Claudio Marchisio

[Socrates 8335]

Agnelli: Marchisio Is Already A Juventus Legend

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/agnelli-marchisio-is-already-a-juventus-legend/?

Jul 6, 2015

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli spoke after the official announcement of Marchisio’s renewal, praising the midfielder’s longevity and loyalty to the club.

Marchisio signed a long-term deal that will see him remain at the club until 2020, after first joining the the Bianconeri first team in 2006. The Italian would however have to wait until the 2008-09 campaign, when he finally broke through following a two-year loan stint with Empoli.

Agnelli spoke at a press conference when the announcement of Marchiso’s contract was made, commending the 29-year-old’s great service to the club.

“The whole day is dedicated to Marchisio,” Agnelli told the press.

“He has spent so many years with the club, going from the youth team to the first team and even wearing the captain’s armband.

“Marchisio is already a legend despite not even being 30 years old yet, and has already reached 300 caps.

“With this five-year renewal, he now becomes one of Juventus’ elder statesmen; it is both an honour and a responsibility.”

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio Misses Start Of Pre-Season Through Illness

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/07/juventus-midfielder-misses-start-of-pre-season-through-illness/?

Jul 20, 2015

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio will not join up with his team-mates for pre-season as originally scheduled due to the midfielder being sidelined by the flu.

The Bianconeri’s international players had been scheduled to return to training on July 20 to start pre-season ahead of the 2015-16 season.

However, the Italy international will not be present as according to Sky Sport Italia he has called in sick and no return date has yet been placed for Marchisio’s return to full fitness.

Marchisio was an important part of the Old Lady’s success last season; making 47 appearances in all competitions.

Marchisio’s value to the side is expected to increase following the departure of Andrea Pirlo for New York City FC and the Juve youth product signed a five-year contract at the start of July.

[Socrates 8335]

Milan a threat to Juventus dominance - Marchisio

The midfielder believes the Rossoneri will be a different force to the side that finished 10th last season.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2015/08/03/14115692/-?

Aug 3, 2015

Claudio Marchisio has predicted that AC Milan will provide Juventus with their toughest competition for the Scudetto this season.

The Bianconeri have won four Serie A titles in a row since the Rossoneri triumphed under Massimiliano Allegri (who now coaches Juve) in 2011.

After finishing 10th last season under Filippo Inzaghi, Milan sacked the coach and hired Sinisa Mihajlovic as his replacement.

A string of high-profile signings including Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano and Andrea Bertolacci have since arrived, with Marchisio noting the potential threat they could pose.

"If I had to guess who would be our main opposition this season, I'd go Milan because of their history and who they are," the midfielder told La Stampa. "It is also because for many years they have not won now.

"It's normal that we've been tagged as favourites because we've won four years on the trot. But such talk is not in our nature to take seriously. We know it will be difficult, as it was last season."

Juve, meanwhile, head into next season having sold three of their best players, with Carlos Tevez joining Boca Juniors, Arturo Vidal leaving for Bayern Munich and Andrea Pirlo moving to New York City FC

"Pirlo, Vidal and Tevez were key players but it is normal that after years with us there are changes," Marchisio added. "It's a case of bringing in new blood, really.

"It will increase the responsibility for players such as myself. The core of this team has stayed, I think, and other top players are being brought in from elsewhere."

[Socrates 8335]

Juventus have silenced critics, says Marchisio

The Italy international has taken a dig at those who questioned
the Serie A champions could cope with the loss of several key figures.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2015/08/10/14321142/-?

Aug 10, 2015

Claudio Marchisio has voiced his delight with Juventus' 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana victory over Lazio, claiming the Scudetto holders have silenced their critics.

The Turin side lost the likes of Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez this summer and a number of pundits suggested that the Bianconeri's cycle of success might be coming to an end.

Hoewever, new signings Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala both netted in the comfortable win over Lazio and Marchisio feels that Massimiliano Allegri's men proved that they remain the team to beat in Serie A.

"There were people out there who thought everything would be much more complicated for us after we lost some important players," Marchisio told Tuttosport.

"Those players who were not at Juventus last season gave the perfect response by scoring both goals.

"The win over Lazio was an important signal to those who claimed our cycle is over. Of course, we are still only at the start of the season, but it has been a positive start.

"We still have room for improvement, but that's only normal. The match against Lazio was a final and finals are all about winning. That was what mattered most."

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio scare for Juventus

http://www.football-italia.net/71192/marchisio-scare-juventus?

Aug 18, 2015

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio missed training with a thigh injury, and will be assessed later today.

The Bianconeri have suffered a number of pre-season setbacks, with Sami Khedira, Alvaro Morata and Giorgio Chiellini also sidelined.

Chiellini returned to the group for today’s session, but now Marchisio could be a doubt for Sunday’s Serie A curtain-raiser against Udinese, as Calciomercato reports the Italian international missed the session with an injury.

The thigh injury is not thought to be serious, but could still see the midfielder ruled out of Sunday’s match, with a scan later today to determine whether he can play.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio ruled out for three weeks

The 29-year-old midfielder missed training on Tuesday to undergo a scan which revealed
he had damaged his right hamstring and will miss the first two games of the season.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2015/08/18/14546852/-?

Aug 18, 2015

Juventus have confirmed that Claudio Marchisio will be out of action for three weeks with a muscle injury.

The midfielder missed out on Tuesday's training session in order to have his right leg scanned.

The tests revealed that the 29-year-old has damaged his hamstring, while the club revealed that he will require at least 20 days to recover from the injury.

The injury sees the Italy international ruled out of Juve's first two games of the season, in which Massimiliano Allegri's men take on Udinese on Sunday before meeting Roma the following week.

Marchisio has been a crucial part of the Bianconeri squad since breaking into the first team in 2006. The Italy international scored three goals last season as Juve lifted the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, and reached the Champions League final.

[Socrates 8335]

Claudio Marchisio ruled out three weeks with thigh injury

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/8/18/9173393/juventus-claudio-marchisio-injury-serie-a

Aug 18, 2015

It's never a good sign when Juventus' official website posts something like this in one of their training recaps:

Absent from today's workout, however, was Claudio Marchisio, due to a slight muscular strain in his right thigh. The midfielder will undergo medical checks in the next few hours.

That's usually because it will result in something like this:

Claudio Marchisio will be sidelined for approximately 20 days after medical examinations revealed a first-grade proximal myotendinous junction tear in his right rectus femoris muscle.

The midfielder missed out on training today and will now commence his rehabilitation programme.

Dammit. Dammit all to hell.

Claudio Marchisio has become the latest Juventus player to suffer some sort of preseason injury. He joins the list of the walking wounded that already includes Sami Khedira, Álvaro Morata and Kwadwo Asamoah. And even with one of those injured players, defender Giorgio Chiellini, returning to training on the same day Marchisio was forced out due to injury, we don't know for sure when he'll be available to play 90 minutes, either.

But we're here to talk about Marchisio and what his absence means for Juve's makeshift midfield at the moment.

Who will be Juve's holding midfielder for the next couple of weeks? Maybe Stefano Sturaro or even Simone Padoin? Do all these injury problems mean somebody like Mauricio Isla might get a shot as a makeshift central midfielder? Missing Khedira is one thing, but now being without Marchisio for the next few weeks just seems to kinda throw everything out of whack — both in terms of where he plays and his importance to the squad as a whole.

The only good thing about the timing of this injury is that there's an international break just two weekends away, so it's not like Marchisio will be missing a huge chunk of the Juventus schedule. However, the two games he will miss are pretty decent ones — Udinese in the season opener this weekend and then Juve's trip to Rome to face Rudi Garcia, his imaginary violin and Roma.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio injured during ad?

http://www.football-italia.net/72516/marchisio-injured-during-ad?

Sep 3, 2015

Remarkable reports that Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio got his injury while filming an ad for Sky Sport Italia.

“Last day of training by myself. Soon I’ll be back in with the group. I can’t wait!!” wrote Marchisio on Twitter today.

The Italy international has been out of action for the last month, so with Sami Khedira also sidelined, the Bianconeri were forced to use Simone Padoin in his role.

According to Telelombardia, the real reason behind his injury was kept quiet to avoid controversy.

It’s claimed he didn’t pick up the muscular problem during a training session, but rather while filming an advert for Sky Sport Italia.

Juventus lost the opening two games of the Serie A season for the first time in their history.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio Could Return To Training On Tuesday

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/juventus-midfielder-could-return-to-training-on-tuesday/?

Sep 6, 2015

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio is expected to return to training on Tuesday.

Marchisio missed both of the two opening games of the season, with Juventus failing to collect any points from these fixtures against Udinese and Roma respectively.

According to Tuttomercatoweb.com, Marchisio could return to training on Tuesday, but Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has not yet decided to include him in the team for the next league game against Chievo.

Allegri is expected to line-up his favoured 4-3-1-2 formation for the next game, with new signing Alex Sandro taking the place of suspended Patrice Evra in defence.

Another new signing Hernanes is expected to have his first Juventus start next weekend, being deployed as playmaker behind Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala, who are in line to start in attack for the Old Lady.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio Returns To Training

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/juventus-midfielder-returns-to-training/?

Sep 7, 2015

Juventus have been dealt a big boost with the return of midfielder Claudio Marchisio to first team training.

The Bianconeri have lost their first two Serie A matches but Marchisio could be back for the game against Chievo after the Italian international was ruled out for the first two rounds due to injury.

Juventus took to twitter to announce Marchisio is back training.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfc
Buone notizie bianconeri: prima di incontrare le Legends.. @ClaMarchisio8 si è allenato con il gruppo!

Marchisio missed the start of the Serie A campaign after being ruled out for three weeks with a muscle injury in his right thigh.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: 'Hope nothing serious'

http://www.football-italia.net/72900/marchisio-hope-nothing-serious?

Sep 12, 2015

Claudio Marchisio “hopes it’s nothing serious,” but a muscular problem could rule him out of Manchester City-Juventus.

The midfielder had been out of action since early August and made his comeback in Saturday’s 1-1 Serie A draw against Chievo.

He went off at half-time and Coach Max Allegri confirmed he felt his thigh muscle harden, so was substituted as a precaution.

“This is not an easy time, but all together we will get back on our feet,” wrote Marchisio on social media.

“Now the Champions League begins. We must focus on working to get better, game by game.

“Tomorrow we’ll have some tests on my right thigh. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Juventus begin their Champions League campaign away to Manchester City on Tuesday evening.

The Bianconeri are having their worst ever start to a Serie A season, scraping one point from the opening three rounds.

[Socrates 8335]

Official: Marchisio out for a month

http://www.football-italia.net/72959/official-marchisio-out-month?

Sep 14, 2015

Juventus have confirmed that Claudio Marchisio will be out for at least a month with a thigh injury.

The midfielder made his first start of the season in the weekend’s draw with Chievo, but was forced off at half-time with injury.

Marchisio had scans at Vinovo this morning, and the Bianconeri have now confirmed that he will be out of action for at least a month.

“Tests today have revealed a first to second grade tear of the midfielder's right adductor longus muscle,” a statement on the club’s official website read.

“The prognosis for recovery is around 30 days.”

That means Marchisio will miss clashes with Genoa, Frosinone, Naples and Bologna in Serie A, as well as Manchester City and Sevilla in the Champions League.

The timescale could see the Italian international return for the Derby d’Italia with Inter on October 18.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio back for Bologna?

http://www.football-italia.net/73719/marchisio-back-bologna?

Oct 1, 2015

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio could reportedly make his return from injury against Bologna on Sunday.

The Italy international was originally expected to be back after the international break, but Tuttosport report today that he has made great improvements recently.

The Turin-based newspaper believes that the next two days will be decisive, as the intensity of the 29-year-old’s sessions will increase and it will become clearer whether or not he will be fit to face the Rossoblu.

However, the Bianconeri medical staff will not want to rush a recovery and therefore could choose to delay a comeback until after the break as initially planned to avoid risking further injury.

Juventus will need Marchisio in his best shape following the break, as they travel to San Siro for the Derby d’Italia against Inter on 18 October.

[Socrates 8335]

Juventus midfielders Claudio Marchisio,
Stefano Sturaro return to training

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/9/9483427/juventus-claudio-marchisio-stefano-sturaro-injiury-training-2015-serie-a

Oct 9, 2015

With all the injury news we've had to see posted on Juventus' website this season, you have to appreciate when the following two paragraphs show up in front of our eyes:

Claudio Marchisio and Stefano Sturaro today returned to the group and took part in a training ground friendly win over Aygreville, an outfit who ply their trade in the Eccellenza division.

Under the watchful eyes of Massimiliano Allegri and his coaching staff, the Bianconeri ran out 3-0 winners in the 60-minute match, with youngsters Nicolò Pozzebon, Andrea Favilli and Mattia Vitale all getting on the scoresheet inside 40 minutes.

That is what Juventus' website told us on Thursday afternoon. And, man, am I happy to see it. Very, very happy.

The collective line of thinking amongst many of us over the past two weeks has been, "Now that Sami Khedira is back, just wait until Claudio Marchisio comes back as well to complete the midfield." And yeah, it's going to be happening soon just as long as Paul Pogba's ankle allows him to take the field next weekend at the San Siro.

But, no offense to Sturaro on this one because he's a good player in his own right, Marchisio being back training — and likely a participant in Sunday's Derby d'Italia against Inter — is the main thing we're all focusing on here. We've seen him for all of 45 minutes and cursed his injury problems this season for much longer than that. Exponential amounts, probably.

And this time, we hope we're not forced to deal with another injury news all of two days after he returned from the last one, too. That would be a grand old time. Marchisio coming back will only aid Juventus in their bid to quickly rise up the Serie A table and continue to roll in the Champions League. It only makes sense that would happen when you get back one of your best players. We can all agree that Marchisio is certainly that — both because he's good at what he does and being one of this new Juve's unquestioned leaders.

So, welcome back, Claudio and Stefano. Please stay healthy for as long as possible.

[Socrates 8335]

What does Claudio Marchisio's return
mean for the Juventus midfield?

Good things, I suppose.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/16/9422249/claudio-marchisio-juventus-midfield-2015-serie-a

Oct 16, 2015

As the summer got going and the news of Andrea Pirlo trading in black and white stripes for Major League Soccer became a reality, another fact also became true. No, it's not that Simone Padoin would be getting more playing, as I'm sure many of you might be fearing. It had everything to do with the torch being passed in the Juventus midfield from a Italian legend to Juventus' homegrown stalwart.

However, outside all of 45 minutes this season, Juventus' midfield has been devoid of Claudio Marchisio's presence.

That's 45 minutes out of a possible 630, in case you were wondering about all of that math stuff. Go ahead and throw in 180 or so minutes in the Champions League and you can pretty much figure out that Marchisio's absence has been a big one. And a noticeable one. Oh, such a noticeable one. (I've missed you quite a bit, Claudio, in case you haven't realized that by now.)

The good thing that comes with all of this preceding doom and gloom regarding everybody's favorite Turin native missing so much time in the first two months of the season? Well, it's the fact that Marchisio is expected to start in the center of Juventus' midfield — no matter what the formation Max Allegri will actually go with — when they make the trip to the San Siro this weekend to face Inter in the Derby d'Italia.

Ah, now that's something we can be happy about.

This is the second part of the two-step process that will get Juventus' midfield looking like we all thought it would once we figured out how the roster was going to be constructed in the dog days of August. Sami Khedira is back and has brought his own unique set of characteristics to the Juve midfield, and the results — as well as the German's individual performances — are pretty evident despite the small sample size.

The addition of Marchisio back into the Juventus starting lineup is why we're here. And the addition of Marchisio is what will be the final piece of the projected midfield coming back into the fold.

We know how crucial Marchisio was in a season where Juventus made it all the way to the Champions League final. Sure, I've said in the past that it's unfair to compare that Juventus to this current one because of all the changes that have occurred, but that doesn't necessarily apply in this case. That's because we're talking about Marchisio, a player whose importance has likely only increased considering what other midfielders are playing their football elsewhere these days.

Marchisio was fantastic last season. We pretty much all recognized that. There's not really another way to say it without quoting stat upon stat upon fancy stat. He out-Pirlo'd Andrea Pirlo when holding down the center of the midfield. That's not exactly something to scoff at, regardless of how hit-and-miss Pirlo was in his final Juventus season. It's more to do with the fact that Marchisio's adaptation to a holding midfield role has gone as smooth as it possibly could have. And now that he's Juventus' most important midfielder — yes, there's no denying it at this point — is back in the fold, everything seems to be settling in just as we envisioned it in the final few weeks of the summer.

Yes, the Khedira-Marchisio-Pogba center midfield is about to be a thing. Not just a figment of our football-driven imaginations, either. An officially official kind of thing. That mock lineup we all drew up in July is about to actually happen, you guys. Seriously, soon.

Marchisio will never be the high-profile, headline-grabbing player who lights up vine videos on a weekly basis like they're damn Christmas trees. Unless you're talking about his tactical awareness, Marchisio's playing style isn't build around the spectacular, rather more about doing just about everything effectively. But his importance to this Juventus team is undeniable. And for that we are thankful that he's now truly 100 percent healthy at long last.

[Socrates 8335]

Juventus rejected Liverpool offer
for Marchisio, claims Marotta

The Old Lady midfielder had been reported to be on the new Reds
manager's wish-list but insisted he has no desire to leave Turin.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2015/10/19/16464712/-?

Oct 19, 2015

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Liverpool amid claims the Anfield side had a bid for his services rejected.

It has been a testing start to the season for Juve, with the Turin side down in 14th place in the Serie A table following a 0-0 draw away to Roberto Mancini's Inter side on Sunday.

Marchisio has been linked with a move away from the club yet Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta feels he will never leave after claiming they received an offer from Liverpool.

"Marchisio is a very important player for us and we renewed his contract this summer," Marotta told Premium Sports ahead of Sunday's game.

"All I can say is that we're receiving offers all the time for our players, but we are used to buying, not selling players. Not only Liverpool, we have received several offers.

"He's the only player in our squad to have come through the youth ranks at Juventus and I think he wants to end his career in this glorious shirt."

Those sentiments were echoed by Marchisio with the Italy midfielder insisting he is not looking to leave having only signed a new five-year contract in July.

"It doesn't interest me," Marchisio told Mediaset when asked about a move away from Juventus.

"I've just signed a new contract with Juve."

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: ‘Pogba is very strong’

http://www.football-italia.net/74673/marchisio-%E2%80%98pogba-very-strong%E2%80%99?

Oct 22, 2015

Claudio Marchisio defends his Juventus teammate Paul Pogba - “his qualities can make all the difference.”

The 22-year-old has attracted criticism this season, with suggestions he’s struggling to handle the pressure of playing in the number 10 shirt, and without Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.

“Pogba? It’s normal that when you’re that good there’s a lot of expectation,” Marchisio explained to Sky.

“Paul has done really well in the last few years since he’s been here at Juventus, and it’s normal that when important players leave, above all in the midfield, that expectations are growing more and more.

“But I repeat, he’s a very good player who has a great future ahead of him. Paul knows what his strengths are.

“He has to think exclusively about playing for the team, and about his qualities, which can make all the difference.”

Marchisio was absent at the start of the season through injury, and is looking to help the side climb the table now he has returned.

“I’m better, and I’m definitely glad to be back on the pitch after a long lay-off, which had never happened to me before.

“Being out and seeing my teammates play is never good, you always want to be on the pitch making your contribution, even more so this season as the start wasn’t easy.

“Now I’m back and we’re all ready to return to the highest possible level.

“We’ve had difficulty in the last two games [inter and Borussia Monchengladbach], we got two 0-0 results in a row, so it’s normal that we’d ask why Juventus failed to score.

“Since the start of the season the team has always played well, and created a lot more. We’ve converted less in the final third though, and that makes you think.

“Particularly in the final third, in our choice of pass, we have to find the teammate in the best position.

“Yesterday evening there’s also the fact we didn’t find the goal despite a frenzy of shots, we didn’t stay calm and evaluate the best choice to make.

“So we’re at a point where we have to work quickly.”

The midfielder also took the time to praise another of his midfield colleagues, new signing Sami Khedira.

“He’s played in great teams and won a lot,” Marchisio noted.

“He has great experience. He’s close with all the players, and has integrated very well on and off the pitch.

“He also started with a big injury, I can say that he’s a great worker. He’s worked well to make himself immediately available and make a contribution.

“The fact he came back and managed to score means he certainly helped the team.”

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: 'Turning point'

http://www.football-italia.net/75165/marchisio-turning-point

Nov 1, 2015

Claudio Marchisio trusts victory in the Derby della Mole can be “the turning point” for this Juventus season.

The Bianconeri snatched a last-gasp 2-1 win over city rivals Torino with Juan Guillermo Cuadrado’s first goal.

“It’s a wonderful victory in the derby and must be the turning point if we want to target something important,” Marchisio told Sky Sport Italia.

“Inter, Roma and Napoli got a strong start to the season, they’re feeling confident and at the moment they are the three favourites for the Scudetto.”

Following Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo, Gigi Buffon and Patrice Evra made some very harsh statements about the team’s attitude.

“Their constructive criticism was received by the squad and help us realise that when you wear this jersey, you cannot give less than 100 per cent in any situation.

“This is a new situation for us after winning four consecutive Serie A titles, but the lads who just arrived must understand you need to give everything for this shirt.

“Right now talking about the Scudetto is inopportune, but we play every three days and have to take it one game at a time.”

Their next challenge is on Tuesday in the Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: Juventus Players Must
Give More For The Shirt

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/11/marchisio-juventus-players-must-give-more-for-the-shirt/?

Nov 2, 2015

In the aftermath of the late dramatic 2-1 win against Torino at the Juventus Stadium, Bianconeri midfielder Claudio Marchisio feels that his side need to use the Derby victory as a vital turning point from their recent struggles.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side went ahead in the Derby della Mole thanks to Paul Pogba’s stunning strike, but needed a game-winning goal from Juan Cuadrado in the last-minute to cancel out Cesare Bovo’s second half equaliser.

“We needed this win so much,” Marchisio told Sky Sport Italia.

“Not only because it was the derby, but especially due to the tough period that we are going through. This should be the turning point if we want to achieve something important.”

The 29-year-old also concurred with some motivational criticisms of his side, that were made by teammates Gianluigi Buffon and Patrice Evra.

“This is definitely good constructive criticism implemented by the team,” he argued.

“So this should make us realise that wearing this shirt you have to give so much more. There are players who have won a lot and now we find ourselves in a situation that is totally different from the past four years.”

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio Moved By Heysel Commemoration

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/11/marchisio-moved-by-heysel-commemoration/?

Nov 14, 2015

Italy and Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio was moved by the commemoration for the 30th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium disaster during an international friendly with Belgium.

On a night when football was overshadowed by tragic events in Paris, the Azzurri took the lead thanks to Antonio Candreva’s goal just three minutes from kickoff, the Azzurri went into the half level with FIFA’s top-ranked team, before conceding two more goals in a difficult second half.

Despite being disappointed with the defeat, Marchisio told Rai Sport following the match that it was the 39th minute that stood out for him.

“We came here to mark the 30th anniversary of Heysel and it was a very moving tribute for an event we must never forget,” said the 29-year old.

“Halting play for a moment at the 39th minute was the right thing to do, the crowd seemed to really appreciate it.”

Marchisio, who returned to the national team following a previous injury, then discussed the match, and insisted that despite the score, there were many positive takeaways for Antonio Conte’s squad.

“Belgium are among the best, and are one of the favourites for the European Championship next year,” he said.

“We knew this would be a difficult challenge.

“Looking at the score, it looks worst than it was.

“The truth is, it was a fairly even game and we created several chances, forcing their keeper [simon Mignolet] to make some excellent saves.”

The Juve midfielder admitted that he was more satisfied with the Azzurri’s first half performance than their second, when the team made too many individual errors.

“We delivered a good game in the first half.

“Unfortunately we fell in the second half.

“The conceded goals were the results of individual mistakes, which we have to work to correct.

“Friendly or not, it’s never nice to lose, but we knew this would be a challenge.”

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: ‘Comeback not complete’

http://www.football-italia.net/76567/marchisio-%E2%80%98comeback-not-complete%E2%80%99?

Dec 2, 2015

Claudio Marchisio praises Juventus’ “pride and commitment” but warns “the comeback is not complete”.

The Bianconeri endured a poor start to the defence of their title, but have now won four Serie A games in a row and climbed to fifth.

“The comeback is not complete,” Marchisio cautioned, speaking to JTV.

“To fight for the Scudetto there are still a lot of games for us and our opponents, the season is still long.

“Certainly the pride and commitment that we’ve shown, especially in the last month, is right for Juventus, that of a great team.

“At least in the last month we’ve found consistency, which is what we were missing, because there were excellent performances even in that [bad] period we had, but we weren’t getting wins one-after-another.

“It was a difficult start, because after four years… or actually you could say three, because for the first Scudetto [in 2012] there was a title race, because there was a point where Milan passed us and we had to get back up there.

“So in the last three years we’ve always had incredible starts, and we were always looking to see who could recover. Now it’s totally the opposite.

“So it was a new situation for everyone. Not just for us, but for the fans and for the whole place.

“But that should give us a lot of strength and energy to to continue as we have been in this last period, because the season is still long.”

Marchisio was then asked to assess the chances of the Old Lady climbing back to the top of the table.

“I’ll say again, it’s early. Also, those above us are having a great campaign, they’re playing really well and proving that they’re great teams who will fight until the end.

“We definitely got used to winning, but we’re behind now, and as I said before we’ll have to put a lot more in than we’ve done in recent years.

“So it’ll be difficult, but it’s always a goal for us.”

[Socrates 8335]

Claudio Marchisio is Juventus' Most Important Player

At this crucial juncture in Juventus' season, 'il Principino' Claudio Marchisio
has proven himself to be the glue that holds the Bianconeri together.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/12/3/9831486/claudio-marchisio-juventus-2015-serie-a-champions-league

Dec 2, 2015

We can finally breathe a bit. Away from the foot of the table, finally able to get the stink of the relegation zone out of our nostrils, Juventus has put together a decent run of results of late, beginning to look like the bianconeri side that's run rampant through Italy for the past five years. It was rough going for a while, but the team now sits 5th in the Serie A table and secured passage to the Champions League Knockout Rounds with a game in hand, with the opportunity to nail down top spot in the group with just a draw.

Key to this resurgence has been a certain Claudio Marchisio.

Absent due to injury for the first few weeks of the season, our principino's presence was sorely missed. Juventus suffered every single one of its four losses this season without him on the pitch, dropping points and generally performing poorly. In his absence, the team looked incredibly disjointed, devoid of ideas and without any real leadership from the outfield players. Back in October, Danny Penza postulated what Marchi's return would mean, and now we know.

All too often this year Juve has lacked balance and cohesion in both attack and defense, but since his return, Marchisio has shown exactly why he's indispensable to Massimiliano Allegri's Juve. From his impeccable positioning, quiet direction on and off the ball, ceaseless running and metronomic passing, Claudio breathes life into the bianconeri, giving confidence to his teammates and allowing them to show their best self on a regular basis.

The rest of Juventus' midfield has been hit-or-miss this season, with injuries, form and youth all contributing to the fluctuation in performances we've seen this campaign. Marchisio's 90 percent pass completion rate this season is only bettered by Hernanes (surprisingly checking in at 91 percent over the same period). What these statistics don't show are Marchisio's incredible ability to keep play ticking over with just one or two touches, adding much-needed pace to Juventus' attack, and unsettling opposing defenses with his lightning-quick switches of play.

With Claudio's return, Paul Pogba is finally looking like himself again, the attack is more free-flowing and dynamic, and perhaps most importantly, Juventus' defense has stopped conceding goals like it's a Black Friday sale at the Juventus Stadium. Consider this: Out of the 11 matches Claudio Marchisio has played for Juve this season, they've kept clean sheets in a whopping seven of them. This is no coincidence.

Now that Marchisio is fit, hale and hearty, a solid midfield trio has begun to flesh itself out; at least in the immediacy. With his intelligence and calming presence alongside Stefano Sturaro's endless energy and grinta, and Paul Pogba's otherworldly ability, the team has has finally found some real balance and the performances have begun to match.

Things are beginning to look good for Juventus, and the key appears to be Claudio Marchisio.

[Socrates 8335]

CLAUDIO MARCHISIO – LCD – LEADER. CHAMPION. DECISIVE.

http://www.juvefc.com/claudio-marchisio-lcd-leader-champion-decisive/?

Dec 7, 2015

Leader. Champion. Decisive. L.C.D. Three letters that briefly describe an everlasting figure at Juventus, Claudio Marchisio. This must not be confused with ‘liquid crystal display’ although some of the features between the two are similar. However, both are thin, efficient and ensure no geometric distortion.

To watch Marchisio represent La Madama week in and week out is something I deeply cherish. He has evolved from being a little price in Turin to an Italian king. Much like a king, he has so many royalties that everyone would only dream to possess. One such royalty is that he has been a Bianconero in his playing career more than any other player in history. He joined Juve as a seven year old and has a contract with the club till 2020. 22 years and counting… He demonstrates Juventinita like no one else.

Every winning team needs a player that can successfully enact the instructions of the coach during the course of play. Throughout the history of the beautiful game, there have been a few extra-ordinary teams widely accepted as the greatest in their era. Among those remarkable teams you will come across one player that is extremely pivotal to that team’s success. A player that has a great technicality, personality and mentality. More importantly, that one player is the fundamental aspect to decide the fortunes of the team.

Rinus Michels had Johan Cruyff. Sir Alex Ferguson had Paul Scholes. Both, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique have had the privilege of coaching Sergio Busquets. Along the same lines, Giovanni Trapattoni had Giuseppe Furino initially and then Gaetano Scirea within his ranks that were essential to the success of one of the greatest footballing teams of all time. Those two guided Juve to win six Scudetti, two Coppa and every UEFA trophy under Il Trap. Two years after Trapattoni left Juve after a phenomenal decade in Turin, Scirea decided to retire.

Following Scirea’s retirement, Dino Zoff became the coach of Juve and guided Juve to a UEFA Cup triumph apart from a Coppa Italia. Zoff, who was an integral part of Il Trap’s Juve was succeeded by his mentor, Trapattoni itself. Trapattoni spent another five years at the helm of Juve and managed to win a UEFA Cup. These were the only three trophies that Juve won in seven years following Scirea’s retirement despite having Roberto Baggio in their team for four of those years. Seven years that saw two Juve icons manage Juve, one of whom is their greatest ever coach to-date. Those seven less fruitful years seemed to always miss something… someone.. a player similar to Scirea.

Marcello Lippi replaced Il Trap and his first action as a Juve coach was to find a missing link.. More importantly, someone that resembles Scirea. And so he added Didier Deschamps to his team. That would change Juve’s fortunes to a great extent as Deschamps won a domestic double in his first season and narrowly missed out on a treble by losing in the UEFA Cup final to Parma. The Frenchman’s team did not overly depend on Baggio in that entire campaign as Il divin Codino endured an injury hit season before leaving the Turin-based club at the end of the season. Deschamps would go on to win the Scudetto two more times and win every major UEFA trophy under Lippi before leaving Juve for Chelsea.

La Vecchia Signora that Deschamps represented was widely considered to be the greatest side in his era. Following the departure of Deschamps, Alessio Tacchinardi, his teammate for five seasons, would take up his role and become the most integral part of the Bianconeri midfield. Subsequently, under three different coaches, Tacchinardi’s Juve would go on to win three Scudetti, two Supercoppa and an Intertoto cup in six seasons while finishing second twice in the Serie A and once in the Champions League. It would take Juve six years to fully recognize his replacement. A struggle that would see them win only one Scudetto and a Serie B in seven years of La Madama’s worst ever period in her history.

Antonio Conte, a legend as a Juve player, took up the hot seat at the Bianconeri coaching department in the summer of 2011. His first action as a Juve coach was to shift Marchisio into the heart of the midfield. Marchisio was one of the survivors of the team that won the Scudetto in 2006, getting demoted to Serie B and returning to Serie A to personally experience three miserable years in Black & White stripes. The new Tacchinardi that Juve sorely missed since 2005 was within their own ranks but hardly featured as a centrocampista.

Conte’s move would turn out to be a master stroke. Marchisio would inspire Juve’s rejuvenation by scoring a brace against reigning Italian champions AC Milan. Juve would not only conclude the season as the champions of Italy but also go unbeaten for an entire Serie A campaign while narrowly missing out on a domestic double, losing to Napoli in the Coppa final. Claudio had finally broken through into an established world class talent from a talented player brimming with great potential. Conte’s debut season saw Marchisio notch 36 appearances, become Juve’s second top scorer with nine goals and also rack up three assists. Il Principino had now become one of the core members of the team. Marchisio would then enter the 2012 European Championships with six of his Juventus compatriots to secure a runners up medal in the tournament.

Back in Italy, the girlfriend of Italy would be embroiled in yet another scandal that saw her main protagonist, Conte facing prosecution for allegedly failing to report match-fixing during his stint at Siena. After an appeal, Conte’s touchline ban would be reduced to four months. However, La Vecchia Signora did not seem to be effected by losing her crusader as she would conquer Italy once again by winning the Scudetto for the second time in two seasons along with a Supercoppa, with Il Grintoso at the nucleus of the team. On the continental front, Juve lost out to a rampaging Bayern in the quarter-finals after Marchisio had aided them by scoring a goal to knock Celtic out of the knockout stages. He made the fourth highest tackles per game in the 2012-2013 Champions League among midfielders to have played a minimum of six games.

Marchisio began the following season with an injury that resulted in him being brought off in a Supercoppa tie against Lazio. Juve defeated Lazio to claim their second successive Supercoppa and Marchisio successfully returned from injury a month later. During the time he was out injured, Paul Pogba had developed brilliantly into Marchisio’s position and the Italian international found it hard to displace the young Frenchman in the team. Despite that Marchisio racked up thirteen starts in the first half of the 2013-2014 season that saw his side get knocked out of the Champions League group stages. It is the second half of this season when he truly showed his importance to the team.

Conte made another genius move by employing Marchisio as a regista in Andrea Pirlo’s role during a cup tie against Avellino. Marchisio blossomed in the regista role and gave Juve and the Azzurri the hope to succeed without Pirlo. However, Marchisio wasn’t used that often as a regista as he had to be employed with a physically struggling Arturo Vidal. Marchisio demonstrated the versatility of a great champion in his game. La Madama reached the summit of Italian football for the third season in a row while lose out narrowly to Benfica in the Europa League semi-finals, both with the little prince from Turin being pivotal in her journey once again. Claudio wore the Azzurri jersey to travel to Brazil for the World Cup with five other Bianconeri and opened the scoring in La Nazionale’s opening win over England before crashing out of the group stages.

When Marchisio returned to Juve, Conte and the club decided to mutually terminate their relationship that had contributed to monopolize Italy for the last three seasons. The company decided to hire former Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri as his successor. After being abused, thrown stones at the bus he was traveling in, Allegri began to work under immense pressure at the Torinese club. After all, he represented Juve’s rivals only six months ago and had now succeeded an icon that had built a dynasty in Turin. The Tuscan’s preseason began badly as they lost in his first game to an amateur side under closed doors while losing Pirlo to an injury for the initial phase of the season. Meanwhile, Vidal continued to physically struggle while his name popped up continuously in a never ending summer saga of media reports linking him to the Manchester United.

Allegri remained calm, tranquil and turned to the one man that was pivotal to his predecessor’s success. He relied on Marchisio to step into the Maestro’s shoes and conduct an orchestra for the most successful side in Italian football. Together they began a journey slowly but efficiently as they placed the team on a high pedestal before the Maestro returned to take his spot in the team. Vidal’s fitness seemed to improve over the course of the season as Allegri, like his predecessor took an unassailable lead in the Serie A as they ran out Scudetto winners for the fourth consecutive season. However, Allegri had already bettered Conte’s last season by not only guiding Juve into the knockout stages of the Champions League but also lifting an unprecedented domestic double by winning the Coppa.

As they prepared to encounter Dortmund in a thrilling two leg encounter, Juve faced a setback by losing Pirlo to an injury during the first leg of the tie with the game evenly poised 1-1. No problem for La Madama though, as Marchisio automatically stepped into Il Professore’s shoes and orchestrated his side to overcome the Germans 2-1. In the return leg, Juve were already without Pirlo and endured the loss of Pogba during the game as Marchisio instructed his side to slaughter Jurgen Klopp’s side 3-0 at the Westfalen stadium. Pirlo did return in time for the quarter-final tie against Monaco but Pogba was absent from both the fixtures. No issue for the Torinese side as Marchisio took Pogba’s role and smoothly guided his side into their first Champions League semi-finals since 2003. In the semi-finals Pogba did miss the first leg that saw an Marchisio-enabled-Juve defeat the reigning European champions Real Madrid, but was present in the return leg as a draw was enough to send the Old Lady into her first European final for twelve years. In the final, in Berlin, Marchisio rescued his side with a majestic back heel that let in Stephan Lichtsteiner to create an equalizer for Alvaro Morata against Lionel Messi’s extraordinary Barcelona. However, it wasn’t enough as the experience of the Catalans prevailed in the competition and Giorgio Chiellini’s absence was too much for a Marchisio-based-Juve. It was a final that brought Pirlo to tears as he dropped the curtains on his Juventus career.

The departure of Pirlo along with the sales of Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal meant that Juve had lost three senators that were major contributors to their recent success. Losing Fernando Llorente, Simone Pepe, Marco Storari and Alessandro Matri also ripped La Madama of highly influential squad members. The entire burden of midfield fell onto Marchisio’s shoulders as he entered his 23rd year as a Bianconero. Shrewd investments were made as the company spent over €120 million to keep the side competitive. Experience came through Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic while Paulo Dybala added quality along with enthusiasm to the new Juve. Juve began the transition process in style as another Supercoppa was added to the ever growing trophy cabinet. But, the biggest complication in this transition process occurred when Marchisio endured an injury that ruled him out of Juve’s two opening fixtures for the 2015-2016 season.

So began the 2015-2016 season with back to back losses against Udinese at home and Scudetto contenders, AS Roma away. Marchisio did return against Chievo in a disappointing draw at the Juventus Stadium but missed another two weeks with injury. While Juve won impressively in Europe, they struggled domestically as they won only two of their four games in his absence. La Madama’s situation wasn’t helped by the fact that summer signing Khedira also sat out with a series of injuries. The midfield looked depleted and in dire need of a director. Luckily for Juve, their chief director did return. After missing the game against Sassuolo due to flu, Marchisio lifted his team and has now brought them back from crisis to contend for the Scudetto once again. With Marchisio out of the team, Juve have won only four games while they haven’t lost a single game with him in the starting XI. They now seem stronger, more confident and back to being the usual Juve that has dominated Italy for the last four seasons.

Every team needs leaders, it is granted. But, every team needs one player to be an acting coach on the field to deliver the manager’s instructions. Milan had Franco Baresi, Manchester United had Scholes, Ajax had Cruyff, Bayern have Lahm & Barcelona have Busqets. Juve had Furino in the 70s, Scirea in the 80s, Deschamps in the 90s, Tacchinardi in early-mid 00s and now have Marchisio. An acting coach should make most outfielders look good around him and Il orchestratore specializes at it. Without having a player that can enact the coach on the field, the team plays like a group kids, lacking discipline & failing to succeed. Furino and Scirea enacted Trapattoni, who himself emulated Nereo Rocco in his playing days for the Rossoneri. Deschamps and Tacchinardi impersonated Lippi brilliantly. Marchisio is a player that Conte relied on heavily to execute his instructions on the field and Allegri does the same too.

The common link between all those Juve players is that they are all underrated but essential for the team to do well. Every building needs a solid foundation and Marchisio is that basic entity for Juve to be monumental. Forget Marchisio’s passing, his work ethic, ability to recover possession or his technical qualities. He is fundamental to La Madama’s triumph. Without Marchisio there is calamity at Juve because there is no other player that can communicate the coach’s instructions on the field better. You don’t have to be a master tactician to understand what Marchisio means to La Madama, he is one of a kind. Everyone judges as to who the best player is, differently. In my opinion, the best player is someone that has major influence on the way his team plays. In this regard, Marchisio is the best player at Juve and in the Serie A. He influences La Madama unlike anyone for their respective teams in the peninsula.

The day Marchisio retires will be one of the saddest days for the Juve tifosi and I only hope that the club can replace him successfully. Grazie Claudio for everything.

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: ‘Buffon for Ballon D’Or’

http://www.football-italia.net/79692/marchisio-%E2%80%98buffon-ballon-d%E2%80%99or%E2%80%99?

Feb 11, 2016

Claudio Marchisio says Juventus captain Gigi Buffon ‘deserved to be on Ballon D’Or podium’ and praises Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala.

The goalkeeper wasn’t shortlisted for football’s showcase award last month, leading Italy to not cast a vote in protest.

“Gigi deserved to be on the podium for the Ballon D’Or,” Marchisio said to French magazine So Foot.

“Not just for his career, but also because he’s still the best between the posts. I’d like to see where Messi and Ronaldo are at his age…

“Pogba quickly realised that he’s a phenomenon, but let’s not forget that we’re talking about a kid.

“I hope he stays for a long time with the Bianconeri because he can still grow a lot with us.

“Dybala? I knew that he was a pure talent, but I feared he might lose his way in the opening rounds of the season given everyone’s problems.

“Instead he immediately adapted, he’s very European in the way he trains.”

[Socrates 8335]

Marchisio: ‘Juventus, keep going’

http://www.football-italia.net/79992/marchisio-%E2%80%98juventus-keep-going%E2%80%99?

Feb 17, 2016

Claudio Marchisio hails Juventus' “important win” over Napoli, but warns “there’s still only a point between us”.

The Bianconeri went top of Serie A after beating Maurizio Sarri’s side in Turin on Saturday, and the midfielder knows how important the result was.

“It was an important win, not just because it was Napoli, but because of our journey,” Marchisio acknowledged, speaking to Sky.

“Since we started this comeback, every win has been increasingly important because there are less and less games to win the Scudetto.

“We have to continue on this path though, because there’s a long way to go and there are many direct battles ahead, even if we have most of them at home.

“A win like the last one shows what’s become important for us: our balance, character and the group, which after getting to know each other won these victories.

“The fact that we keep going until the end and never give up has always been one of the characteristics of this squad.

“This year we got a lot of new players, who - as I said before - have been growing every month and even the knew players know that we mustn’t give up until the end.

“That’s because the only way to get trophies and real results is to believe until the end.

“A psychological impact? There definitely was in the 48 hours following the match. The euphoria and enthusiasm of the fans was definitely shared by the team.

“It has to stop there though, because on Friday we have an important and difficult match [with Bologna] as will Napoli.

“It’s true that our positions have now been reversed in the standings, but there’s still only a point between us, and that’s really not much because there are so many games to go.

“They have a great squad and are proving to be an excellent team which will fight for the Scudetto until the end.

“They know they’ve just lost a direct clash, but the table is clear and there’s only a point between us.”

The Old Lady face Bologna on Friday, is there a risk of being distracted by the prospect of taking on Bayern Munich on Tuesday?

“There may be a risk of that, but we can’t afford it. We should absolutely be thinking about the League, because as I’ve just said it’s taken a huge effort to go top.

“We especially need to be focused with Bologna, because since joining Coach [Roberto] Donadoni is doing a great job, as he had been doing with Parma in recent years.

“He’s completely changed the way Bologna play, but above all the motivation of each player, where before they weren’t winning games due to a lack of confidence.

“So he’s definitely put his stamp on this good Bologna side, who cause problems for everyone and will make it hard for us.

“We have to be careful.”