Claudio Marchisio feels it is “a bit odd” Juventus” data-scaytid=”2″>Juventus are playing the Italian Super Cup in Lazio’s” data-scaytid=”3″>Lazio’s home stadium.
Claudio Marchisio feels it is “a bit odd” Juventus are playing the Italian Super Cup in Lazio’s home stadium.
The venue for the trophy was originally going to be Beijing, but weeks of heated arguments resulted in the Lega Serie A assigning it to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
This is where the Coppa Italia Final is regularly played and is considered Italy’s ‘neutral’ venue, though it also acts as home to Roma and Lazio.
“It is a bit odd playing in Lazio’s stadium when we are the Champions of Italy…” mused Marchisio in La Gazzetta dello Sport. It kicks off on Sunday at 20.00 UK time.
Some years ago the Scudetto winners tended to host the Italian Super Cup, with the Coppa Italia holders as the visitors.
“Oh well, let’s just say it is better to play in Rome than Beijing a week before the Serie A season begins. In China the humidity is incredible at the moment and I remember suffering a great deal last year.
“I expect great support from the Bianconeri at the Olimpico. Wherever we go, there are always many Juventus fans.
“We’re not alarmed by the poor pre-season friendly results. I see my teammates motivated and we want to win this trophy again,” continued Marchisio.
“It will be very tough, also on a tactical level, because last season we only beat Lazio once in four meetings and they knocked us out of the Coppa Italia.
“We were also unlucky, as in those games we almost always played better and created more chances, but in the end it’s the result that counts.”
The summer signings in attack have struggled to make an impact so far, with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente missing the target.
“Carlitos is great, but we above all hope this can be Juve’s game. Is Llorente in crisis? Some criticism seems exaggerated to me. He barely played at all last year and left Spain for a very different style of football. He needs time to understand that tactics are decisive in Italy.”