06 February 2018
FEELING STRONG AGAIN
“I’m feeling good: I had been out for a month or so and against Sassuolo I entered the pitch without even having time to warm up, but now I'm available again to the coach.
“It’s down to me to keep training with the same desire and determination as I always have done so that I can have more opportunities to play.”
HIGUAIN’S HAT-TRICK
“Gonzalo did brilliantly to bring the ball down and skip past the goalkeeper. That goal reminded me a little of what Paul Pogba did at Carpi.
“Pipita is in great shape and must always remain focused and continue like he has been because he is decisive for us and we have not won anything yet.”
BUSINESS END OF THE SEASON
“We are enjoying an excellent season and the seventh consecutive Scudetto is one of three key objectives that we want to achieve. Napoli have changed very little in recent years and they’ve grown a lot in terms of experience and trust. They’re going very well and we know that it won’t be easy. The gap between us is paper-thin and things can change at any moment.
“Now we have to put aside the impressive performance against Sassuolo and focus on Fiorentina, which is historically a very difficult away trip, in which we will have to be very careful. Then we will be taking on Tottenham and Torino, as we start to enter the business part of the season. We have to think game by game because we cannot afford to make any mistakes.”
ONE WEEK UNTIL TOTTENHAM
“We already had the chance to come up against them last summer and, beyond the fact that they have a star player in Harry Kane, they have a really complete squad with technical and physical players and we know it won’t be easy at all. We play the first leg at the Allianz Stadium and we will have to make home advantage count on the night and, above all, avoid conceding.”
BUFFON: AN EXAMPLE TO US ALL
“Gigi is as determined as ever: the injury took longer to recover from than expected, but he returned to action very strongly indeed. Obviously, the fact he saved a penalty will have given him a huge boost.
“As for the future, each of us must make his own decision. That’s the way it should be. Gigi is an example for us all in terms of desire and determination. He teaches us every day not only because of his age and experience, but for his character and personality in the dressing room. He is never tired of winning and always sets himself targets, as we all do.”
“Undoubtedly the strikers are under the greatest spotlight, and in these years Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved extraordinary things. When it comes to the Ballon d’Or, there are players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta and Xavi who have never managed to win it.
“For sure Gigi would have deserved the award for the career he has had and for the last few years at Juventus, not only for the record of consecutive Scudetto titles but also for the two Champions League finals.”
MARCHISIO & THE FUTURE
“I have two and a half years left on my contract with Juventus. What matters most to me is that I feel good and help my team-mates. In football, you never know what can happen, but even if something ever happened, then I would never wear the shirt of another Italian team.
“However, I repeat: I'm happy to be here and if I still train with the same desire and determination every day, despite going through the problems I’ve had, it's because deep inside I’m still highly motivated and determined to win all the time.”
