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OMG you guys, why can’t Marco Bore-i-el-LoL just LEAVE already?

Rumors abound of offering Marco Borriello a permanent contract, which I find no more ridiculous or outlandish than claims like “Marco Borriello to take the #10 at Juve” or “Marco Borriello new Juventus Captain” or “Borriello called-up by Italy to the Euro“…

Surely the idea of Borriello wearing the either Juve’s iconic Number Ten or the captain’ armband is complete lunacy, and the only way Borriello could go to summer’s 2012 EuroCup is to buy Euro 2012 Final Tickets but is offering Borriello a contract actually possible?

Should we ask Lapo Elkann to get involved? Maybe Lapo can break up this bad-romance love-triangle somehow, with a little booze or a little..? I dunno. I’m all out of ideas.

Let’s move on to today’s #JuveNEWS.

• Taking everyone completely by surprise Antonio Conte signs two-year contract extension!
  
  Gazzetta report that the new extension doubled Conte’s salary to €3m, which would make him the highest-paid coach in Italy. Second-place in coaching salaries is AC Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri who earns €2.25m. To put that in perspective of the silly-money being tossed around in Europe, Madrid’s José Mourinho earns a staggering €10.5m (plus circus appearances), Premier League-winning Roberto Mancini of Manchester City is paid €6.3m (half of which is set away in a Balotelli bail fund), and Carlo Ancelotti earns €6.2m plus all the donuts he can eat.

  Conte on his contract signing and Juve’s future:

  It’s definitely a good day because it gives continuity to a dream of mine. It is a great sign of esteem that fills me with pride and definitely pushes me to try to do better.

  Last May, the company’s intention was to build year upon year and take Juve to the top. We were able to be immediately successful in the league; now there will be a new challenge in Europe, where we try to consolidate what we have done well.

  We have a young team of which many elements will be retained. They have done a great job. Now it will be up to the director (Giuseppe) Marotta and the club to try to expand this base and make it even stronger.

  In Conte we trust!

• More surprises today as Del Piero’s big press conference was about… sunglasses.

  I was curious as to what today’s big press conference was going to be about, and it turned out that Alessandro Del Piero and Lapo Elkann got together to release yet another new design for Lapo’s sunglasses collection, this one named ADP10.

  No big announcement of where he will be playing football next season, no mention of signing a new contract with Juventus, just helping Lapo release a new line of shades.

  Yup. pretty boring.

  But the glasses are hot, so that’s a good thing I guess.

  And that t-shirt he’s wearing is hilarious (it’s a young Alessandro Del Piero ID card print). Where can I buy that?

  So even though the press conference was about eye-wear, there were questions about “what’s next for Del Piero?” and ADP maintains he has not made a decision yet:

  I’ve not chosen any path yet, but I’m looking for the best solution for myself and my family. I’m looking for something stimulating. The choice of League is not important.

  Obviously my future will not be in Italy with another club, that is something that is not in my plans. I’ll certainly move abroad.

  Juve are in safe hands, because this side hasn’t only one captain, but there are Buffon, Chiellini, Marchisio, Pirlo… Many valuable players with a great character, therefore all fans can relax.

  On life after winning this year’s Scudetto:

  With the Scudetto we’ve reached the top after a very hard but extraordinary season. Moreover, the fans’ tribute in Turin has sent a shiver down my spine. I’ll always thank them.

  Against Atalanta, I celebrated the victory of two titles: one clinched with the team, and one received on the pitch from our supporters for my involvement with this side. I’ll keep Juventus fans and my teammates in my mind forever.

  I’ve spoken to some of them, especially those involved with the national squad just to wish them good luck, while I’ll meet the others very soon. What we’ve done over these years will last forever.

  When I was a child, I didn’t dream about ending my career at Juve but I dreamt about winning with the Bianconeri and with the National side. I didn’t think about great finales, but about targets to achieve.

  On the future of Juve’s #10 shirt (notice the suspicious lack of any Borriello mention!):

  I hope that the player who will wear it, will have an even more extraordinary career. This is the reason why I didn’t want the club to withdraw it: every child must have the right to dream about wearing this shirt.

  Hang on folks, I need a moment. *wipes eyes*

• Cáceres at Juventus up until 2016!

  Juventus.com reports today that the club took advantage of their option to sign Martín Cáceres with a four-year contract which will bind the versatile defender to Juve to June 30th 2016.

  This was breaking news as soon as I posted this, so that’s all the info I could find.

  I’m glad Martín came back to us earlier this season, and I like how both his adaptability and consistency gives Conte a lot of tactical flexibility with the backline.

  Plus, I really like his theme song:
   
  

• Earlier in the week Andrea Agnelli visited the Global Leadership Summit at London Business School.

  Andrea Agnelli delivered the closing keynote address to the London Business School’s Global Leadership Summit, outlining the steps taken in order to transform a sports brand.

  When we talk about Juventus it’s a matter of pride. It is one of the most successful football teams and the longest lasting family franchise in the world of sport. My family has overseen 29 title victories since taking control of the club in 1923.

  While in London, Andrea was interviewed by CNN’s Alex Thomas:
   
  

  
   
  Always a pleasure to hear Juve players & managers speak perfect English.
• Serie A weekly posted a Juventus Season Review 2011-12 written by Luca Cetta. Awards include ‘Best Player’, ‘Biggest Flop’, and ‘Most Memorable Match’ among others.

  And the award for BEST GOAL goes to…:

  Claudio Marchisio v Parma – Juventus netted some wonderful team efforts (for example Emanuele Giaccherini versus Atalanta and Mirko Vucinic versus Cagliari) but the tone was set on the opening day with Marchisio’s sublime finish. Pirlo was at the fore, lifting the ball over the Parma defence where after a perfectly timed run, Principino caressed the ball over Antonio Mirante with the outside of his foot.

  If you recall, Luca wrote a great article for JuventiKnows a little while back, Juventus ‘Down Under’: A Look Back at the Old Lady’s Tours in Australia. Make sure to check it out!

• Juventus.com salutes fans around the world who bought JuventusMember memberships.

  Being a JuventusMember has many perks, not the least being a chance to win a trip to the stadium to watch a Juve and meet the players.

  As Juventus.com writes:

  From the very beginning of the championship against Parma to the memorable Scudetto celebration against Atalanta, Turin saw the arrival of several International Premium Members from every corner of the world: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, japan, Great Britain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and U.S.A. Nineteen countries in total, united under their love for the Bianconeri’s colours. Several engaged couples, pairs of friends, husbands and wives, fathers with their children travelled a very long distance by car, train or plane to take their national flag to Turin.

  To sign up and become a JuventusMember click here.

  Juventus.com is also making a “Fan Map” on Facebook, click here to participate and declare your Juve pride.

• Future Captain (and my personal hero) Claudio Marchisio isn’t afraid of Spain.

  Spain and Italy are in Group C, along with Croatia and Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland. The Azzurri’s first match of Euro2012 on June 10 against reigning World Cup champs and defending European Champs Spain.

  Speaking to La Gazzetta:

  Today Spain are the champions at every thing, but I don’t think they are that far ahead of us. We are not afraid of them and we have what we need in all departments of the team to go all the way.

  We too have players in midfield to be scared of. Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi have won a World Cup, Thiago Motta and myself have tasted the highest levels over the last few years, generating the necessary experience in the process. Then we have Riccardo Montolivo and Antonio Nocerino.

  Cassano is a certainty and he has the backing of the entire squad.

  Balotelli knows that he can make the difference at any minute and he is aware that this is a crucial stage of his career. I’m not interested in what he does away from the pitch, that is his business. I expect the European Championship to be his consecration. He has incredible skills and he needs to put those at the disposal of the team and the Italian shirt.

  On Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli and his work post-WC2010:

  In two years Prandelli has cancelled the insecurities that we had after World Cup 2010.

  He’s given enthusiasm and results back to the side. He’s also brought in a number of new things in terms of players and the philosophy of our football.

  There are also youngsters coming through who are pushing us forward. I think our game is in good health and there are reasons to be optimistic about the future.

  On the comparisons of between himself and Juve/Italy legend Marco Tardelli:

  I’ve always been honoured by the comparison with one of the greats of the world game, but I think the time has arrived that we only talk about Marchisio. Enough of the ‘Tardellino’ statements, now I want to write my own story.

  I am old enough and mature enough to perhaps be seen as a reference point for younger players. Or I hope to soon become one.

  Though I had a great time this season with Juventus and I’m enjoying the short break in football and I’m really excited about this summer’s EuroCup. Forza Azzurri!

• Making him their first designated player, Montreal Impact sign ex-Bologna (and former Bianconero) Marco Di Vaio.

  ESPN.com writes the 35-year-old will be available to play once the transfer window officially opens June 27. He is to arrive in Montreal with his family Sunday. The tag of ‘designated player’ means only a portion of his pay is applied to the team’s salary cap.

  Di Vaio has spent the last four seasons with Bologna. He also has played with Lazio, Bari, Salernitana, Parma, Juventus and Genoa. He has 142 goals in 342 games in the top Italian league, and spent two years (2002–04) with the Bianconeri, accumulating 55 match appearances and 18 goals.

  I wonder if our own Montreal-resident referee Marco is excited about this? Imagine if he gets the chance to ref a match with Di Vaio one day! [EDITOR's NOTE: Ha! I'm not quite at the level of reffing MLS games just yet but I'm excited to be able to go Di Vaio - along with the whole Italian colony at the Impact - play at Saputo stadium]

That’s all the STTBS for this week. We here at JuventiKNOWS.com are working hard to do lots of season wrap-ups, new special series, and podcasts to hold us all over during the inevitable post-season football-withdrawal during the summer.

Luckily the Euros start in just a few weeks (buy your tickets here) so at least we’ll have something to distract us from the annoying BS transfer season.
 

[STTBS]: Cronaca Juve is a daily feature where the JuventiKnows editorial team discusses the JuveNews stories you need to read, without the “Messi signs for Juve on loan thanks to Nike” kind of nonsense. What does [STTBS] mean? You’ll have to guess that for yourself. We wouldn’t tell you even under pain of torture… (though we do take bribes)

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After a short but sharp discussion at the Juventiknows HQ, it was decided that just because the players seemingly were too partied out to deliver on Sunday, there was no reason why the JK crew shouldn’t set aside the Prosecco for a moment in order to (over)analyse that ill-fated match.

Consequently, two days after that literally unique defeat to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final, Marco, Mike and Lars teamed up to record their takes on the game and its (thankfully not too grave) significance.

While the reactions range from quiet acceptance and conveniently conjured-up silver linings (Lars) to outrage-in-principle (Mike), the guys manage to agree in the end that a Scudetto may be ever so slightly more important in the big Black & White picture than a Coppa. And that, despite the massive consequences to the 2012-13 kits, gold stars are – by and large – prettier than silver ones anyway!

Inevitably, the conversation touched upon a few other important issues such as the all but inexplicable presence of Borriello in the Juve starting XI, whether or not Matri’s exclusion from same was a question of a form dip or vice-versa, and potential dual MATTRESS BANGING™ in Montreal come summertime!!

Enjoy! We shall do our utmost to live up to our promise to be back in your ears sooner rather than later (all listening at own peril etc.)

Aaron, Adam, John, Lars, Marco, and Mike

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Lifting their first trophy since 1987, Napoli denied Juventus the joy of Scudetto/Cup double on Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico of Rome. This 0-2 Coppa Italia loss also stops the Bianconeri one match short of a completely unbeaten season, but it was evident – from the very first whistle – that the team did not step onto the pitch with the same kind of “hunger” and determination we all witnessed the rest of the year, and which drove them to this fantastic Scudetto-winning season. “You can’t win them all”, as they say…

It was also Del Piero’s night. The iconic captain was unable to lead his team to a further victory, but brought to a close a fantastic career with Juventus. ADP closes his playing account with 705 appearances for the Old Lady, a splendid achievement that will forever be remembered alongside all that Pinturicchio has given the club and us tifosi Juventini.

Right from the kick-off Napoli started strongly, dominating the first ten minutes with a positive/aggressive approach and a 3-5-2 formation that matched Juve’s. Zuniga (headed chance kept out by Storari), Lavezzi (diagonal shot just wide of the goal), and Cavani (stopped by a millimetric offside decision) all knocked on Juve’s door, and the Bianconeri were suffering considerably at the back feeling the absence of Giorgio Chiellini (substituted in a like-for-life swap by Martín Cáceres).

After having survived the early danger, the Bianconeri slowly but surely grew into the game, returning to their usual dominating selves. Del Piero, despite his few touches, put his technique & experience to work; Marchisio was the usual midfield engine supplying quality & quantity; Pirlo was Pirlo (need we say more?).

Speaking of Marchisio, Principino missed an excellent chance to open the score inside the box after a great improvised ADP magic, but wasn’t awarded a penalty following his scoffed shot after Aronica kicked him instead of the ball. It was not to be the only mistake of the night for referee Christian Brighi, alas. At the break, the 0-0 scoreline was rather fallacious as a telltale of the match, which had certainly seen no lack of opportunities for either side.

In the second period, the game further increased in intensity, spawning many fouls and an even greater number of arguments on the pitch. Brighi continued his “off” day pretty much displeasing everybody, but cannot really be blamed for the 61st minute decision that changed the game’s momentum.

From an apparently innocuous throw-in by Napoli, a defensive SNAFU by Bonucci, Barzagli, and Storari combined allowed Lavezzi to get his feet to a trailing ball inside the Juve box, and the Juventus goalkeeper to bring him down. Penalty Kick. There were little doubts on Cavani’s ability to transform the spot-shot for Napoli, and the Uruguayan promptly made it 1-0 for the Partenopei.

In the 68th minute, Alessandro Del Piero was subbed out under a standing ovation of the Stadio Olimpico. The moment was historic: il Capitano‘s farewell to Juventus. But certainly one which everyone hoped would’ve been under better circumstances. It was also a rather harsh decision because all in all Alex had played quite decently that night, but Conte had decided Juve’s attack needed something different.

Things certainly seemed to look up for the Bianconeri, as play completely shifted towards Napoli’s half of the pitch. Bonucci and Pepe came very close to the equalizer (Pepe missing his chance due some freakishly lucky goalkeeping by De Sanctis), Juve pressed and pressed some more, but couldn’t manage to find a goal. Napoli’s defense held tight. And their midfield waited. Lurking…

As it were, the Azzurri’s counterattack was ruthless. With almost the entire Juventus team up the park, a cleared corner allowed Pandev to exchange passes with Hamsik, then to put the Slovakian midfielder through on goal. As he beat Storari with a deft shot to the far post, the 2-0 scoreline essentially meant game over for Juve. All that was left in the game to tell was a retaliatory Quagliarella elbow to Aronica’s face, which promptly saw the ex-Napoli forward ejected and pick up a three-match ban for violent conduct.

Thus, the fairy tale ending for Alessandro Del Piero was not to be. Not tonight. And ultimately, Juventus will not be able to claim an historic 10th Coppa Italia win, to end an already perfect season in an even more perfect way. But ultimately, Del Piero already had the most beautiful of farewells at Juventus Stadium only a week earlier. So pardon me if, if only for a moment, I forget the words of Boniperti’s emblematic motto. In fact much like I saw a banner recite at Juventus Stadium not too long ago, allow me to change them.

More than all the trophies & silver stars in the world, tonight, for one night, “Del Piero isn’t important, it’s the only thing that counts”.

LE PAGELLE      (by Marco Pantanella)

Storari 5 – Attentive during his shot-stopping moments, Storari’s rash decision at rushing out of his goal when he did, against a Lavezzi who still had a very tight angle and very few places to go, caused a rather unnecessary penalty.
 

 
Barzagli 5.5 – The moment during which Lavezzi slipped up behind him to be brought down by Storari, was the only negative blip of an otherwise solid performance by Andrea. Unfortunately, it was a moment that counted.

Bonucci 6.5 – Shares less blame than Barzagli on Napoli’s first goal, and was otherwise very convincing in a dominating defensive performance. It’s good to see Leonardo’s confidence soaring so, and this even despite Chiellini’s absence tonight.

Cáceres 6 – Let’s put it this way: he’s no Keyser Giorgio. Despite the Uruguayan combative nature and fully capable tackling skills, the absence of Chiellini’s ruthless man-marking was felt this evening. Allowed a little too much roaming room to Napoli’s right-wing players.

Lichtsteiner 5.5 – Not as dynamically penetrating as usual. Put up a fierce battle against Zuniga on his wing, much like he did in the league match several months ago. Only this time, our swiss right-back/wing-back suffered from being too nervously irritated. Subbed off by Conte before he picked up his second yellow.

(68′) Pepe 6.5 – For a moment, it seemed like Pepe’s introduction had upset the defensive balance of Napoli’s left side, as the Azzurri defenders didn’t know how to contain the Juventus winger. Came very close to produce the equalizing goal, and otherwise continued to attack relentlessly.

Vidal 6 – Not Vidal’s worst performance, but not a vintage one either.

Pirlo 6 – Tried as best he could to illuminate Juve’s play with a few magical touches. Unfortunately was unable to find the “killer” ball, and was equally not too accurate aim-wise with his free-kicks, despite two excellent opportunities.

Marchisio 6.5 – Probably the best of Juve’s midfield on Sunday, battling hard, finding himself ready, and producing the only two decent chances of the M-V-P trio (the first one was saved by De Sanctis, the other one he mis-hit).

Estigarribia 5.5 – So here’s the thing: in terms of work rate, El Chelo is right on par with the best of them. He works hard, is unafraid of challenges, runs up and down the park as needed. Touch-wise (offensively) and covering-wise (defensively) he still leaves a little to be desired. Left way too much room to Christian Maggio.

Borriello 5.5 – I know what you’re thinking. “What the hell did Borriello do Sunday?” My answer to you is: not much, but also “what the hell did he do WRONG”? The answer is also: not much. Simply put, he didn’t have a whole lot of the ball to begin with. Tough to blame a target man for not doing anything when he’s not being fed decent balls he can exploit.

(73′) Quagliarella 4 – Had practically no impact in the final minutes of the match, and made up for it by… impacting Aronica’s face instead. Needless.

Del Piero s.v. – Is there really an appropriate number here? Should it be ADP’s actual match rating (which averages around 6.0-6.5)? Should it be 705 (his match appearances with Juventus) or his goals (too many to count)? Or is it 10 (the only rating we’d ever want to give a guy like Del Piero)? No. For his last big game for Juve, ADP does not need to be graded. He will always be #10, in our hearts.

(68′) Vucinic s.v. – Very little to do and very little time to do it in.

 
Conte 5.5 – In hindsight, starting Borriello alongside ADP was probably not a good idea. In the first part of the first half what Juventus were missing above all were creativity and ideas, things that a player like Borriello will never be able to provide. Other than that, it’s tough to blame Conte for anything on Sunday. Napoli were simply hungrier than Juventus.

PLAY-BY-PLAY      (by Marco Pantanella)

46′	We’re back. No changes at half-time for either team, but Pepe started his warm-up for Juve.
46′	Yellow card Lichtsteiner for a late slide on Lavezzi. Not 10 seconds on the clock…
49′	DZEMAILI! Storming run on the left, exchanges passes with Lavezzi and swings it low for Cavani at the far post! The Uruguayan can’t get to it.
52′	Great Pirlo pass to put ADP through on the right. He’s flagged for a non-existent offside.
54′	Yellow card Dzemaili for a late kick on Borriello.
55′	Maggio running hard on Napoli’s right wing. Gets entangled with Cáceres inside the Juve box but no foul says the ref.
55′	Yellow card P.Cannavaro for a foul on ADP. The tension keeps increasing.
56′	From the left, long Pirlo ball towards Lichtsteiner inside the box. The Swiss jumps for it and earns a corner. Nothing comes out of it.
60′	ADP tries to draw the support of the fans before taking a corner! A HUGE ROAR emanates from the Stadio Olimpico curva!!
61′	Brighi blows another call against Juve, denying them a corner kick.
62′	PENALTY KICK Napoli. Needless Storari slide challenge on Lavezzi inside the box, who had gotten through after a flicked Cavani header from the right side.
62′	Yellow card Storari for the foul.
62′	Yellow card Borriello for dissent.
62′	Replays showing that although the PK was Storari’s fault for the rash slide, Barzagli shares the blame of letting Lavezzi slip through.
63′	Goal Napoli. Cavani sends Storari the wrong way. 0-1.
66′	ESTIGARRIBIA! Blows a great opportunity, after a great Pirlo pass (missed clearance by Cannavaro) had put him clear inside the Napoli box. El Chelo miscontrols the ball and gifts Napoli a goal kick.
67′	Substitution Juve: Vucinic & Pepe come on for Del Piero & Lichtsteiner. ADP will not get on the scoresheet tonight.
67′	Understand the Lichtsteiner substitution, he was very nervous and already on a yellow. Shame for ADP though…
69′	Pepe tight cross from the right at the first post. Straight into De Sanctis’s arms.
70′	BONUCCI!! After a deflected Pirlo cross from the right, rotating half-volley by Leo kept just out the left post by De Sanctis!!!
72′	Substitution Napoli: Pandev comes on for Lavezzi.
72′	Substitution Juve: Quagliarella comes on for Borriello.
73′	PEPE!! Fantastic penetrating run by Pepe inside the Napoli box!! Skips past one, then two Azzurri defenders, fires a left-footed blast than somehow deflects off Vidal and is miraculously saved by De Sanctis’s trailing foot!!! How unlucky!!!
75′	Quagliarella earns a foul in Pirlo territory, 20 yards in front of the Napoli box.
75′	Off the FK, Pirlo… blocked by the wall!
76′	Great block by Bonucci who stops a potential counter-attack by Napoli.
76′	Problems for Marchisio? He’s holding his left shoulder…
78′	Great recovery by the Juventus defense, as they negate a 3v3 opportunity. The key challenge was by Cáceres.
80′	Yellow card De Sanctis for timewasting.
83′	Goal Napoli. Well this does it…
83′	The Goal: Against the run of play and with most of the Juve team up the field, Napoli counter-attack 4v3. Pandev serves it up for Hamsik inside the box who beats Storari at the far post. 0-2.
85′	Substitution Napoli: Dossena comes on for Hamsik.
88′	CÁCERES!! Off a Juve FK, Pirlo almost find the noggin of the Uruguayan center-back ready to hammer it in.
90′	Five minutes of added time.
91′	Red card Quagliarella . Reacting to some close-contact man-marking by Aronica, Quags reacts with an elbow to the defender’s face. Worst possible end to a bad game for Juve.
93′	Substitution Napoli: Just for the sake of wasting even more time, Britos comes on for Cavani.
94′	Pepe called offside.
96′	All over. No fairy tale ending for ADP & Juventus. The Coppa goes to Napoli, the team that wanted it more tonight.

Post-Match INTERVIEWS (click to expand)

• { Alessandro DEL PIERO }
• { Claudio MARCHISIO }
• { Antonio CONTE }

.

	JUVENTUS-NAPOLI 0-2
GOALSCORERS: 63′ pen. Cavani (N), 83′ Hamsik (N)
JUVENTUS (3-5-2): Storari – Barzagli, Bonucci, Cáceres – Lichtsteiner (68′ Pepe), Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Estigarribia – Borriello (73′ Quagliarella), Del Piero (68′ Vucinic). COACH: Conte. (UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Manninger, Padoin, Giaccherini, Matri).
NAPOLI (3-5-2): De Sanctis – Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica – Maggio, Dzemaili, Inler, Hamsik (86′ Dossena), Zuniga – Cavani (93′ Britos), Lavezzi (72′ Pandev). COACH: Mazzarri. (UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Rosati, Grava, Fernandez, Vargas).

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A whole season unbeaten, the best defensive record of all time, the Scudetto clinched one game before the end, and the chance for an Undefeated Double. The eve of the Coppa Italia final between Juventus and Napoli has all that in play, and more.

At the beginning of the season, no one would ever ever thought we’d be writing these words. Making the UEFA Champions League was our hope, the Scudetto our dream. Any idea of a record-breaking defense or undefeated campaign was beyond imagination. And yet here we are, the team having already written their names in Calcio history and prepared to write another page.

A hard-fought title run, the Scudetto was the merit of a truly stunning TEAM display. Maintaining possession, tracking back to defend, as many as 20 roster players getting on the scoresheet… our success came not from any one player or individual, it was a ‘vittoria di gruppo’! As yet another campaign comes to an end, the Coppa Italia perfectly shows how far we’ve traveled under both Beppe Marotta and Antonio Conte.

Most big teams in Europe do heavy rotation in their domestic cup(s) in order to give some of the secondary squad members some playing time, and Juventus is no different. Yet in years past, Bianconeri fans could only expect to see players like Jonathan Zebina, Fabio Grosso, Jorge Martínez or Marco Motta take the field under such circumstances, as Claudio Ranieri, Ciro Ferrara, and Gigi Delneri all had decent starting XIs but rather average reserves. What was missing above all in Turin was squad depth.

This year, Juventus have done heavy rotation in the Coppa Italia, but with a great second squad at their disposal. Instead of shambolic & unreliable back-ups, we’ve had Emanuele Giaccherini slalom his way through to goal against Bologna, young Luca Marrone overpower Roma’s midfield, and Martín Cáceres score a double against Milan. Beppe Marotta’s most visible contribution was improving the starting XI, but the Juventus director general deserves an equal amount of credit for creating a revolution among Juve’s “second string”, one which fights with the same intensity and grinta as the first side.

Lining up in a 3-4-3 (a three-man defense anchored by flying wing-backs and the Three Tenors up top) seemingly for ages now, Napoli fielded the same formation when they traveled to Turin just six weeks ago. There was certainly plenty of motivation from both sides in that game: Juventus were aiming to continue an incredible winning streak and erode the gap with AC Milan to -2, Napoli were still gunning for 3rd place tied in a fierce challenge for Champions League qualification with Lazio, Udinese, and Inter.

Well, after having been defeated during the Delneri era 3-0 in Naples, Juventus got revenge and smashed Napoli to pieces, utterly dominating and beating the Partenopei by the same margin. Indeed, the much vaunted Three Tenors were unable to get a single shot on target, as was the rest of the Napoli team.

The irony is that despite the big final scoreline, Juventus didn’t manage to score until the 2nd half albeit still dominating the Azzurri in the 1st. Heroic defending from Aronica and Cannavaro hid the fact that the Three Tenors were stifled by Juve’s attack, Napoli’s four-man midfield overrun by Juve’s five. Bonucci, Vidal, and Quagliarella would all get on the scoring, with Vidal’s effort being a particular stunner.

NAPOLI

Goalkeepers:    De Sanctis, Rosati, Colombo
Defenders:    Aronica, Britos, Campagnaro, P.Cannavaro, Fernández, Fideleff, Grava, Dossena
Midfielders:    Ammendola, Dzemaili, Hamsik, Inler, Maggio, Zúñiga
Forwards:    Cavani, Lavezzi, Pandev, Vargas

Considering their limited squad depth, this season has been relatively successful for the Azzurri. A decent Champions League run (that nearly saw them into the Quarterfinal) coupled with a Coppa Italia final and 5th-rank Serie A campaign is no small accomplishment. Napoli’s recent success is the merit of a successful project: a consistent style of play applied with a solid core of players resulting in a team with a strong playing identity. Unlike Genoa for example, the Partenopei have not shaken up the managerial position or gone through revolutions of their squad.

It’s certainly a concept Juventus would like to accomplish themselves, but while the Bianconeri are at the very beginning of such a project, Napoli may be nearing the end of theirs. Outstanding results has seen their players wildly desired in Italy and Europe (as clubs like Inter, Man City, PSG, and Juventus themselves eye the various Edinson Cavanis and Ezequiel Lavezzis of the team) while Napoli’s management has also frequently butted heads, with coach Walter Mazzarri and president Aurelio De Laurentiis often at each other’s throats.

That said, regardless of their future Napoli would like nothing more than some silverware to bring home, and field their best starting XI in order to do so.

JUVENTUS

Goalkeepers:    Buffon, Manninger, Storari
Defenders:    Cáceres, Barzagli, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner
Midfielders:    Giaccherini, Estigarribia, Marchisio, Marrone, Padoin, Pepe, Pirlo, Vidal
Forwards:    Borriello, Del Piero, Quagliarella, Matri, Vucinic

For Sunday’s match, though Juventus is likely to continue their rotation policy (Marco Storari has featured between the sticks for the entire Coppa campaign, and there’s no indication tomorrow will be any different) this will also be the first time Conte has to face important absences, as those of Paolo De Ceglie and Giorgio Chiellini to injury. While this is unlikely to affect the manager’s tactical plans (in the campionato, Conte switched to a 3-5-2 for the first time in order to counter Napoli’s 3-4-3, and was relatively successful with Lichtsteiner and Estigarribia largely cancelling out the Azzurri’s adventurous fullbacks), a few tweaks will be necessary among the starting components.

Eager to use the three-man defense which has worked so well against similar formations, Conte is bound to operate a straight swap for Chiellini with Martín Cáceres in defense, fielding the versatile Uruguayan alongside the reliable pillars that are Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci.

In midfield, the Juve tactician is likely to count on the quality of the ‘M-V-P’ group in the middle, as well as Lichtsteiner and Pepe (favored over Estigarribia) on the wings. Up front, our beloved Capitano will line up in his final game in a Juventus jersey and battle to bring yet another trophy to an already fantastic campaign and illustrious career.

Indeed Sunday will also – and especially – be about ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO.

Much like in their April encounter, Juventus and Napoli have massive motivations going into this game. Both sides will be eager to win some silverware, a Cup that neither have won in over 15 years. The Azzurri will be looking to cap a generally successful season, whereas the Old Lady will want to preserve their unbeaten record with a win and end their year in apotheosis.

The Bianconeri have spent much of the last two weeks celebrating the Scudetto, which may or may not lead to a more casual display than normal. It’s extremely unlikely however that Conte would tolerate such a display. Whether a friendly, a Serie A big match, or a game against Albinoleffe in Serie B, the man demands the absolute maximum from his players. Napoli are a good side, but it is destiny for Juventus to close out the Alessandro Del Piero era with one more trophy!!!

★★★    GRAZIE ALE    ★★★

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Back by popular demand, Team Eats is a culinary guide to cooking and consuming the opposition. Each week, we pick a recipe from the home cuisine of Juve’s upcoming adversary, put on the kitchen apron and… cook it and eat it. Buon Appetito!

Well, what a season it’s been. But, just like our podcast insists, It ain’t over til the Old Lady sings! Well, she’s only begun to warm up her vocal cords folks, as an absolutely gorgeous Quagliagol Vucinic miracle-strike kept both our Coppa hopes and ‘imbattibile’ (that’s Italian for ‘undefeated’!) swagger intact. And now, it’s off to Rome to play that team from over in Napoli.

Aside from frying about every type of food you can think of, Naples is best known for being the birthplace of what us Italian-Americans know as ‘a pizz’ (pronounced “abeetz”).

You may know it as “pizza”, an exotic dish consisting of a doughy flat bread, oils, herbs, and “tomatoes”. In 1889, mozzarella cheese was added to make this dish “bellissimo”! MWA! (makes kissy motion with tips of fingers against lips)

Anyway, today I decided to combine a classic Neapolitan pizza with a tri-colored twist: the Coppa Italia winners’ patch Juventus will hope to don next season (which in Italian, is called “coccarda”)!

I give to thee: la Pizza Coccarda (or Coccarda di Pizza, if one were to be grammatically correct)!!
 

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• Marinara sauce
• Pesto sauce (or fresh basil leaves or arugula)
• Fresh Mozzarella

For the pizza dough, anything you can find at the grocery store will do. Or, if you aren’t like me and don’t live in a town where at least one out of every two residents are Italian, a local pizzeria or bakery should sell it. I went with wheat dough.
 

If you want to make the Marinara & Pesto sauces by scratch:

MARINARA: Heat olive oil in a pot with some garlic. Combine peeled & seeded plum tomatoes (plus maybe a can of crushed tomatoes if you need some more juice), add basil & parsley, a touch of red wine, some crushed red peppers, salt, pepper and season to your taste. Let simmer for an hour.

PESTO: This is basically a combination of basil, garlic (roasted in our case), olive oil, and parmesan cheese, all blended in a food processor.
 

Before you begin, make sure that the dough has been left out at room temperature so that it softens.

Directions

1. Gently knead the dough. My technique is to lift it up in the air from one side, and let gravity do most of the work for me, as I turn it clockwise from my thumb tips on its edge. Before you spread it thinly over the pan, make sure to flour it to prevent the dough from sticking. Pinch the crust at the edges.

2. Next cut up the fresh mozzarella into thin slices.

3. In the center of the dough, spread the pesto around (you may not want to use as much as I did, since as the pizza bakes the oil rises to the top and could make things soggy requiring some paper towel-blotting action). If you’ve opted to use fresh basil leaves or arugula instead, spread marinara sauce over the entire pie in this step and THEN use the basil/arugula leaves.

4. Next spread the marinara sauce over the remaining outside part of the pie.

5. Lastly, pile on the pieces of mozzarella in between the red & green to complete the ‘tricolore’ effect.

6. Finally, bake in the oven at 375ºF for 30-40 minutes.

7. Consume!
 

Alright, so as you can see the finished product loses the Coccarda effect a bit (all the goodness sorta melts together… you can cheat by pouring a little bit of pesto sauce back in the center, or garnishing with basil & arugula).

But oh man: this was DELICIOUS. The pesto was from my wife, and completely amazing. The roasted garlic really adds something to it. And the combination of fresh flavors with the wet, tasty mozzarella over the thin crust was simply divine.

Happy reading, cooking and of course, eating everyone! Thanks for welcoming me onto the site and for enjoying what will be the final TeamEATS of the season. I can’t wait until next year when we can get really crazy with UEFA Champions League fixtures (perhaps we’ll wind up facing Debrecen or something… I gotta brush up on my Hungarian cuisine).
 
 

★ BUON APPETITO ★

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Good evening/morning everyone! It’s Friday, and the last match of the season is coming up ahead of us. This coming Sunday, in Rome, Juventus will take on Napoli in the final of the Coppa Italia. While the Coppa has always been a secondary objective (but maybe not for Andrea Agnelli) Juventus will certainly want to finish the season on a high note. A loss would be the team’s first, and a small black mark on an otherwise tremendous season. A win would be the unbeaten domestic double, a hell of a triumph given where we were one year ago.

Of course, as soon as the Coppa has finished, the season is officially over and that means silly season will begin in earnest. There’s already been plenty of rumors about who Juventus will or will not sign, some more realistic than others, and while at this point of the season they’re still rumors, you can bet Marotta, Paratici, Agnelli and Conte are already hard at work planning for the summer.

• The WyScout forum is currently taking place in Milan, with agents, scouts, and managers from around the world around to discuss scouting and transfers. An official from the MLS Players’ Union (Lino Di Cuollo) confirmed interest in Alessandro Del Piero. As of now, however, a move to the LA Galaxy or NY Red Bulls is impossible, as both have used up their 3 “designated players” spots, a quota on high-wage players imposed by the league. The two would have to rid themselves of one of those spots to accommodate Ale, but the official notes “2-3 other teams are interested.”
• A few more stories from the WyScout forum regarding Juve’s possible future strikers. Luis Suárez is unlikely to leave Liverpool, and indeed, the club are discussing the option of a renewal for the Uruguayan striker. Rumors out of Milan however suggest that another Uruguayan striker, Edinson Cavani, is indeed Juve’s top striker target for the summer. That’s been heavily rumored for months, and it’s very likely in my opinion: Cavani has in recent months expressed some hints of dissatisfaction with Napoli, be it missing out on the Champions League, and whether or not the club would allow him to go to the Olympics this summer. As for young gun Mattia Destro, his agent has confirmed interest from Juventus and other clubs, but “his co-ownership situation between Siena and Genoa needs to be resolved first.”
• Still at the WyScout forum, the Udinese DS has met with Michele Pazienza’s agent. It seems very likely that Udinese will be signing Pazienza outright, after a decent loan spell at the Friulian club. Pazienza’s agent was asked about it, and confirmed that they were in negotiations but “it’s too soon to say anything”. Picked up on a free transfer from Napoli, Pazienza’s sale should generate a small profit for Juventus, like castaway fullback Reto Ziegler.
• Juventus have opened the J-Museum, a home for all of the glorious history of Juventus. Marco has you set up with an incredible array of photos, videos, and text describing both the opening and contents of the museum. Check it out here on JuventiKnows.
• Controversy has (attempted) to engulf Juventus again. Ex-Siena player Filippo Carobbio has accused Antonio Conte and Siena of being involved in the Calcioscommesse betting scandal. The player, who has been arrested for his involvement in betting scandal stated that Siena had made agreements with Novara and Albinoleffe. Worth noting a few things that Gazzetta forgot to mention: Carobbio is arrested and facing serious sanctions, thus, it’s not surprising he might try and deflect the blame, claim he was “just following orders”, or finger others in exchange for a lighter sentence [Like Andrea Masiello naming Bonucci and Pepe as co-conspirators- they were never investigated or asked to testify].
  
  Antonio Conte has not been asked to testify or ever been investigated by Palazzi, and three Siena teammates have already denied Carobbio’s allegations. No member of Novara’s coaching staff or players have been investigated regarding Siena-Novara. The most ridiculous aspect of it all? Supposedly Siena agreed to lose to Novara 1-0. Can you imagine Antonio Conte making an agreement to lose? The man who named his daughter “Vittoria”…
• Still in Calcioscommesse news, Siena’s goalkeeper at the time Ferdinando Coppola has also denied that Siena agreed to lose against Novara. “I don’t think in the pre-game tactical meeting that our coach told the team that there was an agreement from the match. I remember the emotion of listening to Conte who demanded the team’s best effort, because the stakes were important and we had just come off a defeat with Portogruaro. I never heard any reference from Conte or Carobbio to an agreement to change the result of the match.”

That’s it for us at STTBS for the week. We’ll keep updating you in the future on the Carobbio-Conte-Calcioscommesse story, and we’ll have all the content this weekend for the Coppa Italia final: previews, reviews, and reactions. Stay tuned.

[STTBS]: Cronaca Juve is a feature where the JuventiKnows editorial team discusses the JuveNews stories you need to read, without the “Messi signs for Juve on loan thanks to Nike” kind of nonsense. What does [STTBS] mean? You’ll have to guess that for yourself. We wouldn’t tell you even under pain of torture… (though we do take bribes)

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A new era is in the starting blocks. Juve’s newest addition to the ever-growing phenomenon that is Juventus Stadium has a name: JUVENTUS MUSEUM, the club’s official museum located on the Eastern side of the stadium (and a mere stone’s throw away from the Area12 shopping centre) has had its official unveiling earlier this week.

• Arranged over an area of 1,500 m²
• Entirely bilingual (Italian & English)
• Enhanced by the extensive use of multimedia facilities
• Features educational sections on Italian history, mapping the club’s evolution alongside the most significant events of the past century.

For the grand opening, president Andrea Agnelli brought along the Scudetto trophy, the 30th and that of the third star according any respectable Juventino fan, but still only 28th according to the Italian soccer federation & Lega Calcio. It is thus no coincidence that FIGC president Giancarlo Abete declined the invitation to the ribbon cutting, to avoid further controversy, polemic, and the assorted (extremely likely) booing.

Alongside president Agnelli, dg Beppe Marotta, councillor Pavel Nedved, president of J-Museum Paolo Garimberti, and celebrity “ex” Edgar Davids, the entire Juventus team was present, in addition to a few old glories of Juve history: Bettega, Ferrara, Cuccureddu, Morini, Tacconi, Ravanelli, Furino, Bonini, Mauro, Brio, Anastasi, Torricelli… This year’s “Trophy of Pride” (with a fierce display of the number 30) ended up in the trophy room, dubbed the “trophy temple” for the occasion, alongside all other titles the club has won.

“The Juventus Museum strikes me for all the stimuli it gives you, for all the great moments given by Juventus and the strength the team has shown throughout its history,” said Fiat and Exor chairman, John Elkann. “It’s the culmination of an incredible week: the party for the Scudetto, ending the season unbeaten, the dinner with the team yesterday at Villar Perosa, which we had promised if we won something.” Elkann said that the part which has him most excited in the museum is the Trophy Room. “Qualifying for Europe helps, as with the stadium, to build our future during a remarkable moment for the club.”

The J-Museum is a beautiful collection of antiques, vintage jerseys, memorabilia, historical images: Black & White fragments of life “embedded” in the tale of the history of Italy. “The history of our country has become intertwined with the history of what is not just Turin’s team but the team of Italy.”

There is also a sort of time machine where you live out the game from within, in close virtual contact with Juve’s ultracentennial history. You play hide and seek among vintage videos, yellowed by age, and interactive high-tech. Necessary also, a space dedicated to the Heysel tragedy, with a totem remembering the 39 victims. Their relatives have been invited to the inauguration and have received a lifetime admission to the museum.

Further down, the Juventus Hall of Fame, scale models of the stadiums, the 36 jerseys of players with most match appearances (from Peruzzi’s 301 to the 704 of current record-holder Alex Del Piero), the area dedicated to the Ballon d’Ors and great coaches, and the possibility to be photographed next to one’s idol (from Omar Sivori all the way to Gigi Buffon: modern-day miracles of Photoshop…)

And continuing: the touchscreen encyclopedia, an area dedicated to the fans (11 million in Italy, 38 million in Europe, 180 million worldwide), the ball of the last Scudetto (the one they used at Stadio Nereo Rocco of Trieste against Cagliari), the famous bench of Corso Re Umberto. And Calciopoli? The story is summed up eloquently on a panel titled: “From heaven to hell and back”.

The structure designed by studio Camerana & Partners (in collaboration with Studio Dedalo) and headed by Paolo Garimberti (president of RAI but more importantly, a Juventino DOC), opened its doors to the public on Thursday. Predictably several months of “sold out” await, after similar records registered by the Juventus Stadium match tickets and the Stadium Tours. “This museum brings us on par with our major European competitors,” says Agnelli proudly. Indeed, with this museum Juve have reached in all respects the standards of the big international football teams, most notably Barcelona who boast the highly visited ​Nou Camp museum: one million visitors a year at €22 per ticket.

Numbers that Juve dream of replicating.
 

Andrea AGNELLI

Emotion by Juventus standards is always directed towards ‘tomorrow’: for me the greatest joy is the one that is yet to come. But this museum is something extraordinary for Juventini and for all sport enthusiasts, because it tells the story of one of the most important football clubs in Italy. The history of this club, of this company is intertwined with the history of my family, which since 1923 has collected some thirty Scudetti. There are extraordinary memorabilia here, donated by protagonists and collectors alike. Technical objects and objects of worship, from which you can experience the evolution of football, along with a documentary entitled “Fino alla Fine” (Until the End) which covers the history of Juventus as if it were a football match.

Edgar DAVIDS

It’s true, this museum felt like taking a dip in the past for me because it recalled many memories of happy times during which we won a lot. I must say it is a great initiative for young people, so that they can learn about the history of Juventus. My other ‘squadra del cuore’, Ajax, has already had a museum for a few years now, but it’s a bit different because unlike Juve, Ajax’s musem is at the center of the city of Amsterdam. (…) I got to watch Juve’s matches this year and I must say that the great determination of the team was awesome, a real strength. In any case I think it is too soon to risk comparing this Juve with the team I was once part of.

Gigi BUFFON

Here you feel the scent of Juventus. It recognizes those who have brought Juve up and written pages of history. I am proud to be represented, honored to have my little space. I think I was part of something important with Juve and the national team, but my sporting life will go on for some years and I hope to contribute to fill these spaces with even more trophies.

Luca MARRONE

The impression can only be positive, this museum depicts the history of Juventus, is unique and makes one realize the importance of wearing this shirt. It gave me a great charge. The room with the trophies is truly special and we know we must play in order to fill it. Early Sunday we will try to win another trophy with the Coppa Italia. Napoli is a great team; they aren’t enjoying a very happy moment, but in a single match there’s a lot that can happen. We are ready. The festivities are already behind us and the coach has prepared us in the right way.

Fabrizio RAVANELLI

I felt a great emotion and great satisfaction entering this museum. I think that is truly extraordinary. It gives you goosebumps. It was done with great class, like all the things made in Juventus. My pictures and my goals are definitely what gave me the most emotion. It is normal, all personal things get you excited but honestly, everything here is truly exciting.

Ciro FERRARA

Am I still too young to belong in a museum? I’m getting there! (laughs) Jokes aside, I think the museum in such a fantastic setting is a beautiful initiative. It’s nice to meet again with old classmates and friends this evening. (…) The trophy room has a striking visual effect, I’m glad that many of those cups I have at home as replicas. It’s all very special, there are many people today but I will definitely come back to see this museum under calmer circumstances. The story of the club is represented here, it’s been an enjoyable and exciting evening. It is often said that you should not live on memories, but these are indelibly marked and inerasable; sometimes looking at these we find the strength to emerge from years of difficulty, such as this club has always demonstrated to do.

Paolo GARIMBERTI

With this museum, we want to make people understand that the history of Juventus is an integral part of football history and the country. This museum has the ability to combine tradition and therefore all objects, large objects, from jerseys to footballs, to great technology, so the chance to see wonderful video clips of times that maybe younger fans, but also those of my age, do not remember. I really enjoyed visiting it as a special preview last Sunday under calmer circumstances, and going to see for example, a team that I loved but never was able to see: that of Boniperti, Charles and Sivori. This enables someone who loves football, beyond Juventus, an extraordinary overview of the last 115 years. On the walls there are many phrases and they are very beautiful. I have not read them all, but there is one that belongs to l’Avvocato Agnelli that I agree with deeply. He said that whenever he saw the letter ‘J’ he always got excited. And whenever he saw black and white colors, even if it was Udinese’s, he felt a pang to his heart.

Sources: TuttoJuve and La Repubblica

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I know we haven’t had any TR3-REX news on here for a while (practically a month!) so for today, the 17th of May, let’s honor good ol’ Number 17.

David Trezeguet is currently tearing it up in Argentina’s second division at River Plate with 12 goals in 16 matches, including two over the weekend for a 4-2 win over Atlético Tucuman and first place (tied with Rosario Central on points).

The video below is a great tribute to Lucky 17. It includes Trezegol’s intro to River Plate and all of his goals in chronological order (set to a phat beat, of course). I especially love the goal at 4:17 where a cross to Trezeguet is headed into the crossbar… and then Trezeguet heads the rebound back in. So awesome.

I know it’s only Argentina’s second division, but it’s so great that King David is enjoying himself.

But enough about Argentina, let’s get to the news!

• With all eyes set on Rome the Training Continues in Vinovo for Coppa Italia Final.

  Juventus.com reports the team’s preparations for Sunday’s Coppa Italia final against Napoli continued this afternoon with a friendly fixture contested in Vinovo. Lega Pro side Santarcangelo were overcome 3-1 thanks to goals from Pirlo, Quagliarella and Borriello.

  Yesterday training session was Juve’s second workout of the week and included a series of shuttles/shooting practice, focus on passing as a unit, and an in-depth tactical session tailored to the specific requirements for Sunday’s game in Rome.

• Speaking to Sky Sport Claudio Marchisio reflects on this season.
  
  Regarding Serie A:

  We won because we were hungrier. We also played a very important brand of football in every game, even when we missed several goalscoring opportunities and didn’t get the result.

  We always looked to take the game to our opponents every Sunday, both home and away. Our manager also deserves credit for this; he’s instilled the right mentality required to get back to winning ways.

  On the Coppa Italia Final:

  It will certainly be a difficult test. The draw in Naples and the game we won at home were both tough encounters. The two meetings represented the two most important periods of our season. I was suspended for the first game but followed the team from the stands.

  I could see it wasn’t an easy night as we went 3-1 down. But then I saw the side’s strength, perhaps it was there that the group had even more awareness of being able to push all the way through until the end of the year.

  The return fixture came when we were in our purple patch and represented another victory. I think they were the most important moments of an extraordinary season.

• New to Juventus Stadium: Juventus Museum! Now Juve fans can enjoy an unforgettable journey through the club’s glorious 115-year history!

  The entirely bilingual development (Italian and English) combines historical artifacts with state of the art multimedia facilities to recount the greatest football story ever told.

  Juventus Museum can be visited separately or as part of the club’s stadium tours.

  Located on the eastern side of the stadium near the Area12 shopping centre, the brand new development has come to life through the club’s desire to celebrate 115 years of history and triumphs by granting visitors unprecedented access to a wide-ranging selection of trophies and memorabilia. It also features educational sections on Italian history, mapping the club’s evolution alongside the most significant events of the past century.

  New technologies enable the museum to constantly be updated, offering a unique step into the future whilst also maintaining the more traditional aspects associated with a development of its kind.

  For more info with hours and prices, visit the specialized page on Juventus.com. And for a complete INSIDER look at all the museum features including a boatload of pictures and two very evocative videos, check out Marco’s full report here on JuventiKnows!!

  Yesterday the players took their time to browse the museum and take in the various exhibits on display. After completing the journey through Juve’s 115-year history, Gigi Buffon had this to say:

  It’s recognition for those who have brought Juve to the top and written important pages in the club’s history. I’m proud to be represented and honoured to have my own small space. I think I’ve made an important contribution to Juventus and the national team. But my sporting career will continue for a few years and I hope to add even more to fill these spaces and pack them even further with trophies.

  Luca Marrone also shared his thoughts:

  It can only be a positive impression. This museum represents Juve’s history, it’s something unique and makes you realise the importance of wearing this shirt. The trophy room is truly special and we know we’re playing to fill it even more. We’ll try and win another in Sunday’s Coppa Italia final. Napoli are a great team, they’re not going through the best of spells, but anything can happen in a one-off game. We’re ready, we’ve put the celebrations behind us and the manager has immediately prepared us in the right manner.

  I can’t wait to see it!

• “Not officially-official yet but Juventus are in talks with D.C. United for a friendly in USA..

  A formal announcement is expected later this week. Reportedly both clubs had agreed to a match as part of a proposed doubleheader with AC Milan and Chelsea at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

  Reportedly that plan fell apart and instead Chelsea and AC Milan will play in Miami.

  Juventus are already visiting Las Vegas on August 5th. Tickets are already available and can be bought here.

• Italian Independent releases Special Scudetto Tribute Glasses.

  Juventus.com reports that Lapo Elkann’s brand Italian Independent has launched a range of exclusive sunglasses to honour the club’s Scudetto triumph.

  Both styles of glasses feature a rubber soft touch front, differing only in the colour of the temples, either zebra stripes or black and white, and the logos, black or golden-brown. The Italia Independent and Scudetto symbols are located inside one of the temples, while the Juventus badge and inscription ‘Campioni d’Italia 2012’ can be found on the other side.

  The players showed their immediate appreciation for the product by donning the glasses during the team’s victory parade.

  Click here to buy the I-I tribute to Juventus from the JuveStore.com for € 147,00.

• Already champions of Italy and now Juventus crowned champs of social media.

  ANSA, the main press agency in Italy, used BlogMeter to assess the social networking strategies implemented by clubs in Serie A and Serie B and found Juventus with the best presence on Facebook. Here is a summary of the press release:

  FOOTBALL: JUVENTUS ALSO CLAIMS TOP SPOT ON FACEBOOK

  MORE ENGAGING THAN MILAN, INTER AND ROMA

  (ANSA) – ROME, 16 MAY – Four Serie A teams dominate on Facebook: Juventus, Milan, Inter and Roma. But one side is stronger than the others: Juventus, who have repeated their on-field success on the most popular social network.

  Using Total Engagement – a tool used to measure fans’ involvement through the amount of likes, posts, comments and shares – Blogmeter has created a table, in which Juventus occupies first place. The club’s page celebrated its one-year anniversary on 27 April, with its 3.7 million fans creating nearly 2.5 million moments of activity through posts, comments and shares. An average of 46,271 likes, 8,515 shares and 2,689 comments are made per day. The video “CAMPIONI D’ITALIA!!!” was the most absorbing post over that period, reaching 168.000 views.

• Marcello Lippi appointed head coach of Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande.

  

  Lippi replaces South Korea’s Lee Jang-soo at the big-spending Chinese club. Guangzhou Evergrande declared on their official website:

  According to the club’s strategic development needs, a considered decision has been made to appoint Mr. Marcello Lippi to serve as head coach for the Guangzhou Evergrande football club. The appointment is for two years and six months.

  Lippi:

  I have paid attention to the club and watched games in recent months, including games of the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions league.

  Now I can tell every player in the team. But I just know their numbers for the moment, I will gradually remember their names.

  I began to talk to my assistants and I successfully persuaded them to come here along with me.

  I will start my job from this afternoon on and off the pitch. I will lead this team with my extraordinary passion and most professional knowledge.

  At this moment, upon my arrival, it should be a influential event that could be the most important thing in China today.

  Congrats to Lippi on the new job! The best thing about it is how it keeps him away from any of the Serie A clubs, especially the ones in Milan.

That’s all for today’s STTBS. Check in tomorrow for Aaron’s STTBS perusal of the friday headlines, while John has both a special TeamEATS Coppa Italia Napoli Edition and Sunday’s match preview.
 

[STTBS]: Cronaca Juve is a daily feature where the JuventiKnows editorial team discusses the JuveNews stories you need to read, without the “Messi signs for Juve on loan thanks to Nike” kind of nonsense. What does [STTBS] mean? You’ll have to guess that for yourself. We wouldn’t tell you even under pain of torture… (though we do take bribes)

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With the Coppa Italia final fast approaching, our very own Adam Digby takes a look at what the game, and indeed this very competition, mean to the man charged with running the very club we all hold in such high esteem.

Shortly after taking over control of Juventus back in the autumn of 2010, new President Andrea Agnelli spoke this week of his desire to return Juve to being the model of success they previously were, but conceded that to do so would mean winning a trophy. After stating that a return to Champions League football was vital to this, he then went on to add comments that brought many forgotten memories flooding back. “We must try and win the Coppa Italia, a competition which has been missing from our trophy cabinet for a long time.” Agnelli told the assembled reporters.

To many fans of the Old Lady this was hugely disappointing. A club which became synonymous with Scudetto success and numerous Champions League Final appearances during the mid-to-late 90s now reduced to chasing minor cup competitions? Those feelings were undeniably strong, particularly among those Juventini who began supporting the club after witnessing the exploits of Roberto Baggio at either the 1990 or 1994 World Cups, but to many – and undoubtedly including the generation of fans to which the President himself belongs – it was merely a reminder of how things used to be.

If we go back to the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and (many would argue tainted) triumph that befell the club at Heysel Stadium in 1985, many of that team of champions retired or left the club, ending one of the most successful cycles in club history. Giovanni Trapattoni, architect of that golden age quit just one year later and the Bianconeri fell into mediocrity under Rino Marchesi who led the club to one of the worst seasons in her storied history. In order to arrest the slide and begin another chapter of glory, then-President Giampiero Boniperti brought back another playing legend, former goalkeeper Dino Zoff to coach the club.

The team was overhauled yet despite the many changes, the World Cup-winning captain’s leadership saw the side climb to a far more respectable 4th place. While being three places below where many demand the Old Lady to always sit, it must be remembered that this was achieved in a league dominated by the wealth and power a certain Silvio Berlusconi delivered to AC Milan, not to mention the magical genius of Diego Maradona’s Napoli. With those two clubs dominating the league as well as transferring their superiority onto the European stage, the leap from 12th to 4th was still a vast improvement.

However, it was to be in the CUP competitions where Zoff’s improving team would first enjoy a small taste of success. Victories in the early rounds over Cagliari, Taranto, Pescara and Sampdoria earned la Vecchia Signora a place in the final of the COPPA ITALIA with the first leg in Turin on February 28, 1990. A 0-0 stalemate against the mighty Rossoneri gave real hope and belief to Juve who, until that date, had not been able to cope with the variety of weapons at the disposal of Arrigo Sacchi. Yet that confidence, as fragile as it already was, would be put on hold as the insane scheduling of the cup meant they would be forced to wait almost two whole months before the return match took place at San Siro.

Taking il Diavolo on in their own home was the most daunting experience of that period in Calcio history, as this Milan was perhaps the greatest club side of the modern era. Drilled to perfection by the obsessive Sacchi, the famous Red & Black shirts were worn with such great distinction by iconic names such as Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten. Juve entered the Second Leg as the heaviest of underdogs against a team in the midst of winning back-to-back European Cups in emphatic, all-conquering fashion (it speaks to their quality that even now, some 22 years later, no side has managed to match their remarkable achievement).

It is credit to Zoff’s preparation that the Juventus players took the field without fear and, after just 17 minutes, Roberto Galia sprang footballs most effective offside trap to hit a shot that slipped behind Milan keeper Giovanni Galli. Below the Curva occupied by his own fans, a somewhat muted celebration took place, one laced with heavy concern about the reaction of such formidable opponents.

Yet as time ticked away, Juve fans dared to dream as their team controlled the match. Five long, trophy-less seasons – an absolute eternity for those accustomed to seeing the Old Lady forever on top of the Serie A scene – had brought a nervous tension not dissimilar to that felt over the past two seasons. Slowly growing in confidence, Rui Barros became a constant thorn in the side of Milan, Sergeij Alejnikov and Giancarlo Marocchi began to dominate their more famous opponents in midfield. Pasquale Bruno and Dario Bonetti were insurmountable in defence throughout both legs as, despite Milan possessing the bigger names, the collective effort of the Juventus side combined to protect goalkeeper Stefano Tacconi who was excellent each and every time he was called upon.

Eventually, after oh-so-long a wait, the final whistle was blown and the Bianconeri rushed to embrace coach Zoff before parading the Cup in front of their fans, the stadium emptying of Milanisti in seemingly record time. Juventus, buoyed by finally getting their hands on some silverware, would go on to beat Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup Final just weeks later. Those wins instilled the spirit back into a club that had, over five most difficult seasons, lost its very essence and the similarities between then and now stir echoes in many of us old enough to remember that fateful day.

It was that first trophy, the Coppa Italia – aptly won on April 25, Italian Liberation Day – that freed the club from its recent past and gave birth to a new era. It was one led first by a returning Trapattoni before Marcello Lippi arrived from Napoli and, with a steady stream of world-class talent arriving thanks to the work of Luciano Moggi, the club would never look back, going on to enjoy yet another period of dominance that would last almost unchecked for the next 16 years.

Overseeing it all was Umberto Agnelli, and it seems that name is always there whenever Juventus are in their best cycles. That day in 1990 he sat in the stands with his brother and various other family members but, judging by his words of two years ago, perhaps its greatest impact was on the memories of the 14 year-old son sitting proudly alongside him.

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Recorded a day before Alessandro Del Piero raised the Serie A trophy to the Turin sky, Marco, Aaron, Mike and Lars got together to discuss what an amazing season it has been: a team aiming for an unbeaten double with the best defense in Europe, just after two years of utter mediocrity.

The podcast is a bit of looking back and looking forward: we start out with a few fun stories, how we each individually celebrated Juve’s first Serie A title since 2006. The boys discuss how their expectations for Juventus evolved, from the hopeful beginnings in the summer, to the drawing doldrums of winter, and finally, the renaissance in the Spring. The team reveals “that moment” when we truly believed the team would win the Scudetto, such as the 5-0 mauling of Fiorentina and a few other surprise suggestions…

The crew also cover the phenomenal work done by Antonio Conte and the importance of Andrea Pirlo, moving onto a few discussions for next year: what formation could be ideal, and how we can survive with the added weight of the UEFA Champions League campaign and our MVP inevitably having to skip a few matches…

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Thanks as always, and enjoy the show, which opens with three wonderful minutes of unadulterated Claudio Zuliani, as he accompanies us through to the final whistle of the Cagliari match. 1… 2… 3… STELLA!!

Aaron, Adam, John, Lars, Marco, and Mike