Antonio Conte concedes Juventus “woke up from a wonderful dream, but are still in Europe’s top eight teams” after their Champions League exit.
Antonio Conte concedes Juventus “woke up from a wonderful dream, but are still in Europe’s top eight teams” after their Champions League exit.
The Bianconeri were unable to recover from the 2-0 first leg defeat and lost 1-0 in Turin too against last season’s beaten Finalists Bayern Munich.
“I think that the best team went through, which they proved in both legs. This side has been working together for a long time and always reaches the latter stages. They were created to win, so I don’t think it’s absurd to say this is the best Bayern team of all time.
“They are all very physical, work very hard and do so with quality. In football you have to be honest and tip your hat when you find stronger teams,” the Coach told Mediaset.
“This was an opportunity for us and we were basically newcomers to the Champions League after so many years out. We reached the quarter-finals, which in my view was something extraordinary.
“Now we know there is a long and pretty hard road to go on. That shouldn’t scare us, but it should help us keep our feet on the ground and not hear some talking about the Treble in pre-season. Those who say things like that have clearly never won anything in their lives.”
“When we were paired with Bayern, I said this was an opportunity for us to face an extremely strong side and understand the gap that separated us from the superpowers.
“What I liked the most was the attitude of the fans today, as they recognised what these lads have been doing. The applause at the final whistle was what the lads deserved, as they gave everything, but at times 110 per cent is not enough. I am very proud of the Juventus fans.”
The Bianconeri were certainly more aggressive than in the first leg and tried to counter-act Bayern’s pressing game, but the result was the same.
“It is inevitable when facing a side with the quality of Robben, Ribery, Mandzukic or Muller, they do not feel panicked under pressing and do not give the ball away. They welcome double-marking, as they can go past two in one go.
“We achieved a miracle last season by winning the Scudetto, so hopefully next year we can do something more in Europe, which would mean reaching the semi-final or Final – not to be sniffed at!
“I complimented the players and will be always grateful to them for the extraordinary things they have achieved in the last two years. We woke up from a wonderful dream, but are still in the top eight sides in Europe.
“We have something real to focus on now, as the Scudetto is there and we have to earn it.”