15 February 2023
This afternoon was the moment for the pre-match press conferences at the Allianz Stadium ahead of the Europa League knock-out round play-offs. Coach Allegri and Gleison Bremer gave the Juve side of the story on the eve of the first leg against Nantes.
MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI
"Nantes have lost only once, against Olympique Marseille, in the last ten games, collecting six clean sheets along the way. It's a tie that is played over 180 minutes. I have great respect for the French team but here we have to lay the foundations that allow us to go to Nantes with a good lead. A new European path begins for us, it is an important objective because it could be a gateway to the Champions League. We want to go all the way.
"For me it is a debut on the bench in the Europa League. Our Champions League exit has left us with a bitter taste in our mouths and we're fired up. Playing in Europe gives us the possibility to fill the fixture list, it's better playing twice a week. We do this job for the challenge, to face important games. The stadium will be full and this is a good signal from the fans, who are helping us a lot."
The coach then touched on the fitness of some of the players, "[Juan] Cuadrado and [Leonaardo] Bonucci have recovered, Leo will also be called up to let him savor the match climate again. The only ones out are [Paul] Pogba, Kaio Jorge and [Arek] Milik. We hope to get Pogba back as soon as possible, he trained with the team this morning but he's still catching up. Chiesa has recovered well after Sunday's match, which is already a positive sign."
Allegri closed with two considerations, "I want to send a big hug to the Nantes player [Ignatius Ganago] who lost his little girl. I'd also like to wish good luck to Juventus Next Gen, who are playing the return leg of the semi-final of the Coppa Italia against Foggia tonight - let's hope they reach the final."
GLEISON BREMER
"It's an important match. We want to go the distance taking it one match at a time, starting from tomorrow. Nantes are a well-organised team that play well. We will have to be just as well organised on the pitch. We have to look at every single game as a final. We are a good team with a strong squad of players, we know the difficulties we are going through but we have closed ranks and reinforced our group spirit."
The Brazilian defender, in his debut seaon at Juve, then commented on his personal learning curve, "I'm always ready to play for the coach and the team. Whether it's a three-man or a four-man backline, it makes no difference. Last season at Torino we used man-marking, now I'm learning zonal marking. For now my overall performance is positive, apart from a few matches like those against Napoli and Monza. I want to continue growing and improving all the way to the end of the season."
