08 August 2015
Leonardo Bonucci and Gianluigi Buffon believe Juventus sent out a significant message to their rivals with this evening’s Italian Super Cup triumph over Lazio in Shanghai.
Changes in personnel over the summer have seen experienced performers replaced with an up and coming generation, prompting doubts in certain sections of the media over whether the team could sustain its level of success, but the Bianconeri showed they hadn’t lost their winning touch at the first time of asking.
Bonucci began: “It was crucial that we won tonight to send a message to those who had their doubts about this new Juventus. One thing that hasn’t changed is our desire to will.
“We played a great match in adverse conditions. It was a tough encounter, but we handled the situation well and didn’t give away much ground to a Lazio side boasting three top-class forwards.”
Captain Buffon spoke about the new-look Juventus during his pre-match press conference and believes the club has positioned itself well to keep the good times rolling in Turin.
The goalkeeper added: “If there was a time for the squad to be freshened up and for us to be a little more daring, this was definitely it. We’ve laid the foundations to enjoy plenty of success over the coming years.”
He also had glowing words for the maturity displayed in overcoming a Lazio outfit who gave the Bianconeri a good run for their money until Mario Mandzukic tipped the balance in Juventus’ favour on 69 minutes.
“It was a tough game against an excellent and well-organised side who had 10 days on us in terms of their preparations. We did well to not force the tempo and our play in certain moments, allowing us to ration our energy well across the 90 minutes.”
