconeri are reigning Serie A champions and the Azzurri reached the final of Euro 2012, various scandals have rocked the game in recent years. "What do Juve support? We support a structural reform of professional football and those who don't condemn Italy to being marginalised in Europe and the world," he told club shareholders at a meeting on Friday. "Reform of the league, the number of professional clubs and the youth sector. Reform of the status of professional sports, currently governed by a law from 1981 - trademark protection, stadium regulations. "Comprehensive reform of sporting justice, which cannot deal with investments worth millions of euros as though it were a dispute in a local sports club." The 36-year-old also gave his backing to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and urged clubs to operate economically in a bid to avoid a further regression of Italian football. "We have to ask ourselves what Italian football will be like in a few years' time," he continued. "Many nations have experienced a decline but none have had such a sudden collapse. We are seeing a complete structural collapse and it can't just be explained away as being part of the financial crisis. "In two years we [Juventus] have forged ahead, but winning the title means we must not forget our mandate, which is to win while maintaining a balanced financial position in order to give ourselves prospects for the future."

Marotta: Juventus are not a selling club The general director has reacted to criticism of the Bianconeri's recent transactions, insisting the club have made positive strides forward over the past two years. Oct 26, 2012 Beppe Marotta has defended Juventus' transfer policy and insists the Bianconeri are not a selling club. The Old Lady are the reigning Serie A champions and remain unbeaten in their last 47 league encounters. But, some fans remain unhappy with a number of deals and voiced their concerns at a shareholders' meeting on Friday - with Marotta hitting back. "It's true, errors have been made," said the general director. "Over the last two years we have had to oversee, not a revolution, but a significant rejuvenation. We’ve signed 22 players and you can get a few signings wrong. "But don't forget about [the signings] we got right. Andrea Pirlo on a free, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal – a player we signed for €10m and one for whom we rejected an offer of €30m. "We turned that down because Juventus are not a selling club." Marotta also claimed that Juve made the right decision to sell Ciro Immobile to Genoa in a co-ownership deal, and gave an example of how loan moves can work well. "In order to get the best out of youngsters, you have to give other clubs an incentive to do that,” he continued. “Simple loan moves often don’t work in the same way. Look at Sebastian Giovinco. We sold a half share in him for €4m to Parma and we signed him back for €11m – now he is a €15m player."

Marotta defends Juve transfer policy Oct 26, 2012 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has defended his actions on the transfer market for the Old Lady. Marotta’s moves were placed into doubt by some of the club’s shareholders on Friday morning, but he’s hit back. “It’s true, errors have been made,” he noted. “Jorge Martinez [signed for €12m from Catania], above all, but you only make mistakes when you actually buy. “Over the last two years we have had to oversee, not a revolution, but a significant rejuvenation. We’ve signed 22 players and you can get a few signings wrong. “But don’t forget about the ones we got right, like Andrea Pirlo on a free, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal – a player we signed for €10m and one for whom we rejected an offer of €30m. “We turned that down because Juventus are not a selling club.” Marotta also insisted that Juve made the right decision in agreeing to sell Ciro Immobile to Genoa in a co-ownership. “In order to get the best out of youngsters, you have to give other clubs an incentive to do that,” he continued. “Simple loan moves often don’t work in the same way. “Look at Sebastian Giovinco. We sold a half share in him for €4m to Parma and we signed him back for €11m – now he is a €15m player.” The former Sampdoria official also revealed the truth behind Juventus’ apparent attempt to hijack Fiorentina’s deal for Dimitar Berbatov in the summer. “We contacted the player and he told us that he would never join Fiorentina,” Marotta claimed. “He said he just had to decide between us and Fulham, who were bossed by his former Coach Martin Jol. “Fiorentina keep attacking us, but the truth is that we helped them to not look foolish.”

Serie A - 9^ Giornata - Andata - 28-10-2012 (ore 12:30) - Stadio "Angelo Massimino" - Catania Arbitro: Andrea Gervasoni Confronti ufficiali 31 - 28 (Serie A) - 3 (Coppa Italia) Vittorie Juventus 16 - 14 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) Pareggi 10 - 9 (Serie A) - 1 (Coppa Italia) Vittorie Catania 5 - 5 (Serie A) Goals Juventus 58 - 52 (Serie A) - 6 (Coppa Italia) Goals Catania 31 - 30 (Serie A) - 1 (Coppa Italia) Catania - Juventus - Serie A a Catania Confronti ufficiali 14 Vittorie Juventus 6 (L'ultima il 05.12.2010, 1-3) Pareggi 5 (L'ultimo il 25.09.2011, 1-1) Vittorie Catania 3 (L'ultima il 27.09.1964, 3-1) Goals Juventus 22 Goals Catania 17 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro il Catania a Catania 5 presenze Salvadore Sandro 5 Stacchini Gino 4 Buffon Gianluigi 4 Chiellini Giorgio 4 Del Piero Alessandro 4 Iaquinta Vincenzo 4 Leoncini Gianfranco 4 Sarti Benito 3 Anzolin Roberto 3 Bercellino I Giancarlo 3 goals Stacchini Gino 2 Miranda Armando 2 Quagliarella Fabio 2 Sivori Omar Enrique 1 Bettega Roberto 1 Bronée Helge Christian 1 Charles John William 1 Da Costa Dino 1 Del Piero Alessandro 1 Iaquinta Vincenzo Ultimi confronti diretti 24.09.2008 Serie A Juventus-Catania 1-1 14.01.2009 Coppa Italia Juventus-Catania 3-0 08.02.2009 Serie A Catania-Juventus 1-2 20.12.2009 Serie A Juventus-Catania 1-2 02.05.2010 Serie A Catania-Juventus 1-1 05.12.2010 Serie A Catania-Juventus 1-3 13.01.2011 Coppa Italia Juventus-Catania 2-0 23.04.2011 Serie A Juventus-Catania 2-2 25.09.2011 Serie A Catania-Juventus 1-1 18.02.2012 Serie A Juventus-Catania 3-1 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 5 - Pareggi 4 - Vittorie Catania 1 - Goals Juventus 19 - Goals Catania 10

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Vidal out and Pogba in? Oct 26, 2012 Paul Pogba is being tipped to get a starting shirt on Sunday when Juventus travel to Catania in Serie A. According to Tuttosport, the French youngster will replace Arturo Vidal to begin alongside Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio. Vidal will be rested after he struggled in the Old Lady’s 1-1 draw with Nordsjelland in the Champions League on Tuesday. Andrea Barzagli, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah will be placed back into the starting XI after they were not used in midweek. Mirko Vucinic is expected to start up front, but his partner has yet to be decided with Sebastian Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella, Alessandro Matri and Nicklas Bendtner all in contention for a start. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Vidal out and Pogba in? Oct 26, 2012 Paul Pogba is being tipped to get a starting shirt on Sunday when Juventus travel to Catania in Serie A. According to Tuttosport, the French youngster will replace Arturo Vidal to begin alongside Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio. Vidal will be rested after he struggled in the Old Lady’s 1-1 draw with Nordsjelland in the Champions League on Tuesday. Andrea Barzagli, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah will be placed back into the starting XI after they were not used in midweek. Mirko Vucinic is expected to start up front, but his partner has yet to be decided with Sebastian Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella, Alessandro Matri and Nicklas Bendtner all in contention for a start.

Juve and out for Marchisio Oct 26, 2012 Claudio Marchisio has underlined that he hopes to spend the rest of his playing days with hometown club Juventus. The midfielder is a product of the outfit’s youth system and has spent his entire career to date in black and white – apart from a loan spell at Empoli in 2007-08. “Could I one day go and play my football abroad? You can never say never in life, but my intention is to stay here,” the Italian international noted. “I want to play for Juventus for many more years, perhaps even reaching the records of Gigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, and then end my career with the Bianconeri.” Marchisio is now one of the most experienced players in Turin, but he’s not desperate to become the club captain – at least not for now. “The captaincy here has always been based on age and appearances,” he continued. “Buffon has the armband for now and the vice-captain is Giorgio Chiellini, who has played more games for Juve than me. “I’m not thinking about the armband, my objective is to play for and win trophies like we did last season.”

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni No definitive claim to Serie A superiority by Juventus yet Oct 26, 2012 It all started with the dream of getting Juventus back to the top of the Italian game, and then the European one. While the outcome of the latter hangs in the balance after a spate of three Champions League draws this season, it’s safe to say the former is done and dusted, and with such aplomb at that. As the team travels to Catania with the intention of consolidating their 47-game unbeaten run, they will do so in the confidence that they strengthened their position at the top of Serie A with last week’s top-of-the-table victory over Napoli. Naturally, consensus was that the blockbuster would not yet have served to decide the outcome of the Scudetto this early in the campaign, but that nevertheless did not stop Martin Caceres from decisively planting a gorgeous belter past Morgan De Sanctis from a corner, before teen wonder Paul Pogba wrapped up matters with a Pavel Nedved-esque thunderbolt from outside the area. Accolades gushed in from all angles following the 2-0 win, with club director Giuseppe Marotta eager to heap praise onto the collective strength of the Bianconeri‘s squad. “I always hear people talk about a top player, but here we need to speak about a top team,” the transfer guru gushed after the match. “The team unit is our true strength. This is also evident by the fact that 12 different players have hit the target so far this season. The statistics enable us to make a full analysis and confirm that we have a winning model, where the squad is our strength.” Which is all fair and well to perceive Mr. Marotta, except that closer examination of his boast identifies loopholes that would lead to such a suggestion becoming a flawed evaluational perspective regarding the team’s displays thus far. With the latest inductees to the Juventus scoring charts against the Partenopei, such numbers can either be viewed as an impressive team outlay, or an underwhelming start to the new term across general individual levels. Indeed, such dispersed statistics bear an indication of mediocrity on the personal performances of the players. Reminiscent of Alessandro Matri’s club-topping, albeit woefully unflattering, tally of ten goals when they made off with the league title in May, nothing eye-catching particularly stands out about this current team’s form, especially in terms of the prominent lack of any identifiable player capable of scoring goals in manners commonly associated with representing the Turin giants. Most of what has been seen this season has been built around solid, reliable work ethic, but the dilemma within that aspect is a tedious absence of the spectacular, as has been pertinently visible in recent weeks. The famous creed of lo spirito Bianconeri – an unmatched team etho based on hard graft and an intrinsic desire of self-sacrifice for the side – has last catapulted Antonio Conte’s men to the enviable record of seven wins and one draw, but it is also fatally disguising the poor form and performances of integral members in the set-up at Vinovo. Naturally, the club faithful will not be found complaining so long as they continue winning via their proven recipe of success, but in order to make a clear step up in quality, Juventus will need last week’s individual heroics of Caceres’ and Pogba’s magnitude reproduced with markedly more consistency by their team-mates; the glaring failure of which so far lies as the one exposable weakness the outfit’s title rivals will be looking to exploit as the fixtures progress. Indeed, while Italy’s other heavyweights cannot lay claim to keeping up with Juventus’ collective effort, the aspect they currently trump the Italian champions in lies with being able to call upon the services of an undisputed luminary. Napoli have mercurial striker Edinson Cavani to thank for producing the goods week-in and week-out, while Inter are growing to count on Antonio Cassano’s revelatory eye for goal to keep pace at the top. For that matter, even Stephan El Shaarawy is turning on the style at beleaguered AC Milan, despite the Rossoneri‘s fundamental flaws. Whilst staying marginally ahead of the rest after a year of consolidated success, there have been too few amongst Gianluigi Buffon and co. to prove worthy of the mantle in being the team’s absolute game-changer over the course of 90 minutes, condemning the glorious post ’90s heritage of Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli, Alessandro Del Piero, Zinedine Zidane and Nedved to distant memory. Despite being visibly tired and far from his best, Andrea Pirlo is left with little choice but to find avenues bearing the closest resemblance to a spark of the old magic, and yet signs ominously point to the workhorse nature of the rest of the squad not coming any closer to relieving the 33-year-old veteran of his creative burden anytime soon. The trio of Arturo Vidal, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Mirko Vucinic, so affably reliable last term, have failed to fire up and produce useful, regular runs of form that would so easily be invaluable to the club’s cause. Giovinco has looked nothing like the inspiration he was to Parma that initially justified Juventus forking out €11 million to buy his half-share back, while Kwado Asamoah has not proven the driving force he last exhibited himself to be when leading a depleted Udinese to Champions League qualification on consecutive occasions, marooned unflatteringly in a makeshift role out wide. At the same time, the coaching staff have stubbornly placed slender trust in fellow arrivals Mauricio Isla and Nicklas Bendtner, despite the existing potential for their integration to inject some impetus into what are turning into tired, uninspired displays otherwise. If there is to be a profound distinction from the running pack on the domestic front, Conte will need a superstar - a prominent focal point to spur on the search for success – amongst his men to step up, someone to take responsibility for delivering winning contributions even when the chips are down. Will that come in the shape of an A-lister during the winter mercato? Perhaps, but priority one during the ongoing period should be to address their limitations via the means they have till then, lest they offer that hair’s breadth of hope to their competitors in the title race. Raising the bar to personal performances proved vital in their league triumph the previous season, and to stand the chance of repeating such a feat in this instance, such a wake-up call has to be issued. As maintaining that unbeaten streak takes on increasing burden, the squad need to find it within themselves to take greater ownership of the shifts they put in on match-day, aware that the slightest loss of focus will leave the pretenders to their throne snapping closer at their heels. Juventus may still be reveling in the victory against Napoli last Saturday in spite of their rude midweek shock in the Champions League, but rest assured, the task of securing the Scudetto is far from being over and done with. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Andujar hails Buffon as best ever Oct 25, 2012 Catania’s Mariano Andujar has labelled Juventus’ Gigi Buffon as the greatest goalkeeper of all time. The Argentine will come face to face with the Italian at the weekend when the two teams meet in Serie A. “I’m happy to be taking on Buffon, he is a legend,” the custodian told Itasportpress in an interview. “He’s the best in history, at least in my opinion. “Why has he never won the Golden Ball? Because we are goalkeepers. Then there is Lionel Messi who is ahead of everybody – there is no room for anyone else.” Juventus will go into the Sicilian clash on an unbeaten Serie A run which now stretches to 47 matches. “Well, that run has to end some day,” the South American continued. “Let’s hope that happens on Sunday…” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Zanetti: Inter want to challenge Juventus for Scudetto The experienced defender is desperate for success this season. Oct 26, 2012 Inter skipper Javier Zanetti has insisted his side have the ambition to challenge Juventus for the Serie A title this term. The Giuseppe Meazza outfit currently sit joint third in the league table, trailing the Turin giants by four points, and Zanetti is determined to push the reigning champions right to the end of the 2012-13 campaign. "Are we Juve's main rivals? We want to be up there challenging with them," Zanetti was quoted as saying on the official Inter website. "We're following our path and we all feel we have a part to play."

Buffon: I want to stay at Juventus for a long time The experienced goalkeeper looks back fondly at his time in Turin, including the spell in Serie B, and is eager to win more silverware in the upcoming seasons. Oct 26, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon has made it clear that he's desperate to stay at Juventus and wants to remain at the Serie A champions for at least three more years. The Italy international has developed into one of the Bianconeri's undisputed star players since joining them from Parma in the summer of 2001, and Buffon has no intention of trying his luck elsewhere. "I’ve already spent 12 years wearing this shirt, almost half of my life so far, but I hope that my adventure with Juventus continues for a long time, at least up until 15 years," Buffon was quoted as saying on the club's official Facebook page. "Only a few players can say they’ve stayed at such an important team for that length of time." The 34-year-old came close to winning the Champions League in 2002-03, but AC Milan eventually proved to be too strong in the final, something that still frustrates Buffon. "I had a fantastic first five years here, given the satisfaction we enjoyed in the championship, even though there was a little disappointment in the Champions League. "We were probably the strongest team in Europe, but we never managed to win it." The experienced goalkeeper then looked back at his time in Serie B with Juventus, and stressed that it was well worth it to stay put. "The year in Serie B is something I recall with pleasure, because I stayed and owed it to the fans to do so. It would have been too easy to leave at that particular moment. "The most difficult period was the return to Serie A, because we were aware of how difficult it would be to return to winning ways. I asked myself if staying at Juve was worth it. After last year, the answer is an emphatic yes, because the feeling of winning the Scudetto again was so intense, and something I would not have experienced with any other team. "Now I’d like to end my time with Juventus by winning something important." Buffon has made 10 official appearances for Juve this term.