Coach Massimiliano Allegri held his first presser since returning to Juventus today: “I was thrilled and amused when we re-started. But there is no time for sentimentalism, it is the dawn of a new cycle and I have an excellent team at my disposal. We have some quality youngsters that must show the desire to improve. Plus, there are some veteran players that need to be exemplary and show the way.”
“Our previous 5 years together were wonderful, but this is a fresh start. We broke up because had to. Inter are the favorites for Scudetto since they are the reigning champions, but we want to dethrone them. Instead, Champions League must be more of a desire. I thank the other teams that approached me, but I quickly made up my mind when Andrea Agnelli called me out of love for Juventus.”
Allegri dished on Cristiano Ronaldo: “He is a great champion and a smart guy. We talked, like it happened with every player. I told him that it would be an important year and that I am happy to work with him again. He will have more responsibility than in the past because we have less experience now. I expect a lot from him, both in terms of scoring and leadership. He is in good condition and very motivated.”
On Paulo Dybala: “He is in a great spot mentally and physically. He is a gem of a player. He will be the vice-captain behind Giorgio Chiellini and could have a terrific season.”
Allegri singled out Adrien Rabiot and Dejan Kulusevski: “Rabiot is very skilled, but he can score more. The same goes for Weston McKennie, who is good in the box. I have only seen Kulusevski in two practices: He has a lot of room to grow.”