Poulsen fights Juve fans

Poulsen fights Juve fans
Sunday 13 July, 2008

The Juventus fans are up in arms over the arrival of Christian Poulsen, but the contentious midfielder is confident he’ll prove them wrong.

The Dane is ready to complete his £6m transfer from Sevilla over the next 24 hours and the news has not gone down well with supporters.

Some unveiled a banner at the pre-season training camp in Pinzolo that read: ‘You’re ridiculous! Poulsen is another flop.’

“I can’t wait to get started, even if I know it won’t be easy for me in the first few games, especially in Rome and Milan after some past incidents.”

Poulsen is notorious among Italian football fans for his unorthodox style, which included run-ins with Francesco Totti in Euro 2004 and Kaka in the Champions League.

“I know full well my reputation as a provocateur, but I am not worried. If a team buys me, they get someone who never gives in and always pushes 100 per cent to win,” he continued.

“I am a proud man with a hard head, so I know I’ll have to play well to win over the fans. Then, as always, what really counts is what I’ll achieve on the pitch.

“I am truly happy to be able to play for Juventus, as they are a great club who’ll give me the opportunity to play in the Champions League. They are also among the most popular sides in Denmark, ever since the days of Michael Laudrup.”

Poulsen is notorious for his consistent fouling and sneaky gamesmanship when marking talented opponents, but Sevilla goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis is willing to vouch for him.

“It isn’t right that people almost always talk about the incidents around him rather than his quality,” said the Italian international.

“He runs hard, battles away and is very useful. He’s one of those players who causes problems when you find him as an opponent and that is why he is often considered irritating.”