One huge game after another: after sealing victory in the Derby Della Mole last weekend, the Bianconeri will lock horns with main title rivals Roma this Saturday at Juventus Stadium before aiming to lift the season’s first silverware next week in the Super Cup final against Milan.
Looking back, but mainly forwards on an all-important period in the club’s 2016/17 campaign was no other than legendary keeper and captain, Gianluigi Buffon.
Here’s what Gigi had to say today to the Sky Sport and Mediaset cameras:
Respect for Roma
“It’s an important match. They’re going well, spirits are high and it’s no surprise seeing them towards the top of the table. After all, Roma have world-class players in their ranks and an excellent coach in Luciano Spalletti who I rate very highly. He has plenty of experience and a clear style of play. Make no mistake, the Giallorossi have what it takes to challenge for the title this year.”
Fine frontmen
“At present (Roma forward) Edin Dzeko is one of the most dangerous strikers and he’s adapted perfectly to Spalletti’s style of play. He probably just needed a bit of time to find his feet in Italy, since he’d already proved what he was capable of before joining Roma.
“I’m always happy when Francesco (Totti) isn’t lining up against me. My respect for him knows no limits. He boasts the same outstanding talent as when he began his career and, if anything, he’s even more polished as a player than before. Not only does he represent Roma as a club, but also as a city.”
Right direction after derby
“We came away from our derby day win over Torino with our tails up because it was a tough game and there’ve been some positive and very pleasing signs in recent weeks, which perhaps can only be recognised by whoever experiences the day to day life of the dressing room. Besides growing on a technical level, I’ve seen a real dynamism return to this team.”
Champions League draw
“There’s no point denying that the draw could have gone worse. I believe it’s only honest to admit that. We’ll go into the tie as favourites, but we have to prove ourselves on the pitch because many teams win on paper but then fail to live up to their billing.
“We respect Porto a lot. They knocked out Roma and they’ve all the ability, experience and individual talent required to to impress in the international arena. It’s fair to say that we had worse luck in last year’s draw with Bayern Munich.”
Super Cup final coming up
“A final is always a special occasion and playing matches of this scale is important because you get used to situations in which you need to be at the races from the word go. That’s something that should be very useful for us going forwards.”
Motive behind the moustache
“It’s not a superstition or anything. I was just shaving one day and the raser ran out of battery before I’d got to trimming my moustache. At that point, I decided to keep it and reshape it slightly, but I suspect I’ll get rid of it soon…”
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