Juventus Season 2011-2012

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Serie A Week 13 - 26-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 1

Simone Pepe (34')

Olimpico Stadium - Rome

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Attendance: 29000

Tireless hero Simone Pepe becoming one of Juventus' key men

as title challenge is boosted by Lazio win

The Italy international is not everybody's cup of tea, but he continues to impress

on the right for the Bianconeri and his goal at the Olimpico earned a crucial three points.

Nov 27, 2011

Some neutral observers found reason to smile this summer when Juventus announced that they’d paid €7.5 million to make the signing of Simone Pepe permanent, while many Bianconeri followers greeted the news with a raised eyebrow. But the Italian’s winner against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico last night was just the latest reason to believe he will be one of the most important cogs in the club’s push for a first official Serie A title since 2003.

The former Roma youth was something of a nomad during the early stages of his career, but in a three-year spell with Udinese from 2007 he finally found something of a home, and gained the recognition of Marcello Lippi in becoming a regular squad member for Italy in the lead-in to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. All this came despite at times being seen as a figure of fun, with his lack of technique occasionally leaving him open to ridicule.

But it was his unbelievable work-rate which won him international honours, and after being one of the few players to depart the World Cup with his head held high, he arrived at Juventus on a €2.6m one-year loan with a chance to finally make his name at a big club.

Despite often being played on the left due to the great early form of Milos Krasic – as had happened in his latter days at Udinese due to Alexis Sanchez’s emergence – Pepe showed signs of promise for the Old Lady. He was even played at full-back from time to time as coach Luigi Del Neri used the ex-Palermo and Cagliari man’s versatility to the benefit of a flagging outfit.

Since his switch was made permanent this summer, things have only got better for Pepe and Juventus. With Krasic struggling, the winger has made the most of his chance to finally nail a spot on the right. While he continues to sometimes leave himself red-faced with an unwieldy miskick or reckless tackle, it’s in his tireless and intelligent running that he has made a success out of Antonio Conte’s emphasis on stretching and pressing opponents deep in their own half.

Last night at the Olimpico he delivered another performance worthy of great credit, and sprinted beyond Stefan Radu to fire home from Alessandro Matri’s low cross after Mirko Vucinic had led a breakaway from one penalty area to the other. If anyone deserved to net the winner, it was Pepe.

It was just reward for Juve too, as they passed with flying colours the first of four massive tests away from home in the run-in to Christmas. With Napoli, Roma and Udinese still to visit before the winter break, it was important that the Turin side stamped their authority on the standings in the capital, and they did exactly that.

Though they did look occasionally suspect at the back, and Anderson Hernanes caused them a number of headaches – not least when hitting the post with a powerful strike in the second half – the three points were richly deserved. Matri’s movement up front was more than the Lazio back line could handle, while Andrea Pirlo again directed from the middle despite playing with his knee heavily strapped following a training-ground injury in the week.

The very fact that Conte sent him out short of 100 per cent backs up the theory that Pirlo is currently irreplaceable to the Bianconeri, and they will hope that he will be ready for the trip to Naples on Tuesday.

But regardless of Pirlo’s presence or otherwise, there is one thing Juve can be assured of, and that’s a lung-busting display from Pepe. In a modern footballing world of prissy prima donnas and bad attitudes galore, his effort for the cause should be an example to all.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

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Serie A Week 13 - 26-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 1

Simone Pepe (34')

Olimpico Stadium - Rome

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Attendance: 29000

Buffon urges focus after win over Lazio takes Juventus clear

at the top: 'We have to keep our feet on the ground'

The Italy international goalkeeper has warned his side against complacency

after the victory at the Stadio Olimpico allowed them to reclaim a place at the Serie A summit.

Nov 27, 2011

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has urged his team-mates to keep their feet on the ground following Saturday's 1-0 victory at Lazio which saw them go top of Serie A.

Simone Pepe scored the only goal of the night in the 34th minute as Juventus took a step towards their goal of winning a first undisputed Scudetto since 2002-03.

The win moved the Old Lady one point clear at the top of the Serie A standings, with one game in hand, but Buffon has warned his side not to get carried away with their success.

"Tonight everything went our way and it is only fair to underline how well Lazio played," Buffon told Sky Sport Italia.

"We are on a good run and the victories boost our self-esteem.

"We have players who are in great form, like like Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, and they all give us a great help.

"The Scudetto? We are happy with the result and our good display, but we have to keep our feet on the ground."

Antonio Conte's men will be hoping to retain their place at the Serie A summit on Tuesday when they travel to Napoli, who were held to a draw by Atalanta on Saturday.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Round 13 Results: Palermo beat Fiorentina

to ruin Delio Rossi's Sicilian return

It's been another weekend of prolific entertainment for Calcio purists, as Cesena record

successive wins for the first time this season, while Cagliari claim a late point.

Nov 27, 2011

Serie A: Round 13 Results

Two late goals from Antonio Di Natale and Mauricio Isla gave Udinese a 2-0 victory against Roma, as the Zebrette move up to second place in the Serie A. Parma

Parma

Novara produced an industrious second-half performance on Saturday to come from behind to beat Parma 2-1 in Piedmont, achieving only their second league win of the campaign in the process.

Parma have been the Jekyll and Hyde team in Serie A this season, following up a victory with a defeat in their past six fixtures, but started the most positively as Francesco Valiani, Stefano Morrone and Graziano Pelle were all denied by Alberto Fontana early on.

His resistance was broken on 29 minutes, albeit by a team-mate, as Matteo Centurioni deflected Jonathan Biabiany's cross into his own net to give Franco Colomba's side the chance of back-to-back wins for the first time since early October.

However, the goal acted as a much-needed impetus for Novara, and it was no surprise that the new boys grabbed an equaliser on 70 minutes, after Marco Rigoni's cross met the head of Rubino.

The onslaught from Atilio Tesser's men continued, and they found the winner from Rigoni, who headed in Mazzarani's cross with just 10 minutes to play.

Novara managed to hold out for the victory, despite Giuseppe Gemiti's straight red for dangerously lunging into Biabiany late in the proceedings, and Sebastian Giovinco's free-kick attempt which hit the post.

Lecce

Catania

Lecce's wretched form at the Via del Mare continued on Saturday, after they fell to a last-gasp 1-0 defeat against Catania, as the loss now means Eusebio Di Francesco's side have picked up just the solitary point in six home fixtures this season.

It was the visiting team who started most brightly, as the likes of Gonzalo Bergessio, Alejandro Gomez and Gennaro Delvecchio fired numerous snapshots at Massimiliano Benassi, who was forced to remain on his toes.

The hosts had to wait 34 minutes for their first opportunity, which came in the form of Rodney Strasser's left-footed strike inside the box, but Mariano Andujar did well to gather the ball confidently.

The second-half was a continuation of where the first period left off, as Lecce remained on top. Luis Muriel, Massimo Oddo and Christian Obodo all had attempts at the Argentine shot-stopper, but none were particularly testing.

However, drama ensued at the death as Pablo Barrientos collected Maxi Lopez's pass and subsequently powered the winner home in the dying embers to hand Vincenzo Montella's side all three points and seventh place in Serie A. Lecce, however, are now rooted to the bottom.

Lazio

Juventus reclaimed top spot in Serie A after defeating Lazio 1-0 in a thrilling encounter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening, thanks to Simone Pepe's 34th minute goal. Atalanta

Atalanta

Edinson Cavani's late equaliser allowed Napoli to cancel out former striker German Denis' strike to return to the San Paolo with a point, after both teams played out a 1-1 draw.

Siena

Sien

In a drab affair at the Artemio Franchi, substitute Luc Castaignos netted an injury-time winner to give Inter a 1-0 victory on Sunday and return to Milan with a vital three points.

Palermo

Fio Fiorentina

Palermo's imperious home record shows no signs of abating after they eased to a 2-0 win over Fiorentina to wreck Delio Rossi's return to the Renzo Barbera.

Devis Mangia's side took the lead inside 22 minutes, as Fabrizio Miccoli finished off a lightning-quick counterattack. The former Italy striker was fed through by Josip Ilicic, before leaving Alessandro Gamberini for dead and poking the ball past Artur Boruc.

The hosts then doubled their advantage on 73 minutes, as Ilicic capped an impressive display with an fine free-kick from 25 yards out, which left Boruc with no chance once more, as Palermo held out onto a deserved victory.

There was more late drama as Cesare Natali was sent his marching orders with just a minute of normal time remaining, after collecting a second yellow for arguing with the referee.

The result sees Palermo climb to fifth place, with six wins out of six on home soil, while Fiorentina have dropped to 16th in the Serie A standings. Genoa

Genoa

Cesena's revival under Daniele Arrigoni goes from strength to strength, as they move off the bottom of the Serie A table thanks to a well-deserved 2-0 win over Genoa.

Despite not having the majority of possession, they outgunned their opponents and were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes as Emiliano Moretto brought down Erjon Bogdani in the box.

Adrian Mutu then proceeded to convert the spot-kick past former Fiorentina colleague Sebastian Frey to give the Seahorses a vital lead.

However, their advantage became under threat as substitute Nicola Ravaglia was shown a straight red for protesting over the decision to only give Moretti a yellow card for his direct involvement in the penalty incident.

Fortunately for the Emilia-Romagna club, Mutu was on hand to net his brace and secure the win late on, after pinging a shot past Frey from the edge of the box, as Alberto Malesani's inconsistent Genoa drop to ninth in the table.

Cagliari

Bologna

In a match that took all of 75 minutes to come alive, Cagliari managed to salvage a 1-1 draw against Bologna, as the spoils were shared in Sicily.

Despite the hosts dominating most of the play through the midfield partnership of Daniele Conti and Rajid Nainggolan, it was the visitors who took an unlikely lead through Marco Di Vaio, who took full advantage of a defensive mistake by Albin Ekdal to slot the ball past Michel Agazzi.

However, justice was to be served with just eight minutes left, as substitute Nicola Cherubin gifted Cagliari with a penalty, and captain Conti was on hand to dispatch the ball into the back of the net.

The Sardinians now sit in 14th place, while Bologna are just a point above the relegation zone in 17th.

AC Mila Chievo

Milan were unlucky 3-2 losers to Barcelona in Europe midweek and the champions will be looking to put the defeat behind them with three points at home to Chievo on Sunday at 20.45 CET.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Week 13 - 26-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 1

Simone Pepe (34')

Olimpico Stadium - Rome

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Attendance: 29000

Juve clear at top after Lazio win

Pepe scored the only goal of an entertaining game.

Nov 27, 2011

Juventus triumphed 1-0 away to Lazio in the top-of-table clash at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Saturday to go clear at the Serie A summit.

Simone Pepe scored the only goal of an entertaining game that sees Juve lead the table by a point from Udinese, who beat Roma 2-0 on Friday.

Ominously for the rest, Juve could go four points clear if they win away to misfiring Napoli on Tuesday.

But in a clash that would say much about both sides’ title chances, it was the Old Lady of Turin who showed Lazio how to nick a tight contest.

“We’re happy because we’ve beaten a very good team who will fight to the end for the top places, that’s important for us,” said Juve coach Antonio Conte.

“We struggled at times but that’s inevitable in games like this against good teams, but we did well to see it through.

“We have the satisfaction of having played a top game. It’s inevitable in 90 minutes that you will have some problems in games like this but we created many chances and always looked for the second goal.”

A lively first half could have produced a lot more than the one goal which separated the sides at the break.

Stephan Lichtsteiner got down the right and crossed into the box where Claudio Marchisio nipped across the front post but headed wide.

Only a stunning save by Federico Marchetti from a swerving Andrea Pirlo free-kick, when the goalkeeper initially seemed wrong-footed, kept the scores level, as well as Lichtsteiner’s miss from five yards from the rebound.

Lazio first threatened when Tommaso Rocchi was played in on goal but his chipped finish hit goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and then Andrea Barzagli before slipping agonising wide of the post.

Juve were dangerous, though, and a great ball from Pirlo over the top found Pepe, who cut inside his marker but fired high and wide.

Hernanes played in Rocchi behind the backline but Buffon was out quickly to block his shot.

Juve took the lead on 34 minutes as Matri crossed from the left and Pepe escaped his marker to finish first time.

Pirlo launched another ball over the top but Marchetti made a mess of it only for the ball to hit an unaware Pepe and go wide.

Lazio were on the offensive after the restart and Hernanes was a lick of paint away from equalising, his shot from 15 yards coming back off the post while Buffon saved Senad Lulic’s follow-up.

Buffon then plunged to his left to keep out Miroslav Klose’s deflected effort.

Marchetti saved Lazio again after Emanuele Giacchini turned on the edge of the box and shot goalwards as the chances kept coming at both ends.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Week 13 - 26-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 1

Simone Pepe (34')

Olimpico Stadium - Rome

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Attendance: 29000

Conte: Lazio win a sign of maturity

Nov 27, 2011

Juventus coach Antonio Conte hailed another important step in his team's development after their 1-0 win away to Lazio on Saturday.

Simone Pepe's 34th-minute strike proved to be the only goal at the Stadio Olimpico, with the win sending Juve back to the top of the Serie A table.

Juve remain unbeaten in the league this season and have now won four matches in succession, with Conte proud his players passed their latest test against quality opposition.

"We are happy because we won against a very strong side that will fight to the end for the top spots," Conte said.

"As far as we are concerned, this performance is an important sign of our maturity."

"We suffered under pressure too, but that's inevitable at the Olimpico and we never stopped looking for the second goal."

"I told the lads that if we came here to win 1-0, we would lose. Therefore being a little bit open to counter-attacks was to be expected."

"I'm happy, as it was not an easy match and we won a top of the table clash."

Lazio coach Edy Reja believes his team should have been awarded a penalty in the first half, claiming Juve defender Andrea Barzagli blocked a Tommaso Rocchi shot with his hand.

"We were unlucky with the incidents, as there was a clear penalty on Rocchi's shot and Barzagli should've been sent off," he said.

"Had that been spotted, it was a spot-kick and a straight red card, in my view. Unfortunately, it proved to be decisive."

"Maybe the referee just didn't see it, but his decision was very disappointing."

Despite the defeat, Reja was satisfied with his team's performance, which he felt demonstrated Lazio's ability to match it with the title challengers.

"We are satisfied with the performance and do not come out of this with our reputation damaged, because we fought on equal terms with Juve," he said.

"It's true we should have done something more, as we had the chances. It's a shame we were too tired at the end to really mount an assault for the equaliser."

"Juventus played well and I think it can be their year (to win the Scudetto), also considering they have no European commitments to worry about."

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

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Alexandre Pato: We have to continue winning

in order to put the pressure on Juventus

The Brazil international was very pleased with his side's victory and was equally happy

to return to the starting XI again, having begun Wednesday's Barcelona clash from the bench.

Nov 27, 2011

AC Milan attacker Alexandre Pato has expressed his delight with the Rossoneri's 4-0 Serie A win at home over Chievo on Sunday, adding that the Rossoneri must keep up their good form in order to keep the pressure on Juventus.

Pato returned to the starting XI after starting from the bench in the 3-2 Champions League loss against Barcelona in midweek, and the Brazil international was pleased to be back.

"We just have to focus on keeping on winning from here until Christmas to reach our goal of winning the league. Juventus? They did well last night, but we have to think of ourselves. If we get three points every Sunday, things will work out fine," Pato was quoted as saying on the Milan website.

[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Team of the Week: Round 13 -

Ibrahimovic on fire for AC Milan & Mutu leads Cesena charge

Goal.com picks the best performers from Italy's top flight

as the Swede and Romanian each bagged a brace in convincing victories.

Nov 28, 2011

GOALKEEPER

Federico MARCHETTI

Lazio

TOTW Apps: 2

Both Gianluigi Buffon and Marchetti were impressive at the Stadio Olimpico, but it was the latter who pulled off the more spectacular saves despite being on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline. The 28-year-old somehow recovered to deny Andrea Pirlo's set-piece after initially being wrong-footed by its wicked flight and later saved Emanuele Giaccherini's shot on the turn.

DEFENDERS

Thiago SILVA

AC Milan

TOTW Apps: 3

Giulio MIGLIACCIO

Palermo

TOTW Apps: 2

Nicola LEGROTTAGLIE

Catania

TOTW Apps: 1

Thiago Silva not only easily quelled any threat posed by hapless Chievo, but struck a fine opener from outside the area into the bottom corner, while Migliaccio was similarly able to shut the door against Fiorentina and mark Alberto Gilardino and then Santiago Silva out of the match. Also, the experience of Legrottaglie was extremely useful as Catania kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Lecce.

MIDFIELDERS

Simone Pepe

Juventus

TOTW Apps: 1

Arturo VIDAL

Juventus

TOTW Apps: 1

Marco RIGONI

Novara

TOTW Apps: 2

Pablo ARMERO

Udinese

TOTW Apps: 2

Juventus remain top of the table and two of their midfield stars came to the fore in the narrow win over Lazio. Vidal's energy and effective tackles were instrumental in the centre of the pitch,while Pepe was busy both defending and attacking down the right flank, finishing off a beautiful counterattack for the winner. Veteran midfielder Rigoni put in yet another fine display and is fast becoming a symbol for the promoted side, providing a goal and assist to prompt a triumph over Parma. Armero's pace and work rate caused Roma all sorts of problems as the hosts earned a late 2-0 win at the Friuli with the Colombia international bursting forward to set up Mauricio Isla's tap-in.

Josip ILICIC

Palermo

TOTW Apps: 2

Palermo's perfect home record remains intact after a 2-0 win over Fiorentina inspired by Ilicic. The Slovenian is surely one of the most skillful players in Serie A and showcased all his talent with a fine through ball for Fabrizio Miccoli's opener and a superb free-kick to make the points safe at the Renzo Barbera.

FORWARDS

Adrian MUTU

Cesena

TOTW Apps: 1

Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC

AC Milan

TOTW Apps: 4

Cesena jumped off last place in the standings after picking up their second win in a row, courtesy of two goals from a seemingly reborn Mutu; the first a confident chip from the penalty spot and the second an absolute pearl from outside the area that curled into the top corner. Finally, Ibrahimovic may have only played 70 minutes but surpassed the 100-goal mark in Serie A with a brace to fire the Rossoneri to a convincing 4-0 win over Chievo at San Siro, linking up with strike partner Alexandre Pato superbly on several occasions.

[Socrates 8242]

Juventus can win the Scudetto - Paolo Montero

The Uruguayan former defender is confident that the Old Lady have what it takes

to win Serie A under the stewardship of Antonio Conte, and he also spoke about Del Piero.

Nov 28, 2011

Former Juventus defender Paolo Montero is optimistic that the club, with Antonio Conte at the helm, can win Serie A this season.

After sharing a dressing room with the current Bianconeri boss for eight years, the Uruguayan thinks Conte has the skill, determination and leadership to bring a 28th title to the Juventus Stadium.

"I was his companion for many years, so I know that Antonio is determined and a leader," he told Tuttosport.

"He has given part of his character to this Juventus and made it more lively. That's why I think the goal of the Scudetto can be reached."

Montero also took time to give his thoughts on another former team-mate, Alessandro Del Piero, who is in his last season with the Old Lady.

"It is strange to think about Juventus without Del Piero, but things in life change. I heard he wants to keep on playing, so I'm sure he will make the right choice, as always."

Montero made over 200 appearances during his nine years with Juventus, scoring a solitary goal in Serie A.

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Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

-

San Paolo Stadium - Naples

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento‎

Alessandro Matri: Lavezzi is the Napoli player

we must stop to maintain Serie A form

The striker spoke about his upbringing, his career and his hopes for the future

in an exclusive interview, as well as discussing Tuesday night's crunch clash at the San Paolo.

Nov 28, 2011

Alessandro Matri has exclusively told Goal.com that Ezequiel Lavezzi is the man that Juventus must stop if they are to overcome Napoli at the San Paolo in Serie A on Tuesday.

The striker gave up some time in the build-up to this week's crunch fixture to speak to us, and we covered a number of topics.

Matri told Goal.com of the impact coach Antonio Conte has had at Vinovo since his arrival in the summer, and also admitted that it was only recently he felt ready for the move to a big club. Meanwhile, he spoke honestly about his hopes of playing abroad in the future, and has tipped Jose Mourinho to attain European glory in this season's Champions League.

The full transcript of the interview can be read below.

Goal.com: What is the secret behind the excellent start to the season for Juventus? Is it perhaps the fact that you don’t have any European commitments this year?

Alessandro Matri:Well it certainly is a nice advantage. It allows you to focus on one goal, the league games. And even the physical level changes a lot, because you train differently.

On training, let’s talk of Conte, a coach who is bringing Juventus back to the highest levels. How would you describe your new boss?

Conte has only stopped playing recently and is still like a player, so he knows what he’s doing. He was full of fire as a player, and he’s the same as a coach (laughs). I would say that he is demanding, but he also gets significant results, so it works out well.

Conte has clearly given you confidence. You are doing very well in front of goal, but what do you think you can improve upon?

Well it would be wrong to say I never miss in front of goal, and I still think of the goal I could have scored for Italy in our last game [against Uruguay]. However, I would say that I must improve my control of the ball a lot and in my general play, which is very important in the system adopted here at Juventus by Conte.

Matri has paid tribute to boss Conte's impact at Juventus

Since you don’t have any commitments during the week, do you follow the Champions League or do you do something else?

No, of course I follow it, naturally.

Who do you think can win the trophy this season?

It seems to me that Barcelona and Real Madrid have something more than the others. Personally, I would be happy if Jose Mourinho’s Madrid won it.

Why? Mourinho has his weak points, does he not?

I don’t deny that he’s a coach who intrigues me a lot. Sure, maybe he has some peculiar traits, but he has always carried teams forward, and has come to be criticised for everything. It would be nice if he were to do it with Real Madrid.

And of the Italian teams, is there a side that can make it far in your opinion?

I think Milan are the only ones equipped to do well, also because they have players with great experience. But Napoli are doing really well at the moment.

Speaking of Napoli, tomorrow you will be playing at the San Paolo…

It will be a pretty tough game, in a very difficult stadium, in view of the crowd that they have. I believe it will be a great game. They will be heavily loaded after what they did in the Champions League, but we are also doing well.

Is there a particular Napoli player who is of concern?

I would say Lavezzi, as when the ball is at his feet he scares you. He does not score much, but he is a constant danger.

Some people ask why it has taken 26 years for Alessandro Matri to be noticed. Maybe if you were called Matrinho you would have been at the top of football for some time…

No, I don’t think so. From my point of view I can say that at 22 I was not ready for certain things. If I spent two years in Serie C [with Prato and Lumezzane], it is for a reason. It means that at the time I was not ready. Now I am here.

Do Italian players mature more slowly than foreigners?

I’m talking about my case. Undoubtedly, we should give a bit more space to Italian players, this would be important in helping them mature and grow better.

The Under-21s, in view of this, is becoming an important platform for many Italians who play in Serie B…

True, and it is very good. Looking at the results, it seems to me that these young Italians are demonstrating that they have great quality.

On the other hand, you are coming into Prandelli’s Italy. What emotions does this give you?

Well I have only worn the blue shirt a little bit, but I have to say I love it. I hope to play even more for the Nazionale and, above all, I hope to play in June, at Euro 2012. It is a great objective.

Juventus, Italy… But have you ever thought about playing abroad?

Look, the idea of playing abroad – one day in the distance – fascinates me, but not only on a footballing level. Truly as a life experience. I would say that La Liga and the Premier League are the competitions that fascinate me the most.

Given the climate of Turin, Manchester would be a perfect fit…!

Yes, that’s true. I never thought of that! However, I must add that, despite the criticism of it, I still like Italian football a lot and so first, I want to enjoy myself in Serie A, then we will see.

Can you explain to us the gesture you make whenever you score a goal?

I cannot reveal anything. It is a celebration made my myself and Andrea Lazzarri in our time together at Cagliari.

Let’s talk about you off the field. What are you like?

I am very, very lazy. I like to hang with my friends or with my girlfriend, but without doing anything special. Again, I am very lazy.

So you are not addicted to video games like Giorgio Chiellini?

No, I play sometimes, but I wouldn’t say that. I like going to the cinema, and in the summer I play tennis.

As a child you had a passion for cycling. And now?

It is too hard! It is better to go on a scooter! (laughs).

Last question. You started with the hope of reaching the Champions League. What is the dream now? The Scudetto?

Ah, as you say, it is the dream… but it’s better not to say.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

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Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

-

San Paolo Stadium - Naples

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento‎

Marek Hamsik: 'We will have to be

at our very best to beat Juventus'

Napoli's attacking midfielder has stressed that the San Paolo side must put in a flawless

performance in Tuesday's Serie A clash against the Old Lady in order to get a good result.

Nov 28, 2011

Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik has insisted that the Partenopei will have to be on top of their game if they are to record a positive result in Tuesday's Serie A clash at home against Juventus.

The match between the Champions League hopefuls and the Turin giants was previously postponed due to floods in the Naples area, and Hamsik is eagerly anticipating the re-scheduled match at the San Paolo.

"We will have to be at our very best in order to beat Juventus. And I'm not just talking about myself, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi," Hamsik was quoted as saying by Il Corriere dello Sport.

"We need a perfect team performance. We have shown in the past what we can do as a team and we have to repeat that on Tuesday. We have already proven our worth against big teams in the past and want to do so again."

Napoli currently sit eighth in the Serie A table with 16 points from 11 games, while Juventus lead the pack with 25 points from 11 games.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

-

San Paolo Stadium - Naples

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento‎

Walter Mazzarri: Juventus have one week

to prepare for matches while we do not

Napoli coach thinks the Turin club's freedom from European exertions

has contributed to their rise to the top of the table.

Nov 28, 2011

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri believes that Juventus cover so much ground in matches because they benefit from a week's rest in between each game.

The Turin club are not involved in European competition this season, but have taken Serie A by storm and currently top the table.

And Mazzarri thinks that Juve's extended rest period has contributed to their good domestic form.

"The Bianconeri have one week to prepare for their games, we do not. They run 1000 kilometres an hour," the 50-year-old told La giornalaccio rosa Dello Sport.

However, Mazzarri feels that despite his team suffering from fatigue, they will be capable of getting their title bid back on track, starting with a win on Tuesday.

"Despite the tiredness, I believe we can keep the tempo high because these games are typically highly charged.

"Also, tomorrow is only the 12th matchday, so everything is still possible."

Meanwhile, Ezequiel Lavezzi's girlfriend was the latest victim of a robbery in Naples. Yanina Screpante, an Argentine model, had a watch stolen from her at gunpoint, and went on to brand Naples 'Sh*t city' via her Twitter page.

However, Mazzarri believes that crime is a universal problem, saying: "This is not about Naples, Milan or Uruguay. Crime is everywhere these days. We are all exposed to this situation unfortunately.

"Lavezzi seemed calm. I hope this incident doesn't affect his performance."

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[Socrates 8242]

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.)

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San Paolo Stadium - Naples

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Antonio Conte braced for showdown with Scudetto rivals Napoli

Juventus boss is expecting a tough test against a side he believes remains

one of the strongest in Italy in spite of their recent stuttering form.

Nov 28, 2011

Juventus coach Antonio Conte believes his side are going up against a genuine rival for the Serie A title when they lock horns with Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday.

Napoli have already beaten AC Milan and Inter this season but their domestic form has been inconsistent and they now find themselves eighth in the table on the back of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Atalanta.

However, ahead of his side's rearranged clash with the southern Italian outfit, Conte is adamant that Walter Mazzarri's men remain contenders for the Scudetto.

“We have a tough test on Tuesday against Napoli,” he told reporters. “They are surely one of the favourites to win the Scudetto, both because of the quality of their squad and the quality of their football."

Juventus arrive in Naples after a hard-fought win over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday and Conte is thrilled with the way his side are performing at the moment.

“We’re playing well, sticking to our game plan and picking up as many points as we can because bad patches will come, no matter how much I wish they wouldn’t," he said.

“We find ourselves on top because of our hard work and I have to thank my guys for their great effort.”

Juventus currently top the Serie A table, while Napoli are eight points adrift.

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