16 July 2014
Massimiliano Allegri has outlined his determination to maintain the Bianconeri’s winning tradition during his first press conference as Juventus manager.
The 46-year-old, officially appointed this afternoon, says it is an “honour” to step into the prestigious hotseat and has vowed to build on the giant strides made by the club over the past three years.
Speaking to the media, the Tuscan tactician began: “It was a bolt from the blue when I was asked as to my availability for the position. I’m happy, honoured and I know how big a job this is. From tomorrow I’ll start working alongside the club and team to build for an important and winning season.”
Allegri appreciates that following in the footsteps of Antonio Conte will be no easy task, but remains convinced he has the required credentials to win any doubters over.
“He represented a great deal as a player and manager, he dominated and achieved great things in Italy and I understand the fans’ scepticism, because in the space of just one day Juventus have a new coach.
“Winning them over will require victories, hard work, respect and professionalism. I spent four years at Milan and consider myself ready to continue the run of success enjoyed by the team over the last three seasons.”
These consecutive triumphs mean Allegri has a strong pool of talent with which to work with, and he insisted there will be no radical changes as he seeks to push the team on even further.
“Making widespread changes wouldn’t be a particularly wise move. I’ll work on the players’ attributes and try to improve them further. Changing system wouldn't make sense.
“The three consecutive titles make us favourites in Italy and we’ll compete all the way for the title. There are great clubs in Europe, but with a shrewd transfer policy and organisation we’ll try to enjoy an excellent Champions League campaign, just as Atletico Madrid did last season. Juventus must be among the top eight teams in Europe, it’s our duty.”
In the coming days Allegri will be reunited with Andrea Pirlo, a player he says he is “lucky” to be able to work with again following their time at Milan.
“I have a great relationship with Pirlo. He’s a world class performer and always played when he was with me at Milan. He was unlucky in his last season due to a few injuries and struggled to fully recover, subsequently moving to Juventus, but thankfully, after three years, I’m lucky enough to be able to work with him again.”
