Socrates

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juve looking to make light of the weather in Serie A Feb 4, 2012 The weather has been playing havoc with football fixtures in Italy all week but Serie A leaders Juventus have survived the big freeze and managed to cement their grip on the standings, without even playing. Juve's game at Parma was called off leaving them an anxious 24-hour wait to see if they would lose the league leadership. But AC Milan crashed 2-0 at Lazio meaning Juve held on to top spot ahead of the visit of Siena this weekend. "The midweek games provided a table that still makes us smile," said Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero. "With a one-point advantage (over Milan) and a game in hand we have to take advantage of the opportunity to escape, even though it's still too soon to stop and look at the table." There is still almost half the season to go but there's a feeling that things are falling into Juve's lap. However, with temperatures of up to minus 10 Celsius expected in the north this weekend, the weather promises to have yet more of a say. Many of Italy's stadiums are mostly old and out-dated with poor facilities and no contingency plans for icy conditions Already three scheduled evening games have had to be brought forward to the afternoon to give them a better chance of going ahead. What this has done is reopen a raging debate in Italy about the state of stadia in the country. Juve are the only club to own their custom-built stadium while everyone else rents theirs from the local council. Those other stadiums are mostly old and out-dated with poor facilities and no contingency plans for icy conditions. When games are called off in Italy it is rarely because the pitch is frozen but because the areas around the ground used by fans are deemed too dangerous. And while Turin is one of the worst affected areas in the country, the Juventus Stadium has held up well to the snow. Juve are the only club to own their custom-built stadium while everyone else rents theirs from the local council. "We're first in the table but we're already concentrating on the next match on Sunday against Siena at the Juventus Stadium," added Del Piero. "Last Saturday we gave a great demonstration of efficiency (in dealing with the weather conditions), so thanks to the people who worked hard to allow us to play and the fans to enjoy a great spectacle." The efficient stadium is indicative of a well-oiled Juve machine that remains unbeaten this season and has proved beyond doubt now that they are capable of putting successive, miserable, seventh-placed finishes behind them and challenging for the title. And if anything, their rivals seem to be facilitating affairs. Lazio had previously slipped away by losing at Inter Milan, who were on a seven-game winning run until the last week where one point from six has dropped them eight points behind Juve having played a game more. But Lazio then threw a spanner in Milan's works, leaving their coach Massimiliano Allegri insisting that Juve and not the champions are now the title favourites. They also face a much tougher weekend game as they host Napoli, themselves beset by problems an inconsistency. Napoli have been highly impressive when playing supposed big teams, beating both Milans and Manchester City. But their continued inability to put lesser teams to the sword—they have drawn nine games in the league—has seen them fall right out of title and probably Champions League contention. However, it would be no surprise if the giant-killing Napoli turn up on Sunday. Heavy snowfall in Rome has forced the postponement of the AS Roma v Inter Milan match this weekend, city officials announced on Friday. Officials in Forli, who govern the region of Cesena, added that the Cesena v Catania match—also scheduled for 1500 on Saturday—risked being called off because of adverse weather conditions. It has been decided that all of the weekend's remaining matches will kick off at 1500, although the Genoa v Lazio fixture will start as scheduled at 1230. Fixtures Saturday Cesena v Catania (TBC) Sunday Genoa v Lazio (1130 GMT), Chievo v Parma, Fiorentina v Udinese, Juventus v Siena, Lecce v Bologna, Novara v Cagliari, Palermo v Atalanta, AC Milan v Napoli, Roma v Inter Milan. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Round 22 (21): In Conte we trust Feb 4, 2012 This was a bit of a crazy week. The transfer window came and went, and many people are rating our past market as good one. And, thank God — Secco approves. I was nervous for a minute. Anyway, even if the moves weren’t exactly what we had thought they would be or hoped for, they all made sense. Depth was added, dead weight was lifted and, of course, we remain unbeaten. The curious cases of Reto Ziegler and to varying other extents Milos Krasic and Eljero Elia prove that Conte will not have any player imposed on him which he doesn’t feel fits his system. In fact, despite Tuesday’s game against Parma being snowed out, Conte is such a badass that he was able to keep us in first place (I know, everyone else has been making the exact same joke, but I don’t care). To this I say onward, with trust in the Count. Siena has not had a good run of things since promotion and poaching of their coach by us. Their most recent win was a 1-0 victory in the Coppa against Chievo, as they remain just out of the relegation zone 19 points, 3 more than Lecce with a game in hand. They travel to Turin to meet their old friend in his new home, with a rested squad. Good news: It appears as if Vucinic is available, as well as any other players who may have been questionable with a knock, such as Lichtsteiner – who wasn’t actually reaching into his crotch against Udinese to warm up his hands after all. Despite Conte’s complaints, a snowout against Parma was perhaps not the worst thing that could’ve happened. Now the full squad is presumably available to try and keep the ball rolling and make it 4 wins in a row (counting the Coppa win against Roma). Our old/new friend Martin Caceres is now available as his paperwork is finally through, as is NKOTB Simone Padoin. My Dutch mancrush Elia has also been included with the squad, so he can watch the game from a close vantage point, maybe even on the bench this time! Also, Siena has a midfielder named Gazzi. It makes me laugh every time I think about that. Bad news: Well, Siena is rested too, as the snow messed up a lot of fixtures. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, right? Also of note is that Milos Krasic has been left off of the squad. Oh yea, and the Russian transfer window is open until February 24. Not looking good, Meelosh. My starting XI: (4-3-3) Gigi; Kelso, Giorgio, Dre, Marty; Principino, Bon Pirlo, King Arthur; Dutchie, Matri, Vooch. Alright, I’m not really mental. Caceres surely shouldn’t start just yet, especially ahead of Lichtsteiner. But maybe poor Steve-o could use a break, and plus, I am really, really excited to see Martin back on the pitch. I also know Elia isn’t going to play and frankly, I’m over it. I just feel like I need to remain consistent to keep my street cred up. Siena probable: (4-4-2) Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Contini, Del Grosso; Angelo, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro, Calaió. Bench: Farelli, Pesoli, Terzi, Grossi, D’Agostino, Reginaldo, Gonzalez. Remember when Gaetano D’Agostino was so sought after by us, but Udinese was playing hardball with us, pricing us out of the market? Yea, that was crazy. Thank God that transfer didn’t work out. Oh wait, that pushed Secco to sign Felipe Melo to play out of position as a regista. Nevermind. Juventus probable: Buffon; De Ceglie, Chiellini, Barzagli, Lichtsteiner; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Vucinic, Matri, Pepe. Bench: Storari, Bonucci, Estigarribia, Giaccherini, Del Piero, Quagliarella. Have at it, folks. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Calcio in the ice age The recent cold snap brought out the worst in Italian football infrastructure and showed why the Juventus Stadium is the future, argues Susy Campanale. Feb 4, 2012 Italians are not known for their organisational abilities. Even then, the chaos caused by snow in Serie A has been little short of embarrassing. New stadiums are needed, that much is clear, but this failure to play games because the stands are iced over has more to do with a desperate lack of fore-thought than long-term structural issues. The Juventus Stadium has shown us the way forward and it has become too urgent to ignore. The Atalanta-Genoa farrago on Wednesday evening could not have been handled worse. Teams were told after the warm-up that the game was off due to frozen stands. The supporters who had made their way into the snow-covered stadium offered to simply move out of the iced sections, which led to the sides warming up again – and in some cases having to get back shirts they had already exchanged – only to be told the match was definitively called off anyway. In 2012, we have games with a perfectly usable pitch cancelled because a section of the stands is icy. This is most likely because the authorities don’t want to get sued if someone slips and breaks their leg. Aware of the weather reports and the fact February is generally quite a snowy time in northern Italy, could they not put some grit down? Maybe some of those blankets people put over their cars at night to prevent frost? Or those weird giant hair-dryers that seemed to be in use when trying to blow snow off the pitch in Bergamo? It really can’t be that complicated. Yet it’s not even clear who takes responsibility for the upkeep of the stands leading up to a game, as the stadiums are owned by the local council and merely rented by the clubs on match day. The Juventus Stadium was unveiled with great fanfare and only now are we beginning to see why it is so important that others follow suit. It was colder in Turin than any other city over the past week, yet this arena and its seats remained in perfect condition. It is packed in all weather and against any opponent, whereas even the top of the table Udinese-Juventus couldn’t bring the punters in at the Stadio Friuli. People compared the Turin structure to a Premier League stadium, but I’d say it is closer to the Bundesliga, which makes sense considering the weather is more like Germany than England. If Munich can have an evening kick-off in sub-zero temperatures, why can’t Parma? It is imperative that the stadiums built for the 1990 World Cup be torn down and replaced by ones more suited to their every day needs. Udinese, Cagliari and Chievo represent small fanbases, so there is no need for such large arenas that sap any atmosphere out of the cavernous walls. They’re expensive to run, impossible to heat and truly embarrassing to see 70 per cent empty on a weekly basis. The investment would be paid off pretty quickly by having the gate actually go into their coffers, the chance to sell official merchandise on site and provide tours of the stadium. Serie A has resisted progress for too long and the Juventus Stadium has shown us what Italian football can achieve. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Caceres and Padoin in Juve squad Feb 4, 2012 Martin Caceres and Simone Padoin receive their first Juventus call-ups for tomorrow’s game with Siena. There were doubts as to whether Caceres could take part, but his international transfer has come through from Sevilla. The versatile defender is given his maiden call for the Bianconeri along with ex-Atalanta midfielder Padoin, who also arrived in the January transfer window. Mirko Vucinic is back in the side after an injury lay-off, as he would’ve missed the snowed off trip to Parma on Tuesday. Siena are welcomed to the Juventus Stadium on Sunday at 14.00 UK time. Juventus squad: 1 Buffon, 3 Chiellini, 4 Caceres, 7 Pepe, 8 Marchisio, 10 Del Piero, 11 De Ceglie, 13 Manninger, 14 Vucinic, 15 Barzagli, 17 Elia, 18 Quagliarella, 19 Bonucci, 20 Padoin, 21 Pirlo, 22 Vidal, 23 Borriello, 24 Giaccherini, 26 Lichtsteiner, 28 Estigarribia, 30 Storari, 32 Matri, 34 Marrone http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Andrea Pirlo wants to stay top of Serie A with Siena win The Bianconeri are a point ahead of AC Milan in the race for the Scudetto but their Italy international is keenly aware that they face a difficult opponent on Sunday. Feb 4, 2012 Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has stated that his side will be in for a difficult game against Siena on Sunday, but wants to stay top of Serie A with a win. The Turin giants are a point ahead of Scudetto holders AC Milan going into the fixture but the Italy international knows that recording a victory will not be a formality. "It will be a tough game against an organised team that plays good football, so it will be hard, as all the matches are," he told the Juventus Channel. Pirlo was also full of praise for coach Antonio Conte, with the team looking to secure their first Italian top-flight title since 2003. "Conte is a very good coach who can give so much to the team," the veteran enthused. "We are first in the standings and we hope to stay like this." Juventus are unbeaten in 20 league games this season, whilst Siena are in need of points as they sit precariously above the relegation zone in 17th position. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Conte: 'Juve now favourites?' Feb 4, 2012 Antonio Conte is ready to rotate the Juventus squad against Siena and thanks the media for “considering us Scudetto favourites.” The Bianconeri are still unbeaten this season and clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, as their midweek trip to Parma was snowed off. “I must thank the media, who are starting to see Juventus as Scudetto favourites. We did extraordinary work and things are evolving in a fantastic way. Over a few months, the hierarchy of Italian football has changed. “It’s fun looking back over the early reports on us, claiming we didn’t have any big signings, that our June and July work was disastrous and the Coach was a ‘tactical terrorist.’ Having said that, I continue to consider Milan as the favourites for the title.” Only the brand new Juventus Stadium seems able to withhold the Siberian winds and snow, which make this the coldest week in Italy for 27 years. “We know full well that we live in Europe, where it’s only normal for cold weather to come at this time. What we are lacking in Italy are adequate structures,” said the Coach. “We now have a new problem of having to play three games in six days due to the postponements. We have five matches over two weeks, so I cannot live day by day. “I have to plan the line-ups based on the form and fitness of my players. When it’s this cold, you have to be in peak condition or you’re likely to suffer an injury. “Fortunately, we have our stadium which has heating under the pitch. We can guarantee a spectacle despite the climactic conditions. “Everyone is in good shape at the moment, so I am happy that I’ve got the opportunity to make choices. There will be room for everybody and we need all of our players throughout the campaign. Even those who score a brace can end up on the bench and shouldn’t be surprised.” Martin Caceres should also be available if his international transfer comes through from Sevilla. This is a special match for Conte, who took Siena to promotion from Serie B last season before he left in order to take over at Juve. “Siena are tough opponents and we have to go into this wary of what awaits us.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Chiellini on title defensive Feb 3, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini has cooled suggestions that his Juventus side are in pole position to win the Scudetto. Leaders Juve have a one point advantage and a game in hand over closest rivals Milan in the Serie A table. However, the Italian international has reacted cautiously to claims that his side are the team to beat this term. “It’s too soon to be feeling like favourites,” the defender, who has been used in the middle and as a left-back this season, told Sky Sport Italia. “It looks like it will be a two-horse race, but that may be premature,” he continued. “Let’s see after the next month. “It’s a really balanced championship where Inter have made a crazy comeback with seven consecutive victories.” The Old Lady have been a revelation in 2011-12, especially after finishing the last two seasons in a lowly seventh place. “Everything has changed here,” he added. “The players, the Coach, the formation, the mentality and the stadium which is very important.”

Giorgio Chiellini: Scudetto is now a two-horse race The versatile Italy international is refusing to underestimate the threat posed by Udinese and Inter but he feels that his side and AC Milan are the clear frontrunners. Feb 3, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini believes that the battle for this season's Scudetto has become a two-horse race between Juventus and AC Milan. The Bianconeri currently lead Serie A by a solitary point from the Rossoneri, having played one game less than the defending champions. Udinese sit third, three points off top spot, with Lazio and Inter tucked in behind but Chiellini believes that there are now just two genuine title contenders left. "I have never underestimated Udinese, though, if they were to go progress further in the Europa League, we could see a drop off in the league," the makeshift left-back told Sky Sport Italia. "Inter had made an amazing and unexpected recovery, [but] now they have slowed up in recent games. "In fact, it would now appear to be a two-horse race, but this year's championship is finely balanced and there could be some other big comebacks." With Juve still undefeated and unburdened by European competition, Antonio Conte's men appear to have all of the odds stacked in their favour. However, Chiellini suspects that everything could hinge on how they fare over the next month, given that they must face the Rossoneri at San Siro twice in February, once in the Coppa Italia and once in the league. "It's too early to be feeling like favourites," the Italy international argued. "You are playing every couple of days and a mistake will allow Milan to change things. "In the next month we will have many commitments, including the Italian Cup, and when they are concluded we will have a clearer picture, particularly after the games against one another."

No undersoil heating, chaotic organisation, ancient terraces & the stadium problems that must be addressed after the midweek mayhem in Serie A The 21st round of the Italian league season was decimated by the weather, throwing up all sorts of question marks about provision and decision-making across the peninsula. Feb 3, 2012 Many eyebrows were raised in late-July when the 2011-12 Serie A calendar was revealed. It had nothing to do with who played who on opening day, nor the timing of the Milan or Rome derbies, and the final day pairings were the last thing on people’s minds. Instead it was the decision to again schedule a midweek round at the end of January that had many talking. While last season’s 23rd round went ahead unscathed, it was a shivering collection of supporters that made their way to the 10 Serie A grounds, and it surprised many that the Lega Serie A were willing to push their luck again this year. Many players from the top flight expressed surprise that midweek evening fixtures would once more be forced on them, with Fiorentina’s Valon Behrami raising the issue once more on Twitter earlier this week. But after only six games went ahead due to the snow this week, and Inter’s home game against Palermo played in farcical icy conditions which put players at risk, there are a number of issues which need to be looked into for the same situation not to arise in future seasons. NO UNDERSOIL HEATING The first problem came in terms of the lack of protection against the elements. Four games fell to the inclement weather and at least one other should have gone with them. In every case, the only thing used to protect the pitch from the snow was a series of tarpaulin sheets. In the 21st century, this is frankly ridiculous. It hardly takes the brightest or most scientific of minds to realise that the tarps are completely ineffective. Allowing the snow to settle on the huge strips is little more preventative than leaving the turf uncovered and crossing your fingers. The white stuff is too much for these sheets, meaning that when tractors or brushes are used to clear the tarps and unveil the pitch, all that remains is an icy surface ill-equipped for top class football. Handheld snow blowers do little more than clear the surface snow, making the pitch look greener but doing nothing to thaw the grass underfoot. The widespread lack of undersoil heating – brought about because of the local authorities’ ownership of most stadiums – needs to be addressed. CHAOTIC ORGANISATION It was clear from around 15.00 on Tuesday that the match between Parma and Juventus was going to be a victim to the weather, yet it somehow took until after 19.00 for the inevitable decision to be confirmed. Then on Wednesday we had the bizarre situation whereby the Atalanta-Genoa clash was called a no-go just 15 minutes before the scheduled 18.00 start, only for the judgement to be reversed. A pitch inspection was then made a full 30 minutes after the intended kick-off time, at which point the few fans to have braved the weather were put out of their misery. Such a lack of common sense and blatant disregard for supporters is absolutely mind-boggling. Supporters had trekked through snowy, slippery and often icy conditions on the streets of Parma and Bergamo to find they would just have to turn back again without seeing their sides in action. That the games were called off was completely understandable. That nobody was willing to go ahead and make an immediate decision when conditions were clearly not suitable is unforgivable. It is no coincidence that both of these games were due to get sole TV coverage across the country. Fans need to come first, not bank balances. IGNORANCE OF THE FANS' INTERESTS “We could have played the game at 15:00,” said Juve coach Antonio Conte after the Parma clash was called off on Tuesday. Yes, Antonio … Brilliant idea. Why not alienate the fans some more just after they have been royally shafted? As if it was not enough to be dragged out to the stadium through the snow then sent straight back home, the Bianconeri boss was proposing that in future it should be made even more difficult for supporters to attend their teams’ games. If matches that were under threat were suddenly all changed to midweek afternoon kick-offs, it would be all too easy for Serie A to be treated with as much contempt as the Coppa Italia, which has countless later-round fixtures rearranged to late-afternoon starts. The last thing a league with dwindling attendances and supporter apathy, plus a sense of contempt towards those who attend, should be considering is midweek afternoon kick-offs. Conte’s claims were scandalous when placed into this context. This should not be seen as a personal attack on Conte though, his words were simply a reflection on the general disregard for supporters, completely out of place though they were. ANCIENT UNCOVERED TERRACES Another thing which makes supporters not want to bother turning up is the rickety state of some of the stadiums around the country. At some there remain temporary standing areas which have been in place for a number of years, rusting away under rain and snow, while there are swathes of uncovered terracing at 11 of the 18 current Serie A venues. In the spring, summer and even autumn, this hardly qualifies as a problem, with most fans basking in the warm seasonal weather in front of the national sport. But in winter, it is a different story entirely. Italy has a very distinct climate, particularly in the north of the country. In the summer it is generally very hot, but in the winter it can be unbearably cold. Even on Thursday night, as Novara faced up to Chievo at the Stadio Silvio Piola, the remnants of two days’ worth of snow made the terraces an unforgiving place to be despite the artificial pitch allowing for the clash to be played as scheduled. With each new announcement of plans for a new home venue for a Serie A club comes the hope that the Juventus Stadium blueprint will be followed. It is the least the fans deserve if they are to be expected to continue braving near-arctic conditions for two months of the season. WINTER BREAK LENGTH & TIMING It is high time that the timing of the winter break is looked at. Two seasons ago, the break came one week too late, with a freezing cold weekend preceding the seasonal closedown. But most years it is during January that the worst of the weather arrives. Now, it is impossible to arrange the season around a weather forecast six months in advance, but more must be done to ensure that the winter break serves its initial purpose. These days it is used as a good chance to rake in a few extra euros with a trip to the likes of Dubai, while also giving the players Christmas off. But the supposed reason for a winter break is the avoidance of playing in the most inclement weather conditions, and to that end, a change in timing should be looked at. The final weekend of 2009 was largely bearable, but for the decision to go ahead with an Inter v Lazio evening kick-off played in -12C weather. That particular issue could have been avoided had the game been scheduled as one of the afternoon matches, when the temperature had yet to drop below zero, with one of the southern teams hosting the evening game (Roma’s home fixture that day kicked off at 15.00 in 10C sunshine). In most years, it is during January that Italy will have its coldest, snowiest weather, meaning a winter break from mid to late January is likely to result in more fixtures going ahead as planned. With more consideration offered to southern teams hosting evening matches at either side of such a break, this would all result in more games remaining unaffected by the weather. A three to four week break during January would surely be more effective than the current situation, at least until there are more venues suitable for hosting winter fixtures. REDUCTION OF GAMES A longer winter break would, of course, mean squeezing the calendar elsewhere. As already outlined, the intense summer heat makes for similarly uncomfortable viewing midway through the year, so the idea of extending the league season into June with largely evening fixtures is not necessarily a goer, even before taking into account any objections Uefa would have to such a decision. So it begs the question as to what else can be done, and the reduction of Serie A fixtures is one idea which arises. As a huge enthusiast of the Italian game, this writer would be the last person to ask for less matches normally, but the quality of football and playing conditions would surely both increase markedly if the calendar is shortened to 34 rounds. Serie A was only extended to a 38-game season due to the Caso Catania of 2004, and had nothing at all to do with preserving or increasing the quality of the product. There are too many teams in the top flight sitting in a comfort zone for long spells of the campaign these days, with at least one club invariably becoming stranded at the bottom of the standings. The lack of competitiveness of teams 19 and 20 needs to be addressed. This could combine with the need to relieve the pressure on referees, TV companies and the game’s authorities to get games played in January - all forcing the Lega Serie A’s hand over reducing the size of the top flight.

Coach Conte impresses Pirlo Feb 3, 2012 Andrea Pirlo says he’s been surprised by the ability of Juventus boss Antonio Conte. The latter was appointed as the Old Lady’s new Coach in the summer despite his inexperience at the top level. Yet Conte has impressed for the work he has done tactically and mentally with the present Serie A leaders. “I didn’t expect an Antonio Conte like this,” the summer signing from Milan told Juventus Channel. “I didn’t know him as a Coach, he’s been a great find. He’s a really good tactician, someone who gives so much to his team and we are following him on every level.” Like Conte, Pirlo has been key to the Old Lady’s cause as he has been central to the Coach’s evolving tactics in Turin. “I’ve certainly had a positive season so far,” Pirlo added. “We’ve started the campaign well. We are top of the League and we hope to keep moving forward at this pace.” After Tuesday’s game at Parma was postponed, Juve return to action on Sunday when they host Siena. “It’ll be a difficult game because they are a well organised side. They play good football so we expect it to be as tough as other games.”

Juve to tighten grip on Buffon Feb 3, 2012 Juventus will soon open negotiations with Gigi Buffon in an effort to extend the goalkeeper’s contract. Buffon, now 34, is presently only tied to the Bianconeri until June 2013, but the club are keen to tighten their grip on him. According to reports in Italy on Friday, the Old Lady are ready to offer the veteran a new deal until the summer of 2016. The Italian international is currently the club’s top earner, given that he earns around €6m per campaign. Buffon, who will be the Juve captain next season once Alessandro Del Piero leaves the outfit, will be offered a reduced wage. It is believed that Buffon will accept a cut in salary in order to remain at the club where he expects to hang up his gloves. The net-minder moved to Juventus in the summer of 2001 after the Old Lady handed over a massive £32m to Parma for the ‘keeper.

Juve signings useful, not decisive Feb 3, 2012 Nicola Legrottaglie doesn’t expect Juventus’ new arrivals to make a telling difference to the side. The Old Lady, for whom Legrottaglie used to play for, netted three players in January – Roma’s Marco Borriello, Simone Padoin of Atalanta and Sevilla’s Martin Caceres. “The January signings won’t change the balance of the side,” the now Catania defender told Tutto Juve. “They will be useful over the course of the season, but the protagonists who have dragged Juve along during the first half of the campaign will remain the same.” Juve strengthened their position at the top of the table this week after their one point advantage over Milan remained despite their postponed game at Parma. “Milan’s loss to Lazio could give Juve an important advantage,” the former Chievo Verona stopper continued. “Milan now can’t mess up any more games, whereas Juventus are playing as a team. They are a collective. “Right now Juve are too strong for everyone else. It’ll be hard for anybody to takes points of them, especially in Turin.”

Juventus keen to open contract talks with Gianluigi Buffon The Italy international has a contract until the summer of 2013, yet the Bianconeri are very keen to keep him at the club until he hangs up his gloves. Feb 3, 2012 Juventus are keen to hold on until goakeeper Gianluigi Buffon until the end of his active career, and are ready to open talks with the Italy international about extending his current deal, Tuttosport reports. Buffon has a contract with the Bianconeri until the summer of 2013, but the club keen to reward him for his loyalty toward the club by offering him a new long-term deal. The glovesman joined Juventus from Parma in the summer of 2001, and has since made over 300 league appearances for the Old Lady. Unlike former team-mates such as Lilian Thuram, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira, Buffon opted to stay put at the Turin outfit after Juventus were relegated to Serie B for their involvement in the Calciopoli scandal in 2006. Talks with Buffon are not the club's absolute top priority, but general director Giuseppe Marotta is expected to open negotiations in the coming weeks.

Do Juventus have what it takes to win their first Scudetto since the 2002-03 Serie A season? La Vecchia Signora have yet to taste defeat this term and everything seems to indicate that the title will be theirs.. Feb 2, 2012 With Italy's Serie A at its mid-point stage, there's no question as to whom are the favourites to clinch the Scudetto come the end of the season. Juventus, Italy's most storied club with a staggering 27 league championships to their name, have been unstoppable this season, and they currently lead the Serie A with 44 points, one point more than their closest rivals AC Milan, and also with a game in hand. Juventus, who last won the Italian championship in their 2002-03 campaign, have undergone a rebuilding process since being relegated to the Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal, but finally after many years of difficulty it seems that La Vecchia Signora are back on their way to returning to being the force that they once were. Since the appointment of Antonio Conte in mid-2011 the former Juventus midfielder has changed the fortunes of the club. La Vecchia Signora have returned to being the protagonists of the Italian first division, and if they manage to continue with their impressive form there is no reason why they can't win the Scudetto this season. The reason for Juventus' change of fortunes has much to do with Conte, who has moulded together a side that may not count with such high-profile names, such as those of Inter and AC Milan, but on the other hand count with players who are characterised by both their determination and fighting spirit. The combination of youth and experience has worked wonders for Juve. Players who they purchased in the Summer of 2011, such as Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Eljero Elia and Mirko Vucinic have added a wealth of depth to the side. With Marco Borriello, Ouasim Bouy, Simone Padoin and Martin Caceres having reinforced the side following the winter transfer window, Juventus could possibly become even stronger. Meanwhile, the newly-built Juventus Stadium has become somewhat of a fortress for the Bianconeri, who have won seven and drawn three out of ten games at the 41,000-capacity venue this season. While an unbeaten Juventus could possibly extend their lead at the summit to seven points, once they play their catch-up game against Parma, perhaps the only problem that they have faced this season is finishing off their rivals. La Vecchia Signora have drawn a total of eight from their twenty games this season, which kind of downplays the fact that they are still unbeaten. Generally, having drawn so many games could end up being rather costly in the Serie A, and that is the reason why Juventus have to address the situation promptly. What has played to Juventus' advantage, however, is the fact that their closest rivals have been rather ordinary in recent weeks, as the likes of defending champions AC Milan, Udinese, Lazio, Inter, Roma and even Napoli haven't been at their best. This should pave the way for Juventus' much-awaited title.

Serie A - 3^ Giornata - Ritorno - 5-2-2012 (ore 15:00) - Juventus Stadium - Torino Arbitro: Sebastiano Peruzzo Confronti ufficiali 15 - 13 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) Vittorie Juventus 13 - 11 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) Pareggi 1 - 1 (Serie A) Vittorie Siena 1 - 1 (Serie A) Goals Juventus 33 - 29 (Serie A) - 4 (Coppa Italia) Goals Siena 9 - 7 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) Juventus - Siena in campionato a Torino Giocate: 6 Vittorie Juventus: 5 (l'ultima l'11.01.2009, 1-0) Pareggi: 1 (il 14.03.2010, 3-3) Vittorie Siena: 0 Goals Juventus: 15 Goals Siena: 5 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro il Siena a Torino in Serie A dal 1929/1930 6 presenze Del Piero Alessandro 4 Camoranesi Mauro German 4 Trezeguet David Sergio 3 Buffon Gianluigi 3 Cannavaro Fabio 3 Grygera Zdenek 3 Legrottaglie Nicola 3 Nedved Pavel 3 Zambrotta Gianluca 2 Chiellini Giorgio 8 goals Del Piero Alessandro 3 Trezeguet David Sergio 1 Candreva Antonio 1 Cannavaro Fabio 1 Emerson Ferreira Da Rosa 1 Salihamidzic Hasan Ultimi confronti diretti 27.02.2005 Serie A Juventus-Siena 3-0 21.12.2005 Serie A Juventus-Siena 2-0 30.04.2006 Serie A Siena-Juventus 0-3 23.12.2007 Serie A Juventus-Siena 2-0 04.05.2008 Serie A Siena-Juventus 1-0 11.01.2009 Serie A Juventus-Siena 1-0 24.05.2009 Serie A Siena-Juventus 0-3 25.10.2009 Serie A Siena-Juventus 0-1 14.03.2010 Serie A Juventus-Siena 3-3 18.09.2011 Serie A Siena-Juventus 0-1 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 8 - Pareggi 1 - Vittorie Siena 1 - Goals Juventus 19 - Goals Siena 4

Serie A - 2^ Giornata - Ritorno - 31-1-2012 (ore 20:45) - Rinviata Stadio "Ennio Tardini" - Parma Arbitro: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Serie A - Parma-Juve, rinvio tra neve e polemiche La partita del Tardini viene bloccata dalla neve: benché l'arbitro avesse dato il proprio benestare, le squadre hanno insistito per il rinvio in modo da salvaguardare la sicurezza degli eventuali spettatori sulle tribune. Non è ancora stata decisa la data del recupero. Eurosport - Martedí, 31 gennaio 2012 Parma-Juventus viene rinviata per maltempo. La neve copiosa caduta sulla Pianura Padana non cessa di affliggere la città emiliana, perciò, dopo lunghe trattative, la gara viene rinviata. Il problema, tuttavia, non è il campo: coperto per tempo con i teloni, il terreno di gioco ha cominciato a coprirsi di neve soltanto poco prima dell'incontro, una volta rimosse le protezioni. La vera problematica riguarda la sicurezza per i tifosi: con una nevicata così abbondante e abbinata al vento freddo, le tribune e le gradinate stavano cominciando a ghiacciare, rendendo pericoloso l'ingresso del pubblico nella struttura. La decisione non è stata presa né dall'arbitro, né dalla Lega, ma dal Gos (Gruppo operativo sicurezza) su particolare insistenza della Juventus, che oltre ai problemi interni alla struttura temeva anche problemi di ordine pubblico all'esterno, con l'area del Tardini congestionata dalle macchine per colpa del traffico rallentato dalla neve. Mentre la gente all'esterno, sotto gli ombrelli, si lamenta, non ci sta nemmeno l'ad gialloblù Pietro Leonardi. "La situazione è semplice. I giudizi devono essere sempre gli stessi e non essere modificati in base alle partite - dice - Io non ho detto che si doveva giocare ma che la decisione doveva essere presa dalle autorità competenti. Ci rimettiamo alla loro volontà. Ero arrabbiato perché questo tipo di risonanza non si è dato in occasione di Parma-Palermo, dove non vedevano nulla neppure gli stessi giocatori. Quello che mi ha dato fastidio è che c'era la volontà di non giocare a prescindere. Data di recupero? Non ne abbiamo parlato, da escludere di giocare domani". Pronta la replica del bianconero Beppe Marotta. "Era prevedibile che la partita non si potesse svolgere. Le previsioni meteo erano negative e poi bisogna considerare l'ordine pubblico perché l'incolumità degli spettatori deve essere garantita. Va considerato anche il fattore di viabilità. Bisogna capire che non si possono conciliare calendari di questo tipo con strutture obsolete e vecchie degli stadi italiani, con tutto il rispetto per la società Parma. Noi abbiamo costruito uno stadio, in grado di venire incontro a questi problemi. Questo è un messaggio che lancio a livello politico perché se si vuole garantire lo spettacolo bisogna avere strutture adeguate. Recupero? Noi abbiamo commentato positivamente il rinvio, per l'eventuale data mi rimetto anche ai regolamenti e al Parma e in concomitanza con competizioni europee non si possono stabilire date e orari". E' molto irritato per la situazione Antonio Conte. "Sono molto arrabbiato perché' era una situazione prevista - esordisce il tecnico della Juventus - Dopo la partita contro l'Udinese, quando sono rientrato negli spogliatoi mi hanno detto di aspettarci una situazione molto simile a Parma. Il problema è che lo stadio di Parma non è quello della Juventus, quindi sapevamo che oggi al 100% non si sarebbe giocata la partita. Secondo me si poteva fare qualcosa di più per giocare questa partita perché ci provoca comunque delle grandi difficoltà in quanto adesso dobbiamo rientrare a Torino: avremo dalle 10 alle 15 ore di pullman e dovremo ritornare a Parma un'altra volta. Ci si poteva comportare in maniera diversa. Mi dispiace aver sentito in televisione che la Juventus e io non volevamo giocare. Ci sono 10 cm di neve. Noi vogliamo essere messi nelle condizioni di giocare e oggi non c'erano e si possono vedere. Sapere che il tifoso del Parma possa pensare che noi non volevamo giocare la partita mi dà molto fastidio perché non è la verità. Si poteva giocare nel pomeriggio". Eurosport Parma - Juventus (rinviata)

Giuseppe Marotta promises more signings in the summer Juventus director has made it clear that the Turin club will continue to add to their ranks at the end of the season after making three January signings. Feb 2, 2012 Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has made it clear that the Bianconeri will continue to strengthen their squad in the future, as he has promised that more new signings will arrive in Turin in the summer. Players such as Eljero Elia, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Mirko Vucinic all found their way to the Old Lady in the summer of 2011, with Marco Borriello, Ouasim Bouy and Simone Padoin following suit this winter. The Bianconeri are not done just yet though as Marotta has insisted that they will continue to add fresh blood to their ranks. "It's a bit premature to already talk about it, but the process of renewing the team will continue in the summer," Marotta said to Tuttosport. The Juve chief refused to mention any potential transfer targets, but the Turin based daily claims that Real Madrid attacker Gonzalo Higuain is one of the Bianconeri's top transfer targets at the end of the season. The Argentine attacker has been used in a squad rotation system at Madrid so far this term, and could be allowed to move on at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

Marrone will emerge, say Juve Feb 2, 2012 Juventus insist that the capture of Simone Padoin from Atalanta won’t affect the development of Luca Marrone. Midfielder Padoin arrived from Bergamo this week and there are fears that he’ll now hinder the growth of Under-21 international Marrone. “These considerations are unfounded,” director general Beppe Marotta underlined. “Antonio Conte always selects the best XI available to him. “Marrone is an excellent player who can illustrate his ability. Given that he is so young, this experience will help his growth.” Marrone, born in Turin, has featured in two Serie A games this term and two in the Italian Cup. He returned to Juve in the summer after a spell at Siena last season under now Juve boss Conte.

Juventus want to hold on to Luca Marrone - agent The 21-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan to Siena but, after impressing of late, the Bianconeri are reluctant to let him leave again during the current transfer window. Jan 25, 2012 Juventus intend to hold on to Luca Marrone for the rest of the season, according to the player's agent. The 21-year-old midfielder did not feature for the Bianconeri for the majority of the first half of the season, prompting speculation that the player, who spent last season on loan at Siena, might be allowed to leave during the January transfer window. However, Marrone has impressed after being afforded some game time in recent weeks and his representative, Giuseppe Bonetto, insists that the Italy Under-21 international is staying in Turin. "Conte knew him well from having coached Siena and he wanted him at Juve because he knew of and appreciated his qualities,” the agent told TuttoJuve.com. “We’re calm and I believe that it’s clear that the intention of the club and of Conte is not to allow him to leave for anywhere else. “Indeed, if this question was put to the coach he would not answer it because they would not even have considered letting him go." Marrone is a product of the Bianconeri's youth academy and has now made four appearances for the senior team. He was a part of the Juve side which beat Roma 3-0 on Tuesday evening to reach the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia.