Socrates

Danilo bids Juventus farewell, aims several digs at the management: “I can no longer be part of this project” Danilo saluted Juventus fans as his contract termination was made official on Monday. The former club captain bid the Bianconeri farewell with an open letter that included a few subtle digs at the management. The 33-year-old was a stalwart at the club in recent years and inherited the captain’s armband in the summer of 2023 having already cemented himself as the de facto locker-room leader. ............ For his part, the former Real Madrid and Man City star penned an open letter to the Bianconeri supporters, explaining how this farewell isn’t easy for him. “Dear Bianconeri, I don’t know where to start, I knew it would come but you’re never ready to say goodbye. Five and a half years have passed but for me it’s like a lifetime,” wrote Danilo. “It’s never easy to part with a love, a place that has given me so much, a shirt with great emotions, a club where I rediscovered the values that have accompanied me throughout my career and learned from my parents.” ............ “I learned from the great men in the locker room, and I too have become a teacher and defender of these values. Tooth and nail, as if they were part of me, like the teachings to my children who have also made Turin their home and have become great fans of these colours. “Perhaps it’s out of respect for these values that I can no longer be part of this project. It makes me proud that I have never changed my way of being, my way of defending the most important club in my career.” ............ “I apologize to our fans for the moments in which I may have disappointed, never for lack of commitment, dedication, or hard work. And I thank you for the welcome, the respect, and the bond built along the way. “I have always felt like your representative on the pitch. When I listened to the anthem you sing at the stadium I was moved, I was fired up, and these things you cannot buy with every imaginative project.” ............ “To conclude, it is right to quote a phrase that a certain gentleman named Andrea Agnelli once said: ‘Our awareness will be our challenge. To live up to the history of Juventus. We will recognize each other everywhere with a glance. We are the people of Juventus.’ Thank you for everything. A hug from the captain, goodbye.” Danilo is widely expected to return to his native Brazil and sign for Flamengo. . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/danilo-bids-juventus-farewell-aims-several-digs-at-the-management-i-can-no-longer-be-part-of-this-project/

Renato Veiga arrives for Juventus medical ahead of transfer from Chelsea Chelsea defender Renato Veiga has arrived at the J| Medical Centre to undergo his medical tests ahead of his tranfer to Juventus. The two clubs reached an agreement in recent days over a dry loan until the end of the season which will cost the Bianconeri 4.5 million euros between fees and wages. The 21-year-old was pictured on Sunday night boarding a plane taking him from London to Turin. After landing in Italy last night, the player’s long day at Continassa has now begun, and his first stop is at the Juventus medical facility. ............ Whatever the case may be, Veiga will be the Old Lady’s third signing of January after his compatriot Alberto Costa and Randal Kolo Muani. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/video-renato-veiga-arrives-for-juventus-medical-ahead-of-transfer-from-chelsea/

MICHELE RUELLA https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Ruella Nazione: Italia Luogo di nascita: Torino Data di nascita: 07.01.1920 Luogo di morte: Pietra Ligure (Savona) Data di morte: 13.09.1982 Ruolo: Centrocampista Altezza: - Peso: - Soprannome: - Alla Juventus dal 1943 al 1944 Esordio: 28.11.1943 - Amichevole - Biellese-Juventus 5-2 0 presenze - 0 reti Michele Ruella (Torino, 7 gennaio 1920 – Pietra Ligure, 13 settembre 1982) è stato un calciatore italiano, di ruolo centrocampista. Michele Ruella Nazionalità Italia Calcio Ruolo Centrocampista Termine carriera 1950 Carriera Giovanili 19??-1936 Biellese Squadre di club 1937-1939 Torino 1 (0) 1939-1941 Pro Vercelli 49 (2) 1941-1942 Cuneo ? (?) 1942-1943 Biellese 27 (2) 1943-1944 Cuneo 14 (0) 1945-1947 Biellese 33 (0) 1947-1950 Asti 79 (0) Caratteristiche tecniche Era un mediano. Carriera Esordisce in Serie A il 24 aprile del 1938 in Torino-Napoli (0-0). Vanta un'ottantina di presenze in B tra Pro Vercelli e Biellese. Palmarès Club Competizioni nazionali Serie C: 2 - Cuneo: 1941-1942 - Biellese: 1942-1943

West Ham & Juventus agree on transfer formula for unhappy defender Juventus are still pushing to secure the services of Jean-Clair Todibo who didn’t enjoy a great first half of the season at West Ham United. The 25-year-old was one of the Bianconeri’s main tranfer targets to bolster the backline last summer. The club was one the verge of sealing an agreement with OGC Nice, but the player grew impatient when the talks hit a snag, so he decided to accept the Hammers’ proposal. However, the Frenchman’s first few months in East London were underwhelming, to say the least. ............ Motta called Todibo in recent hours, personally inviting him to join his ranks. Moreover, West Ham have reportedly agreed to send the former Barcelona man on loan with an option to buy, a formula that certainly pleases Juventus. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/di-marzio-west-ham-juventus-agree-on-transfer-formula-for-unhappy-defender/

Chelsea’s Veiga expected in Turin today to complete Juventus loan Renato Veiga is expected to arrive in Turin today, with Juventus ready to announce him as their new January reinforcement after reaching an agreement with Chelsea upon a loan deal. After signing Alberto Costa from Vitoria SC about 10 days ago, the Bianconeri kept working to provide coach Thiago Motta with another player in a department plagued by serious injuries. Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday afternoon that the 21-year-old is expected to travel from England to Turin later in the day, as Juventus are ready to make his signing official. ............ Romano also confirmed the Old Lady will pay around €5m for the straight loan, while the Premier League giants will keep paying the player’s salary for the next months before welcoming him back to Stamford Bridge in the summer. ............ . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/chelsea-veiga-turin-juventus/

The standout stats from Napoli vs Juventus – Kolo Muani the only positive Juventus saw their unbeaten run come to an end as they returned to Turin with nothing to show after suffering a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Napoli. The Bianconeri put on a good showing in the first period and took the lead through Randal Kolo Muani who was making his club debut having completed a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in recent days. However, Antonio Conte’s men pulled off a remarkable comeback in the second period. ............ We obviously begin by addressing the elephant in the room, as the Old Lady saw her 29-match unbeaten streak come to an end. The last time the club had suffered defeat in Serie A dates back to March 30th, 2024 when Adam Marusic scored a late winner for Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. ............ Nevertheless, the most miserable fact is Juve’s failure to maintain their lead this season. They have now lost 17 points from the lead, so they’re on course to beat their record of 21 points registered in the 2019/20 campaign. On the other hand, Kolo Muani was the solitary positive note from the whole debacle. The debutant has now become the first French striker to score for Juventus since the legendary David Trezeguet in December 2009. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/the-standout-stats-from-napoli-vs-juventus-kolo-muani-the-only-positive/

Sacchi explains what went wrong for Juventus in Napoli, but tips Motta to ‘win this challenge’ Legendary Italian manager Arrigo Sacchi still firmly believes in Juventus head coach Thiago Motta despite falling short in Napoli. Despite taking the lead in the first half through their debutant Randal Kolo Muani, the Bianconeri succumbed to their first defeat of the season in Serie A, as their league leaders turned the result upside-down in the second period with goals from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku from the spot. ............ “Juventus did well in the first half, they pressed high with the attackers, something they have almost never done in the past, and for this reason I appreciated them,” wrote the 78-year-old in his column. “But in the second half, they let themselves be overwhelmed and were not able to turn the action around. “Thiago Motta, who I know well and respect a lot, must not be demoralized. He is on the right path, as he is teaching his players a possession-based, modern, aggressive style of football. A little patience is needed, but I am convinced that Thiago, in the long run, will be able to win his challenge and will find success at the club. “The important thing is that the club must always support him, especially in delicate moments, because it is in those moments that coaches need help and advice.” ............ “Motta is a well-prepared, serious coach who loves his job and believes in his ideas. Look at what he was able to do with Bologna last season. He will also do it at Juventus, provided he has the time to convey his thoughts. “The match was fairly balanced in the first half, when the Bianconeri were good at pressing their opponents and trying to close down passing lines. It means that Thiago Motta had prepared the match well. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/sacchi-explains-what-went-wrong-for-juventus-in-napoli-but-tips-motta-to-win-this-challenge/

Italian journalist insists Thiago Motta ‘doesn’t like’ struggling Juventus star Paolo Condo believes Juventus coach Thiago Motta isn’t a big fan of Dusan Vlahovic, especially following his recent disappointing displays. ............ Luckily for the former Bologna tactician, the timely arrival of Randal Kolo Muani could solve this dilemma once and for all. Despite Juve’s defeat in Naples, the Frenchman proved he can be Motta’s answer for the striker role, as he has the ability to combine with his teammates in the buildup play, while also showcasing his instinct for goals by scoring on his debut. On the other hand, Vlahovic’s future in Turin looks increasingly sombre, especially with contract negotiations going nowhere. ............ “It’s clear that Thiago Motta doesn’t like Vlahovic, he wants him to participate in the team’s manoeuvre and Kolo Muani has shown he can do it,” noted the veteran journalist. “I don’t think Dusan will recover his starting place. So between what Juventus paid to sign him and what he earns, Juventus must do the maths well.” Vlahovic has also been linked with a potential move to Arsenal who are on the lookout for a new striker after losing Gabriel Jesus to injury. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/italian-journalist-insists-thiago-motta-doesnt-like-struggling-juventus-star/

Juventus lower their asking price for Manchester City target Manchester City have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Andrea Cambiaso with Juventus agreeing to lower their asking price. The 24-year-old has been one of the key players for Thiago Motta this season, but his performances have taken a hit following his return from an ankle injury. Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola and his collaborators have no doubt about the full-back’s quality, as they continue to chase his signature. ............ But while the Premier League giants are willing to splash the case, Juventus had been holding out for astronomical figures in the region of 80 million euros. Nevertheless, the Bianconceri directors have now adopted a more lenient stance. The Serie A giants have dropped their asking price. Therefore, Man City are expected to launch a bid between 60 and 65 million euros, and it could prove enough to break the Old Lady’s resistance. Juventus could use this sum to fund some of their transfer operations between January and June, or simply to balance the books, as the club’s finances remain far from reassuring. However, it should be noted that Cambiaso’s departure would leave a major gap in Thiago Motta’s squad. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/report-juventus-lower-their-asking-price-for-manchester-city-target/

Marseille relaunch attempts to sign Juventus struggler Olympique Marseille are reportedly offering Nicolo Fagioli an escape route from his Juventus woes as they look to forge a deal before the closure of the market. The Ligue 1 side have been linked with the 23-year-old earlier in January, but never launched a concrete bid. ............ However, the source reveals that the formula of the operation remains the biggest knot to untie. While Marseille would like to sign Fagioli on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season, Juventus must like to cash in on the player immediately as they look to raise funds for one or two remaining coups on the market. Hence, Juventus are pushing for a permanent sale, or at least a loan that includes an obligation to buy that would guarantee the club a capital gain in the summer. ............ Fagioli started his career on a decent note, making recurring appearances before suddenly falling behind in Thiago Motta’s pecking order. He has now been reduced to a benchwarmer, only making brief cameos in recent outings. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/sky-marseille-relaunch-attempts-to-sign-juventus-struggler/

Today’s Papers: This is Conte, No Juventus growth ............ ......... Conte eats up Motta Kolo Muani benches Vlahovic and flies. Antonio overturns them and moves to +6 and attacks: ‘If you’re at Juve, you need to win right away’ To the rivals for the title: ‘We’re a squad, others are just nice for the media’ This is Conte Napoli ruthless, Juve crushed and Inter at -6 Six victories in a row: Motta’s unbeaten run is ended (2-1) Anguissa and Lukaku’s penalty cancel the advantage from Kolo Muani: Inzaghi at Lecce with two games in hand. Gasperini beats Como 2-1 ............ Motta: Zero growth Conte tears them apart with Napoli (2-1) and says: ‘You have to win at Juve’ After the 1-0 from Kolo Muani, the game collapses, in spirit and in the standings (-16): Goals from Anguissa and Lukaku. First loss in the league and other worrying signals. Thiago: ‘Inexplicable, but losing is part of the job’ ............ . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/todays-papers-this-is-conte-no-juve-growth/

Second-half meltdown at Napoli spells Juventus’ first league defeat Much had been made of Juventus’ unbeaten start of the season. Yes, that had included far more draws than was desirable by this point in the year — and often it was brought up simply to discuss that fact — but Juve were going into their Saturday evening tilt with Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on the cusp of a 30-game unbeaten run domestically. It was always going to be hard to extend that run on Saturday. Juventus haven’t won in Naples since 2019, and Napoli were leading the league (barf) heading into the high-profile matchup. But after a relatively even first half that ended on the high note of new loan signing Randal Kolo Muani scoring on his debut, it looked like Juve had every chance of doing just that. Unfortunately, the Juventus side that came out of the locker room for the second half was not the same one that went in. Juventus were forced to defend deep immediately, and never recovered. In the first 10 minutes of the half, Napoli held 89 percent of the possession in the half. By the 69th minute, when Romelu Lukaku turned the game around with a penalty kick — given away via a horrific mistake by Manuel Locatelli — the number was still at 82.8. Juve were never able to muster up anything close to a response. ............ Ultimately, the 2-1 defeat was incredibly deserved. Juve simply choked the second half away. Now, it will remain to be seen how the team will react now that they finally do have a loss in Serie A play — whether it will be a rallying point for a strong finish or the beginning of another second-half-of-the-season meltdown. ............ But they were in their normal spots when a huge early chance came their way. Cambiaso’s interception sent González down the left side. He pushed the ball to Thuram who made a beautiful entry pass into the box. Kolo Muani threw a perfect dummy and the ball found a completely unmarked Yildiz. The teenage Turk stopped short to let Spinazzola slide past him before firing for goal, but Meret managed to recover and lunge to parry it away, with Koopmeiners shinning the rebound way high and wide. The long move started at the sideline near midfield, where McKennie deftly slipped the ball out of a double team to Koopmeiners. He pushed it forward to Yildiz, who in turn found Cambiaso running for the byline. The full-back missed a wide-open Kolo Muani with his cross, but Lobotka headed the ball right back to Yildiz in the box. He tried to square it for a shot for Koopmeiners, but a lunge from Anguissa deflected it back towards his own goal, where Kolo Muani tracked it over his shoulder and skipped a volley into the net with Meret completely stranded. Perhaps going straight into the locker room took that momentum and turned it into a crash. We’ll never really know what happened in those 15 minutes, but whatever it was, the 11 men who walked out were completely different from the ones who went in. Juventus were sealed into their own half from the first whistle. Unlike the second half, nothing they could do could help them escape. Napoli’s press completely suffocated Juve, preventing them from stringing any kind of passes together to break out of there. ............ It was Anguissa who was given another bite at the apple in the 57th minute. Well, really two bites, since it was his blocked shot that started the move. Politano recovered the ball and fed it in to Lukaku, who was forced away from goal by Kalulu and returned it to the winger, who got a step past Cambiaso to loft a ball to the back post, where Anguissa took advantage of a huge pocket of space between McKennie and Gatti and rose for a powerful header, this time one that Di Gregorio had no hope of reaching. ............ But there was no escaping the whistle when Locatelli made an incredibly rash slide into McTominay and drew a whistle almost immediately. Lukaku made no mistake, sending Di Gregorio to one side as he calmly slid the ball down the middle. As the 75th minute approached, marking the half-hour mark of the second half, the numbers were insane. Napoli had maintained 82 percent possession in close to 30 minutes of play, outshooting them 8-0 and gaining five corners to none for the Bianconeri. It was an astounding level of dominance, one that I don’t remember Juve having been on the receiving end of for a long time. ............ LE PAGELLE MICHELE DI GREGORIO - 6. The save he pulled on Lukaku was incredible, but he also had some shocking moments in distribution in the first half that could have gifted Napoli a major chance. WESTON McKENNIE - 5. Got toasted a few times by Neres and especially Spinazzola, and there was clearly some miscommunication about who was supposed to be marking Anguissa on the equalizer. PIERRE KALULU - 6. ............ FEDERICO GATTI - 5. Piled up the counting stats with seven clearances, but his marking on Lukaku on the play that led to Di Gregorio’s save was bad, leaving far too much space between him and his man. It’s also hard not to say he should’ve backed off and helped McKennie on Anguissa, because the runners in the middle looked covered. ANDREA CAMBIASO - 5. ............ MANUEL LOCATELLI - 4.5. Not quite the force he was against Milan in the first half, but still relatively successful in helping Juve to nearly 60 percent of possession in the opening period. But after the break was an entirely different matter. He allowed Napoli’s midfield to overwhelm himself and Thuram, and the slide in on McTominay is an inexcusable error born of recklessness. Loca is quite good at slide tackles, and sometimes it feels like he thinks that’ll make every one of them successful. KHEPHREN THURAM - 5.5. ............ KENAN YILDIZ - 5. Did a great job with that early chance except at the end. It was an excellent save by Meret, but he also could’ve placed it a little bit better. His defensive support was a little lacking today as compared to his usual standard. TEUN KOOPMEINERS - 4. Took two shots and ballooned both of them into the crowd, Dropped a little deeper to pick up the ball and work out of midfield but wasn’t able to get anything done. He needs to start turning things around. NICO GONZÁLEZ - 5.5. ............ RANDAL KOLO MUANI - 6. Scored with his sixth touch in a Juventus shirt, and it was an excellent finish, volleying on the turn past a helpless keeper. Unfortunately he was given nothing to do in the second half by a team that had completely gone flat. SUBS SAMUEL MBANGULA - 5.5. ............ NICOLÒ SAVONA - 5.5. ............ FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO - 5.5. ............ DOUGLAS LUIZ - 5. ............ DUSAN VLAHOVIC - NR. ............ MANAGER ANALYSIS This game’s tough to figure out. The first half was played quite well. They had 60 percent possession, outshot Napoli, and went in with the lead. They had all the momentum going into halftime. Obviously, credit must be given to Napoli for playing the way they did in the second half — likely Antonio Conte was flinging water bottles around the locker room during the break — but this collapse is kind of mind-boggling, especially considering that Motta told DAZN’s on-field reporters before the second half kickoff that what was needed was more of the same in the second half. Motta’s intention was clearly to continue to play on the front foot in the press. His comments both at halftime and after the game make that abundantly clear. He repeatedly brought up the fact that Napoli don’t have a European schedule to deal with this year as a factor in the second-half collapse, which I frankly didn’t like. Yes, this is a young team that still needs experience when it comes to playing two games a week, but it’s still smells of excuses, and there really aren’t any for this kind of showing. ............ LOOKING AHEAD Wednesday sees Benfica come to Turin. It will be the first meeting between the two historic clubs since the Portuguese giants won both games in the 2022-23 group stage, the second one in dominant fashion before a late comeback made the score far more respectable than it had any right to be. After that, Juve will get two very winnable league games in Empoli (home) and Como (away) before they welcome Inter to the Allianz for the second leg of the Derby d’Italia. . Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/1/26/24351907/napoli-juventus-2025-serie-a-matchday-22-final-score-result-match-recap-analysis-thiago-motta

“Seen many times now” Guardalá highlights ongoing Juventus issue after Napoli loss Juventus showed that old habits are hard to shake as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Napoli at the Maradona Stadium this evening, despite taking the lead. The loss highlighted recurring issues within the Bianconeri squad, with familiar flaws surfacing once again in a game that required a much sharper mentality. ............ Despite taking the lead, Juventus struggled to build on their advantage. Instead of pushing for a second goal to assert control, the men in black and white fell into a defensive posture, an all-too-familiar approach this season. Napoli took full advantage of this hesitation, growing in confidence as the game wore on. The hosts equalised and then turned the match around with a second goal following sustained pressure on the Juventus defence. ............ The defeat drew sharp criticism from Giovanni Guardalà, who reflected on Juve’s inability to hold onto a lead and adapt effectively in such high-stakes encounters. He commented: “This is something we’ve seen many times now. When Juventus takes the lead, they drop back, suffer, they don’t have the ability to defend inside the penalty area like in the past. They had one of the best first halves with courage, conviction—they were scoring right from the start with Yildiz, Meret was good, but they could have done more. They found the first goal at the end and the game didn’t seem to be on track, but Juventus could have managed it differently.” ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/seen-many-times-now-pundit-highlights-ongoing-juventus-issue-after-napoli-loss/

Juventus 1 - Napoli 2: Initial reaction and random observations As Juventus came out of the tunnel to begin the second half Saturday night, Thiago Motta was asked what his team needed to do to stay in front of the current league leaders. Having just taken the lead before the halftime break, Motta told the DAZN sideline reporter that Juve simply needed to continue what they had done in the first half — an opening 45 minutes that was certainly eventful even before his team went in front. One thing that didn’t take long to see: the Juventus of the second half was very much not like the one that went into the half. ............ The glow of Randal Kolo Muani giving Juventus the lead on his Juventus debut didn’t last long, as Napoli came out like absolute gangbusters and took full advantage of Motta’s squad very much not doing as their manager said they needed to do in the second half. It was the perfect storm of sorts — Napoli playing like a team absolutely possessed and Juventus basically being just the opposite of that as they tried to hold onto their lead. The result proved to be a 12-minute span where Napoli got goals from Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku to flip the scoreline in their favor and hand Juventus a 2-1 loss at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. It’s the first loss in Serie A for Thiago Motta as Juventus manager. Yes, even though a good amount of all those draws that Juve have racked up so far in Serie A this season have certainly felt like losses. When I say that Juventus saw barely any of the ball as Napoli were building toward tying the game through Zambo Anguissa, I ain’t kidding, my friends. Napoli had a stunning 90% possession through the first 10 minutes of the second half. ............ Oh, and one more second-half stat for good measure: Juventus didn’t record a single shot against Napoli in the second half. Not a single one. Hard to record any sort of xG when you don’t. ............ RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS Well, at least Kolo Muani scoring on his Juve debut was cool. Pretty much everything that happened after the goal that put Juventus in front wasn’t, but the goal was. I’m still shaking my head whenever the fact that Juventus didn’t have a single shot in the second half pops into my train of thought. Just a total mess. ............ At the top of that list might as well be Teun Koopmeiners, who again had a rough night despite the fact that he was very much playing deeper than he has been in recent weeks. At this point, it’s hard to say how much of it is him being used incorrectly, his confidence being shot or just about anything you can think of. There is not one singular reason for a player as talented as Koopmeiners is to be playing far from his best. At some point you have to believe it start to click again. The problem is, we just don’t know when that is. Zambo Anguissa shots against Juventus: 5. Juventus shots as a team: 5. No shots in the second half — really! Still shaking my head. ............ It’s interesting that 1) Dusan Vlahovic didn’t start in one of the biggest remaining domestic matchups of the season and 2) he didn’t come into the game until the 82nd minute when Juventus were very much in need of a goal. As much as Juventus will probably try not to make it out to be much of a thing, but it certainly seems like something is there. In the eight minutes Vlahovic played before stoppage time arrived, he touched the ball all of ... one time. If Kolo Muani touched the ball more than five times in the second half, I would be shocked. That’s just how much Juve were pinned back and didn’t have the ball. Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/1/25/24351724/juventus-napoli-2025-serie-a-matchday-22-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

Thiago Motta: ‘Juventus do not have same luxury as Napoli’ Thiago Motta blamed fatigue and a packed fixture list for the fact Juventus fumbled another lead for the defeat to Napoli. ‘We do not have the luxury’ of one game per week. The Bianconeri had gone into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead thanks to debutant Kolo Muani, who took just six touches in Italian football to get the goal on his debut. However, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa’s header and a Romelu Lukaku penalty turned it around, as Juventus have incredibly fumbled 17 points from leading situations in Serie A this season. ............ “I am disappointed with the defeat. We had a good first half, causing our opponents a lot of problems, a side that is not top of the table as a fluke, because they have a great coach and had the opportunity to prepare all week for this,” Thiago Motta said. “However, we did not have that luxury and it showed, because all the good work we did in the first half, we struggled to replicate in the second, and that is why we were unable to win.” ............ “We reacted well in many other situations, we just didn’t do it today. Juventus have not won here since 2019, it is important to point that out, it is the sixth consecutive defeat for the club here, so evidently that is a tough place for Juventus,” continued Motta. ............ “We showed strong character in the first half, played good football and caused our opponents problems by keeping possession, which is not easy here,” insisted Motta. “We limited an important player like Lobotka and the idea was to be very solid in the second half, because we were against the Serie A leaders who are in good physical shape and were well-rested, whereas we were coming off a tiring game in Bruges. ............ . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/thiago-motta-juventus-not-same-luxury-napoli/