Juventus director Beppe Marotta praised Max Allegri’s man-management, but warned “there are few players out there worthy of this shirt.”
The Bianconeri host Genoa in Serie A this evening. It kicks off at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for the line-ups and Liveblog.
Juventus director Beppe Marotta praised Max Allegri’s man-management, but warned “there are few players out there worthy of this shirt.”
The Bianconeri host Genoa in Serie A this evening. It kicks off at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for the line-ups and Liveblog.
“The squad and Coach are very experienced, both in Italy and international football, so they are accustomed to living with this type of pressure,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium.
“At the same time, there is a strain in this tour de force and it’s understandable. The Coach puts the best XI on the field for that particular match and that includes finding those with the greatest motivation.
“If we remember the first days when Allegri arrived and the protests against him, the same banners we now see are hailing his performance.
“He always had these capabilities, but arriving in a difficult situation and being able to win over the fans was a great way of showing that Allegri is not just a fine tactician, but also excellent at dealing with the players as men, as a group and of rotating them based on their requirements.”
Gonzalo Higuain did not score over two legs against Barcelona, but Marotta assures it was not a disappointing contribution.
“As a spectator and director, I thought Higuain had a great performance in Barcelona and worked for the team. He is a modern striker, so doesn’t just sit there waiting for the ball, but sacrifices himself for the team.
“We have to give a lot of credit to this group, which includes all of the players and the managerial staff. Some played less than others, but everyone gave a significant contribution to the overall campaign.”
When it comes to transfer speculation, Marotta warned bringing in new faces is more complicated than some might think.
“It’s not easy to improve the squad, as there are few players who are worthy of this shirt, while the current side is giving us guarantees for both the present and the future.”
A new signing has already been made, as Pablo Bentancur is on his way from Boca Juniors next season.
“It is our duty to monitor young players and try to get them under contract. He is still very young and a promising player, so it’ll be up to Allegri to evaluate him and decide what is the best course of action. It’s not as if he’ll arrive and the first day he’ll be used in the starting XI, we don’t want to put too much pressure on him.”