Socrates

Serie A Week 3 - 16-9-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Will Borriello-Immobile work? Sep 14, 2012 Genoa could field a strike paring of Marco Borriello and Ciro Immobile against Juventus this weekend, but Gian Piero Gasperini has doubts over their partnership. Borriello returned to Marassi from Roma after spending the last six months of 2011-12 at Juve, while Immobile is a youngster who is co-owned by both sides. “Marco needs to feel loved in order to perform,” Gasperini, a former Genoa boss and an ex-Juventus youth sector tactician, told Tuttosport. “Immobile, meanwhile, will have to have a great season – which he could – in order to win a Juventus recall. “However, both players are centre-forwards and we’ll have to see whether putting them together is a good idea.” Gasperini, still out of work following his dismissal at Inter last term, was also asked for an opinion on Sebastian Giovinco. “He’s not world class, but he is certainly a player who can give the Bianconeri something extra,” he continued. “Some are asking him to replace Alex Del Piero, but it is impossible to say today whether Sebastian will reach that level. “Not all class players can be No 1. However, Giovinco knows how to make a difference.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 3 - 16-9-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Conte set to rest Juventus stars Sep 14, 2012 Juventus boss Antonio Conte is prepared to rest as many as four first team regulars against Genoa ahead of their Champions League campaign. The Old Lady travel to Marassi on Sunday before then turning their attention to the trip to Chelsea on Wednesday. Conte, whose side have collected two wins from two this term, is thinking of changes in defence, midfield and attack. Giorgio Chiellini, despite being fit again, may not be risked in the back-three that could allow Martin Caceres to get a game. In midfield of the 3-5-2, Chilean international Arturo Vidal and new signing Kwadwo Asamoah could start on the bench. Meanwhile, Alessandro Matri looks like he will begin instead of Sebastian Giovinco alongside Mirko Vucinic in attack. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Marotta and Buffon to extend Sep 14, 2012 It’s renewal time at Juventus with director general Beppe Marotta and Gigi Buffon set for new contracts. According to Tuttosport, the official will be handed an extension until June 2015 as reward for his work in Turin. Marotta moved to the Old Lady in the summer of 2010 after leaving Sampdoria. Although not all of his signings have been a success, some of his buys were key to Scudetto success last season. Once the 55-year-old puts pen to paper, the club’s attention will then switch to Italian international Buffon. His present agreement expires in June, but he’s set to accept a cut to his €6m a year salary in order to remain in Turin.

Marotta and Buffon to extend Sep 14, 2012 It’s renewal time at Juventus with director general Beppe Marotta and Gigi Buffon set for new contracts. According to Tuttosport, the official will be handed an extension until June 2015 as reward for his work in Turin. Marotta moved to the Old Lady in the summer of 2010 after leaving Sampdoria. Although not all of his signings have been a success, some of his buys were key to Scudetto success last season. Once the 55-year-old puts pen to paper, the club’s attention will then switch to Italian international Buffon. His present agreement expires in June, but he’s set to accept a cut to his €6m a year salary in order to remain in Turin.

Serie A Week 3 - 16-9-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Vargas to miss Juve match Sep 13, 2012 Juan Manuel Vargas will miss out on Genoa’s big game against Juventus after picking up an injury on international duty. The Marassi side are due to face Juve on Sunday, but Vargas returned from Peru with a left thigh strain. It is not yet clear how long the former Fiorentina winger will be sidelined for, but it could be a couple of weeks. More tests are needed on the small lesion to the left thigh muscle, which he picked up during the game with Venezuela. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 3 - 16-9-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Merkel underlines Juve strength Sep 13, 2012 Genoa midfielder Alexander Merkel is well aware of the task that is facing his side when they entertain Juventus in Serie A this weekend. The Germany Under-20 international has praised the Bianconeri following their Scudetto success last season. “Last year we came close to victory against Juventus and we will try again this time around,” he said on Thursday after the two draws between the sides in 2011-12. “They are strong in every department and have great players. We can beat Juve, but we need a great game played by all.” Merkel is back at Marassi after spending half of last season with Milan, but he doesn’t know whether he will have a role to play against the Old Lady. “Will I play? I don't know, the Coach will decide,” he added. “We suffered defeat to Catania last time out and we can't repeat the mistakes we made against them.” Merkel also commented on the deadline day arrival of Marco Borriello, the former Milan and Roma forward who spent last term on loan at Juve. “I know Borriello well,” Merkel stated. “This year we will have the chance to play well together, starting with a bang on Sunday!” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Marotta hits out at Sensibile Sep 13, 2012 Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta has responded to claims by Sampdoria director Pasquale Sensibile that deals with the Bianconeri 'are too difficult to carry out'. The 57-year-old has claimed that he was 'amazed' by the 'inappropriate' allegations after the Samp man hit out at his colleague over the attempted signing of Andrea Poli. “I read the statements,” he told the Corriere Mercantile. “I don't want to cause controversy, but I would like to clarify that I was amazed by them. I consider them inappropriate and not very truthful. “We tried to get Poli this summer. I concocted a deal with Sensibile and he was perfectly aware of the contents of our proposal. It was all very clear and straightforward. “Two summers ago we requested Daniele Gastaldello on loan as well, with the right to buy. It is a formula that's recognized in football and happens regularly.”

Buffon fired up for Champions League return The Azzurri shot-stopper missed hearing the signature music during the Bianconeri's recent absence from European football's elite competition. Sep 13, 2012 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has described his frustration at hearing the Champions League anthem only "from the sofa" after missing out on playing in the tournament since 2009. The Italy captain has been an envious onlooker of the competition as Juve instead played in the Europa League in 2010-11 and missed out on Europe altogether the season after. "That piece of music? I'll be glad to hear it again," Buffon was quoted as saying in Corriere dello Sport. "I’ve had to listen to it from my sofa over these years and I didn’t think that was right." Juventus begin their campaign against last year's winners Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday, and will be hoping to get their campaign off to a winning start. The new Serie A season has again been disrupted by allegations of corruption in Italy, with coach Antonio Conte implicated, but Buffon believes the Turin side can remain focused and stay competitive. "We have to get back to that certain mentality, that ferocity, of last year," added the keeper.

Lichtsteiner: I want Champions League glory with Juventus The defender is very happy with life at the Bianconeri and has set his sights on winning European club football's elite competition, in just his second season at the club. Sep 13, 2012 Switzerland international Stephan Lichtsteiner has revealed his burning ambitions for the future as he strives to win the Champions League with Juventus. The right-back joined the Turin giants from Lazio in the summer of 2011, and won the Serie A title in his first season at the Bianconeri. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old is not satisfied just yet and has set his sights on more silverware in the coming years. "Juventus are one of the biggest clubs in the world and I am feeling very well here. Moving here was the right choice for me to win something," Lichtsteiner stated to Radiosei. "Winning the Scudetto with Juve last year was something beautiful. However, that's not biggest thing I can achieve here. I want to win the Champions League now." Juventus will have to deal with Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland in Group E of the Champions League.

Serie A - 3^ Giornata - Andata - 16-9-2012 (ore 15:00) - Stadio Luigi Ferraris - Genova Arbitro: Gianluca Rocchi Confronti ufficiali 137 - 90 (Serie A) - 10 (Coppa Italia) - 33 (Campionato a gironi) - 2 (Campionato di guerra) - 2 (Serie B) Vittorie Juventus 73 - 53 (Serie A) - 7 (Coppa Italia) - 11 (Campionato a gironi) - 1 (Campionato di guerra) - 1 (Serie B) Pareggi 29 - 19 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) - 7 (Campionato a gironi) - 1 (Serie B) Vittorie Genoa 35 - 18 (Serie A) - 1 (Coppa Italia) - 15 (Campionato a gironi) - 1 (Campionato di guerra) Goals Juventus 271 - 189 (Serie A) - 22 (Coppa Italia) - 53 (Campionato a gironi) - 3 (Campionato di guerra) - 4 (Serie B) Goals Genoa 176 - 98 (Serie A) - 13 (Coppa Italia) - 60 (Campionato a gironi) - 3 (Campionato di guerra) - 2 (Serie B) Genoa - Juventus Serie A a Genova Confronti ufficiali 45 Vittorie Juventus 18 (L'ultima il 21.11.2010, 0-2) Pareggi 11 (L'ultimo l'11.03.2012, 0-0 ) Vittorie Genoa 16 (L'ultima l'11.04.2009, 3-2) Goals Juventus 72 Goals Genoa 59 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro il Genoa a Genova 10 presenze Boniperti Giampiero 10 Varglien II Giovanni 9 Varglien I Mario 8 Depetrini Teobaldo 8 Rava Pietro 7 Foni Alfredo 7 Parola Carlo 6 Borel II Felice Placido 6 Emoli Flavio 6 Marocchi Giancarlo 6 goals Boniperti Giampiero 4 Borel II Felice Placido 3 Bellini Savino 3 Hansen John 3 Sentimenti III Vittorio 3 Sivori Omar Enrique 2 Boninsegna Roberto 2 Cabrini Antonio 2 Charles John William 2 Colombo Umberto Ultimi confronti diretti 21.10.2007 Serie A Juventus-Genoa 1-0 09.03.2008 Serie A Genoa-Juventus 0-2 13.11.2008 Serie A Juventus-Genoa 4-1 11.04.2009 Serie A Genoa-Juventus 3-2 24.09.2009 Serie A Genoa-Juventus 2-2 14.02.2010 Serie A Juventus-Genoa 3-2 21.11.2010 Serie A Genoa-Juventus 0-2 10.04.2011 Serie A Juventus-Genoa 3-2 22.10.2011 Serie A Juventus-Genoa 2-2 11.03.2012 Serie A Genoa-Juventus 0-0 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 6 - Pareggi 3 - Vittorie Genoa 1 - Goals Juventus 21 - Goals Genoa 12

The Dossier: How Juventus can topple European champions Chelsea The Old Lady returns to the big-time next Wednesday with an opening Champions League Group E trip to Stamford Bridge, here are the tactical tips Juve must follow to secure victory. Sep 13, 2012 TACTICAL ANALYSIS By Carlo Garganese Scudetto holders Juventus don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to topple Chelsea. Six of their starting XI starred in the Italy team that outplayed Germany on the way to a Euro 2012 silver medal, with the majestic Andrea Pirlo many people's player of the tournament. The fact the Bianconeri are 41 Serie A games unbeaten is proof that their fast and fluid 3-5-2 formation is adaptable to any opposition. First and foremost, Juventus must play to their own strengths. The midfield is the most important department in modern football – if you control the centre third of the pitch then your chances of success are significantly increased. In Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal, Juve boast a centre midfield that in Europe is second in quality only to Barcelona. Pirlo, along with Xavi, is the world's premier midfield dictator, while Vidal is arguably the globe's best ball-winner. If the Juventus trio perform to their usual levels they will win the midfield battle against a rather immobile Chelsea duo of Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel, who in their last outing against Atletico Madrid couldn't cope with the energy of Koke and Gabi. The Blues often revert from their starting 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-1-1 when not in possession, with wide-men Juan Mata and Ramires dropping. This ploy was successful en route to Champions League glory last season as Chelsea defended deep in numbers, cutting off the space for Barcelona and Bayern Munich to exploit. However, such a tactic would play right into the hands of Pirlo, who relishes such a scenario and famously ran the show for Italy against England at Euro 2012 when Roy Hodgson's men retired into their own half. Juventus hold the better midfield cards regardless of whether Roberto Di Matteo sticks or twists. Chelsea were criticised for 'parking the bus' last season, but the perils of throwing too many men forward were evident in the 4-1 European Super Cup thrashing by Atletico Madrid a fortnight ago. The Blues are susceptible on the counter due to a lack of pace, and in the first-half Atletico created two one-on-ones direct from Chelsea corner kicks, breaking five on three and five on four respectively – Falcao completing his hat-trick with the latter opening. Juventus possess the pace throughout their line-up to similarly punish the English. Playing at home, Chelsea will need to show some adventure – and the summer signing of Eden Hazard makes that a guarantee. How Juventus cope with the raids of the Belgian wonderkid and lone forward Fernando Torres will also be key. Torres' movement troubled Italy's Juve-dominated backline in both Spain v Italy games at Euro 2012; he missed two sitters in the former and scored in the latter. Torres will float across the Bianconeri back three, meaning he will not have a designated marker. Thus, Leonardo Bonucci in the centre must read the game and sweep up – something he has struggled to do in the past, having failed to read a predictable through pass for Jordi Alba's goal in the Euro 2012 final. Chelsea's main weapon is their physicality and power from set-pieces. At Stamford Bridge last season the west Londoners bombarded Napoli into aerial submission during their 4-1 second round second-leg Champions League comeback, three of their goals originating from elevated crosses. Juventus, player for player, should be able to cope with this facet of the game - the back three and Stephan Lichtsteiner are outstanding in the air, while the strength and stamina of the entire line-up - barring Pirlo and the front-two - is impressive. Where Juve must be careful is in their organisation and concentration – an exam Napoli failed so spectacularly at the Bridge. The European champions contain clear weaknesses, though, as Los Rojiblancos will attest. The biggest blemishes in Monaco were right-back Branislav Ivanovic and centre-back David Luiz. The former was roasted for speed from start to finish by Filipe Luis, Adrian and Cristian Rodriguez. Pacy left wing-back Kwadwo Asamoah will be licking his lips at the prospect of attacking Ivanovic one-on-one if the Serbian is preferred to new signing Cesar Azpilicueta. Luiz, on the other hand, continues to be blighted by lapses in concentration and positioning, and he was at fault for Falcao's first two goals. John Terry will return from suspension against Juventus, and Chelsea will be better organised as a result. But, with the Blues conceding nine goals in five games, and Manchester City, Wigan and Atletico all registering 13-18 shots against Chelsea this term, Juventus will create chances. The question is whether the likely strikeforce of Mirko Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco will be clinical enough to take them. Profligacy was Juve's biggest weakness last season, with their top scorer Alessandro Matri hitting a meagre 10 goals. This led to the failed attempt to sign a world-class attacker in the summer. Juventus are handicapped by the absence of coach Antonio Conte – controversially suspended for the season following the betting scandal – who is replaced on the touchline by Massimo Carrera. Conte's motivational influence and live tactical tweaks will be missed – especially as this is a squad returning to the Champions League after two years away. While a draw at the champions on matchday 1 would be a good result, this is a Juventus who never settle for second best and if they play the right tactical game there is no reason they can't return to Turin with all three points.

Lichtsteiner eyes CL glory Sep 13, 2012 Stephan Lichtsteiner is hungry for more honours after last term’s Scudetto success with Juventus. “I want to win the European Cup!” The Old Lady will return to Europe’s top club competition and the 28-year-old is keen to lift silverware again after last term’s title triumph. “Juventus are one of the most important clubs in the world and I’m very happy there,” stated the right-back. “We have a really strong squad and joining this team was the right decision for me because I wanted to win. “We won the League last term, but that still isn’t the maximum for me – I want the Champions League.” The defender joined Juve from Lazio in 2011 for €10.5m. The Bianconeri will start their European Cup adventure with a trip to holders Chelsea on September 19. They will also face Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland in Group E.

Marotta confident Conte ban will be overturned Sep 12, 2012 Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta is confident that the Italian Olympic Committee’s national sports arbitration tribunal will overturn manager Antonio Conte’s 10-month ban. “We are super confident,” Marotta said after attending a ceremony at Juventus College.

Trapattoni's Scudetto tips Sep 12, 2012 Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has tipped Juventus, Milan, Inter and Roma for the Scudetto battle. Il Trap spoke after Ireland’s 4-1 win over Oman and gave his views on the current Serie A title race. “My Serie A starting grid is the usual teams,” he told calcio-inglese.it. “Juventus have to defend their title, plus Milan, Inter and also Roma. I am convinced Zdenek Zeman’s side can do very well this season.”

Juve still pondering transfers Sep 12, 2012 The transfer window may have closed but Juventus are still working to strengthen the squad, says director general Beppe Marotta. “We are continuing to monitor interesting players and we’ll decide whether to make any moves in January,” stated the official. Marotta and Co spent the whole summer looking for a new striker, but failed in bids to net Robin Van Persie, Stevan Jovetic or Fernando Llorente. While the Dutchman has now been lost to Manchester United, the Fiorentina and Athletic Bilbao men are still on their radar. “We have looked for players with a certain profile and Jovetic fits that, but he is a Fiorentina player and the Viola will decide his future. Llorente? We are continuing to work.” Juve eventually opted to take Niklas Bendtner on loan from Arsenal, a player who has a number of question marks against his quality. “The first judgements from Conte on Bendtner are very positive,” Marotta added. “He’s a youngster who wants to do well.” The Turin giants also rubbished reports that they are interested in Lazio stopper Modibo Diakite after he rejected a new deal in Rome. “There are usually a lot of bombastic headlines about us and we get linked with moves that I can categorically deny. “For example, we have not talked to Diakite. He is a Lazio player and won’t be coming to Juventus.” Marotta also spoke about boss Antonio Conte’s appeal to the TNAS tribunal, set for September 21, in his effort to get his 10-month touchline ban scrapped or reduced. “We are super optimistic about the TNAS hearing,” he noted.

Buffon up for Champions League Sep 12, 2012 Gigi Buffon has admitted that he’s excited by the prospect of once again playing in the Champions League. The Old Lady have returned to the competition for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign when they failed to get out of a group containing Bordeaux, Bayern Munich and Maccabi Haifa. “I’ll be happy to hear the Champions League theme tune again,” he stated. “I’ve had to listen to it from my sofa over these years and I didn’t think that was right.” The Scudetto holders will start their European Cup adventure with a trip to holders Chelsea on September 19. They will also face Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland in Group E. Buffon, who lost the 2002-03 Champions League Final to Milan, also spoke about his future in Turin. “That’s the last of my problems,” the man whose deal expires in June 2013 stated. “I’ve already said that I’m in no rush.” Both Buffon and Juventus have admitted a desire to prolong their relationship.

Prandelli on the Pirlo problem Sep 12, 2012 Italy boss Cesare Prandelli has underlined that his side can’t just rely on the playmaking skills of Andrea Pirlo. The Juventus man dictates the tempo for club and country, but he wasn’t given much room to operate in the two World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Malta. “Malta pressed Pirlo,” the tactician stated after the 2-0 win in Modena. “They defended with nine men and stuck one man on Pirlo for the entire game. “We have to thus do what we did at the European Championship. If Pirlo is not free then we need to use other players such as Thiago Motta or Riccardo Montolivo.” Italy started the game with an attacking midfielder behind two strikers which should have given them more of a chance to create, but Alessandro Diamanti failed to shine. “We played better in the second half with two wide attackers, whereas we struggled in the first with the Trequartista. “Also, by playing with an attacking midfielder that means that the two forwards – Mattia Destro and Pablo Osvaldo – become reference points for the opposition. “We’ll have to analyse these situations so that we don’t make the same mistakes against teams who just sit back and defend.”

Juventus still looking at Llorente, reveals Marotta The Old Lady's sporting director claims the Italian side are still working hard to identify potential targets ahead of the January transfer window. Sep 12, 2012 Giuseppe Marotta has insisted that Juventus are looking to bring in suitable players when the transfer window re-opens in the new year, including Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente. The 57-year-old spent the summer trying to land the signature of a top-class centre-forward but were thwarted in their attempts to sign Robin van Persie, Stevan Jovetic and the Spain international. The Italian champions did manage to sign Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner on loan from Arsenal but Marotta is still hoping to further bolster their attack. "We are continuing to monitor interesting players and we will decide whether to make any moves in January," he told reporters. "We have looked for players with a certain profile and Jovetic fits that, but he is a Fiorentina player and the Viola will decide his future. Llorente? We are continuing to work. "The first judgements from Conte on Bendtner are very positive. He is a youngster who wants to do well." However, Marotta dismissed reports that the Turin side were interested in signing Lazio centre-back Modibo Diakite, after the Senegalese star refused to sign a new contract at Stadio Olimpico. "There are usually a lot of bombastic headlines about us and we get linked with moves that I can categorically deny. "For example, we have not talked to Diakite. He is a Lazio player and will not be coming to Juventus.” Juve coach Antonio Conte is currently serving a 10-month ban for failing to report match-fixing activities, but Marotta is optimistic that the former Siena boss' upcoming appeal will be successful. “We are very optimistic about the TNAS hearing," he revealed."

Serie A Week 3 - 16-9-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Juve's Borriello & Immobile warning Sep 11, 2012 Genoa forwards Marco Borriello and Ciro Immobile could come back to haunt former club Juventus on Sunday. Borriello spent the last six months of 2011-12 in Turin, but the outfit opted against signing him outright from Roma. Immobile, meanwhile, is a player part-owned by the Old Lady who was the top scorer in Serie B last term while at Pescara. “Borriello and Immobile will have a great desire to prove themselves and cause Juventus some regret,” former Bianconero boss Gigi Maifredi told Tutto Juve. “Immobile is the best signing on the Italian transfer market this summer, while Borriello has returned to his happy place.” Juve won the championship last term and the former Bologna and Brescia tactician understands why they are favourites to net the Scudetto again. “Juventus are undoubtedly the strongest when looking at their squad and the way they play,” he continued. “Napoli, Inter and Roma are quite far away from them…” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Conte tribunal date set Sep 11, 2012 Antonio Conte’s appeal against a 10-month ban will be heard in front of the TNAS tribunal on September 21. The Juventus Coach was suspended due to his time at Siena in 2010-11, when he is accused of failing to report authorities to a potential fix. He has always strongly denied these allegations and lost his first appeal to the Disciplinary Commission, even though one of the two charges was dropped. It has now been announced that the TNAS tribunal will begin the hearing into Conte’s case on September 21 at midday local time. It will be presided by Professor Massimo Zaccheo, Professor Guido Calvi and lawyer Enrico De Giovanni.

Marchisio wants Euro style Italy Sep 11, 2012 Claudio Marchisio expects Italy to put in a performance against Malta in tonight’s World Cup qualifier. The Azzurri started their Brazil 2014 campaign with a 2-2 draw in Bulgaria on Friday, but the display has been heavily criticised. La Nazionale will revert back to a 4-3-1-2 system in Modena and the Juventus man is pumped up to silence their critics. “The point in Bulgaria will be worth something,” he stated. “But, against Malta, we will have to re-find that conviction and style of play which took us from a disastrous World Cup in 2010 to the Final of Euro 2012.”

Juventus To Look To Youth Sep 10, 2012 Antonio Conte is confident that the young players at Juventus Stadium could make a big impact for his side this season. He singled out Luca Marrone and Paul Pogba as particular players who could prove important for the Biaonceri. “I am hoping our youngsters Marrone and Pogba turn out to be top players and revelations for us this season,” the Juventus boss said. Marrone previously worked under Conte at Siena and is a player that he likes while Pogba arrived in Turin this summer from Manchester United. Pogba has yet to feature for the club this season while Marrone has played twice for the Old Lady in defence.

Juventus To Look To Youth Sep 10, 2012 Antonio Conte is confident that the young players at Juventus Stadium could make a big impact for his side this season. He singled out Luca Marrone and Paul Pogba as particular players who could prove important for the Biaonceri. “I am hoping our youngsters Marrone and Pogba turn out to be top players and revelations for us this season,” the Juventus boss said. Marrone previously worked under Conte at Siena and is a player that he likes while Pogba arrived in Turin this summer from Manchester United. Pogba has yet to feature for the club this season while Marrone has played twice for the Old Lady in defence.

Lippi: Only Barcelona And Real Madrid Are Better Than Juventus Sep 10, 2012 Former Juventus boss Marcello Lippi has insisted that only Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are better than his old club. The man who also led the Azzurri to the 2006 World Cup is now managing in China and is optimistic about the Bianconeri’s season ahead. “I think that after Barcelona and Real Madrid who are the best teams, there are Juventus of course as well as clubs like Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City,” said Lippi. When speaking about the rest of the sides in Serie A, he believes the league is in good shape with some fine teams at the top. “Although the two Milanese clubs are reconstructing their sides, Napoli represent the greatest threat to Juventus as well as Roma who have great players in their ranks and also at Fiorentina there is nothing missing from that side.” Lippi also spoke candidly about how he has been likened to Antonio Conte and the future of the Italian game following big summer departures from the peninsula. “If people say Conte is like me then I am flattered because he is a very skilled coach,” he said. “Also, for me it is a good thing not bad that some stars are leaving Serie A because we can finally give space to young players and if you look around there are many examples. “This is the right way to advance our football.”

Pirlo: Juventus built to succeed Sep 10, 2012 Andrea Pirlo is confident that Juventus will be able to fight for all trophies this season thanks to the club’s summer recruitment policy. Although the outfit failed to sign the top player in attack they were hoping for, the midfielder is content with the new faces which did touch down in Turin. “We had a great season in 2011-12,” the former Milan playmaker stated to Sky Sport Italia after the outfit’s remarkable unbeaten Scudetto campaign. “The club have carried out an excellent transfer campaign in order for us to face all of the competitions in the best shape possible. “We’re starting the season with the aim of doing well in all.” The club’s most notable summer signings were Kwadwo Asamoah [udinese], Mauricio Isla [udinese], Sebastian Giovinco [Parma], Lucio [inter], Niklas Bendtner [Arsenal] and Paul Pogba [Manchester United].