The Juventus coach speaks on the eve of the match at Marassi: “Kean out for 3-4 weeks. Chiellini? He can do anything here.”
Juventus, coached by Max Allegri, is heading onto the field for the third consecutive Friday, this time against Genoa following victories against Monza and Napoli. “For the Marassi challenge, I’ll have Weah back, but unfortunately, Kean will be out for 3-4 weeks due to a shin problem. We’re likely to stick with the same starting eleven as last week, with Kostic and Cambiaso on the wings and Vlahovic and Chiesa up front.”
ALLEGRI’S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE
On the Approach to the Game:
We need to be aware of the type of match we’ll be facing. Genoa has good numbers and plays well at home, they are agressive. Gilardino is doing an excellent job, and additionally, we’ll be encountering 3 young players who grew up at Juve: Dragusin, De Winter, and Vogliacco. It’ll be a very different game from the last ones.
On Rabiot and Kean:
Adrien is doing well. We decided to stop Kean, who had a shin problem. He’ll be out for 3-4 weeks to solve the problem. The others are all available except for De Sciglio, who could be reintegrated into the team at the beginning of the year.
On Points to be Earned:
4 games remain at the end of the first half of the season; then, we’ll make the necessary evaluations.
On Chiellini:
We spoke after his retirement. He had an extraordinary career, finishing one part of his life, and now a new chapter begins. I believe he has all the characteristics to take on various roles; it will be his choice. As for Bonucci, I think he wants to become a coach; I wish him the best for when he decides to stop.
On the Duel with Inter:
At the beginning of the summer, it would have been difficult to imagine us doing this well. We started the season with an awareness of our limits, and then became a team, but it’s not enough yet. We need to stay grounded, maintain balance because a negative result can change our future outlook. We must first think about Genoa, which a significant challenge. We’ll try to get as many points as possible, but our goal remains one of the top four spots.
On What’s Lacking to Reach Inter:
They are the clear favorites, built to win the Scudetto. They said it themselves, and President Zhang confirmed it at the Christmas dinner. We have a different path: some players are doing well, and I’m happy, but we still need to improve. Taking it step by step, the championship is a journey, requiring balance, serenity, and the ability to handle difficult moments.
On 1-0 Victories:
The perfect result would always be to win 3-0 because I would suffer less. But what matters is always the three points.
On Comparison with New Generations:
There are many talented young coaches who need to make a career and replace us older ones. We try to defend ourselves well anyway. The truth is there’s no magic formula to win; no one has the absolute truth about football, there are too many variables.
On Yildiz:
Kean’s injury will give him more space. He’s growing, like many other young players.
On Chiesa and Vlahovic:
I’m very happy with the attackers. Dusan has played some excellent matches technically; he’s also in good physical and mental condition, even if he hasn’t scored and missed a penalty. Fortunately, our midfielders and defenders know how to score, but what matters is maintaining the right attitude.
On Miretti:
He trained well, hasn’t played in the last few matches for tactical reasons, but he’s an important player.
On Scudetto and Champions League Odds:
The Scudetto odds are won with 90-92 points, and the Champions League is reached somewhere around 72 points.
On What Has Surprised Him About His Team:
I’m not surprised, but now I’m intrigued by what we can do. The interesting thing is that we’ve become a team quickly, and everyone makes themselves available. There are no prima donnas, and that’s an extraordinary advantage.
On His Future:
I’m tired at all, I want to continue doing there. An executive role? Juventus has excellent ones; when the club is well-structured, it gives strength to the entire environment, and it’s been that way for 100 years
