This evening will see the Primavera make their European bow when they face Fenerbahce in their first NextGen Series encounter, to be played at the Stadio Moccagatta in Alessandria.

And just a few hours before Marco Baroni’s young guns kick off against their Turkish opposition, Juventus Youth Sector co-ordinator Gianluca Pessotto and Alessandria Calcio president Maurizio Pavignano held a press conference to present the agreement between the two clubs, flanked by Justin Andrews, one of the founders of the prestigious 24-club youth tournament.   

“It’s a great day for us,” began Pavignano. “We’re proud to host such a competition. We have a friendly rapport with Juventus which started a few months back and is of value to us. Collaborating with one of the biggest clubs in the world is a source of pride but also an important platform that can bring us great coverage.”

“The club’s decision is a gift to us and also to Alessandria, a city that hasn’t hosted an international event for a while. I would like to thank Juventus for choosing us, Stefano Braghin for pushing for Alessandria as a venue and Gianluca Pessotto for honouring us with his presence when he visited our stadium a few weeks ago.”

“I would like to wish Juventus good luck and thank NextGen for the appreciation they’ve shown towards our location,” he added.

Pessotto then returned the favour by outlining the club’s gratitude for the opportunity to host the Primavera’s European adventure at an “ideal” venue.

“We’re grateful to the city of Alessandria and Alessandria Calcio for the structure they’ve made available to us. When we were invited to take part by NextGen we looked for a solution that brought across the idea of passion and huge desire to live and breathe football - and Alessandria represents the ideal choice. We hope the public appreciates it and enjoys the spectacle of youth football.”

The former Bianconeri defender went on to discuss the team’s hopes ahead of tonight’s first group clash.

“The NextGen series is an important competition as far as we’re concerned. Over the past few years we’ve only had the chance to face foreign teams at the Viareggio tournament, but it’s not often they get to the final stages. Now we have the opportunity to play prestigious clubs and strong opposition.”

“We’ll try and win the tournament, but also by allowing the lads to develop at the same time. Those who wear this shirt need to aim for victory and there are gradual steps that need to be taken in order to get there.”