Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the Champions League match against Benfica, Juventus coach Thiago Motta spoke. Below are his answers to questions posed by reporters in the room.
What game do you expect tomorrow? What game will it take to bring home the three points?
“We will definitely need a very high level game against a very good team and great club like Benfica. We have to be ready to perform all the aspects we have to on the pitch and do well to beat the opponent and have the final victory.”
Missed Cambiaso in training: is there a physical problem or is it a market-related absence?
“He will not be available. You know that he had this situation with his ankle and he was also back with the group. He was participating, trying to help the team, but he is not feeling 100 percent right now and he preferred to take some time to fully heal his ankle discomfort.”
How concerned are you about the ups and downs in the season in perspective?
“The perspective is the goal tomorrow, to play a great game to get the win. We don’t like to lose. After a defeat, a team like ours has the need to forget as soon as possible, recover and prepare for the next one. This is part of our work. Tomorrow we have another big game to face and give a great performance to get the win.”
Juventus has looked brighter in Europe than in the league: is domano the right game to start again?
“The ultimate goal is to get to victory, and to get there there is daily work where the whole club, the boys and the technical staff work hard with great commitment. This is just the way to get to the victories, the ones that have come in the matches. In those where they have not come, we are not satisfied because our requirement is always to get to the victory. At the end of the day, things have to be taken like this: you work and continue. Tomorrow we have another great opportunity to prove our level, although looking at the last game, we cannot be satisfied and happy with the final result. We had a great first half against a team that at this moment but not only in the last few years is doing very well. That’s a lot of positive things and I see the team working very well.”
Is Vlahovic ready to play from the 1′ minute? How does the way of playing with a reference like him change compared to when Nico or Kolo Muani is there?
“Dusan is fine. Tomorrow he will be part of the group, let’s see if from the start or in a game in progress. We as a team have our way of playing, which is not difficult to understand. We are a team that wants to go forward, play good soccer with a lot of quality to put the opponent in trouble. Then each player, with his characteristics, tries to give his best for the benefit of the group and the team. If the latter works, then they are able to bring out their full potential. First the team and then the individual. This applies to Dusan as it does to others.”
How important is it for you and the team to see that society is close to the team?
“The society has always been close to the team, both to me and to the players. We talk daily about many things that we are doing well and others that we can improve and how to do it. I am serene and we are serene within a context where we know that the need is to get to victory. Some times we have been able to do that and some times we have not and we cannot be happy and satisfied with the latter. We must continue to work with maximum commitment, as our players are doing to get to our final goal, which, in tomorrow’s game against Benfica, is victory.”
Did he like Douglas Luiz’s recent entries into the game? Can he start from the 1′ minute tomorrow?
“Tomorrow he can have a chance to play because he deserves it too. Right now we have a lot of players available, more than a period ago. They are training very well and when they play they do it in the right way, with the right attitude. Douglas Luiz is part of the group and is a great player that we have like many others. Tomorrow we will see if he will start from the beginning or help the team in a game in progress.”
Considering the many draws and the distance in the league from the first, given the goal of returning to the title, how much pressure do you feel for tomorrow’s game? Can the one in Benfica be an advantage?
“It’s not a pressure, but a responsibility. We are in a big club, so the requirement is always to win. Tomorrow’s game is important, as was the one three days ago and the one next week. When you are at such a club, you never lower the level of demand, even in training. We always want to win. Sometimes we do a great job and come to get the win, and other times the job is good but we fail to win. Tomorrow is an opportunity for us to have a great game, playing at home in front of our fans, against a great opponent. We should not make any calculations before the game, just focus on the final goal.”
Against Napoli you talked about a physical decline: looking at the physical parameters of the players, could this be an aftermath of the emergency period that forced several players into overtime?
“In recent years Naples has been a difficult field for everyone. In Naples we had a very good first half, I would say a great first half, putting the opponent in great difficulty. It was clearly not enough to get our final goal, which was victory. In the second half we went down and when we are like that we can have difficulties as seen in the last game. There are times when we have to pull ourselves together for sure, but then afterwards go forward. So many things were done well and in so many others we have to improve, thinking about the next game. Naples is a closed chapter. Now we are focused and determined to do a great performance against Benfica to have the final result which is victory.”
The one against Benfica, considering the type and maturity of the team, is it better to approach it as a dry match?
“Our requirement is that of a big club. A team like ours must always seek victory. This is the most important thing. There are so many things to do. The daily work and commitment that the players put in is the basis for being able to get to wins. For us all games are important and there is not one that we can pick and choose and say whether it is more or less important. Tomorrow we will go on the field to play a great game and get the end result which is victory. Then we will see at the end what position we will be in in the Champions League and how we will face the future.”
Are Koopmeiners’ last few games a problem for you to solve?
“When you come from a defeat, you have a habit of pointing fingers at one or the other. In here we don’t point fingers at anyone. Koopmeiners has given so much so far and will continue to give so much. He is always working his hardest, both in training and on the field, never having an annoyance, an injury or a complaint about a position or role. When we had good games, getting the win, he also did very well. It means that when the team works, the individuals come through. Surely we can all improve whether it’s him or me first. That’s why we work every day at our best to improve our level. However, I am happy with both him and the other guys we have on the team. For their commitment and how they are approaching their work.”
Do you think Vlahovic can get depressed because of the choices not to start from the beginning or does he have to pull himself out of this situation as well?
“Practices are part of what I look at to choose the team to start games, always thinking in the moment about the best possible team. Dusan up to now has played a lot, even at times when he was not in the best condition because of our need. He did and will continue to do so because I am sure we can count on him. In this Champions League and if I am not mistaken he has scored 4 goals, helping the team so much. For tomorrow he is part of the group, he is well and regardless of whether he will start from the beginning or in a running game, I know he will help the team to get to the final goal.”
Danilo talked about fantasy projects at Juventus: did he have to talk to the team to explain how this is not the case or did it not help?
“I make a public thank you to Danilo for all he has given to this club and this team and wish him the best for the future.”
Juventus comes to the match in a calmer situation than Benfica?
“My opinion is that when we play against a big club we always have to be on the alert. Because when you are in big clubs you can only think about winning. That’s the only thing that matters. Obviously to get to victory there is a lot of work behind it. I don’t see Benfica in a complicated moment. I see a team with great players and a great coach and that tomorrow will try to prove their potential and value once again, looking for the maximum possible result. We will do the same. We come from a game in which we did not get the result we wanted. We have digested the defeat and now we have recovered players and are preparing to be at 100 percent or even more against Benfica.”
In your last interview with Giuntoli, did you talk about the market? Do you fear any major exits?
“We didn’t talk about the market. We talked about the team, how the guys are doing and how they are for tomorrow-the usual things we do on a daily basis. We are focused on what we have to do tomorrow. We have to finish this Champions League qualification well and then we will see what happens.”
Juve article, Thiago Motta: “Cambiaso out. Danilo? I wish him the best” comes from JuveNews.eu.
