Claudio Marchisio has warned his Juventus teammates to be wary of Lazio’s Stadio Olimpico 'trap' which awaits them on Saturday.
Claudio Marchisio has warned his Juventus teammates to be wary of Lazio’s Stadio Olimpico 'trap' which awaits them on Saturday.
The Bianconeri face the Aquile in Serie A this weekend, hoping to maintain their lead over Roma at the League summit, and the midfielder has spoken highly of his side's next opponents.
“Is the challenge of Olimpico a trap? Yes it's true, and then after the international break it's always very difficult, regardless of your opponents,” Marchisio considered to Il Messaggero.
“You never know how to return from international duty.
“It will be a tough away match, Lazio can hurt us. We will find ourselves in a tough environment, against a great team who are tough, competitive, well-trained and are doing very well.
“We aren't just going on a trip, we want the three points, and they will also help us in view of the Champions League game we then face.
“If we beat Malmo, we'll have more than one foot in the knockout stages.
“Lazio for the Scudetto? Maybe in the future, they will need [the right] results and consistency, but for now Roma are our biggest rivals.”
Marchisio then addressed his personal relationships with Antonio Candreva and Daniele De Rossi, before touching on the controversial topics of fan violence during Italy-Croatia and reform in Italian football.
“Did Candreva and I tease each other [on Italy duty]? Frankly, we were focused on training. We arranged to meet on the pitch instead,” the 28-year-old added.
“Have I made up with De Rossi after Juve-Roma? No, because there were never any problems between us. When we wear the Azzurri jersey, we only think about Italy.
“I can't stand the violence inside and outside stadia. Is there anyone who isn't interested in the actual games? The less said [about them] the better.
“The problem is not the launching of fireworks during Italy-Croatia, but who came armed to San Siro, why did they and why were so many drunk?
“I'm a curious observer [of football]. I always hear about the youngsters, the older heads, but we must prioritise skill over age. We need people who are able to make radical change.”