Ranieri, time for a first assessment

Ranieri, time for a first assessment

The third place is already ensured, as are the preliminaries to access the next edition of the Champions League. Two days before the official season's conclusion, Juventus apparently have nothing more to achieve. For once, facts can take the place of words.

Particularly for Claudio Ranieri, who starred in three different mediums at the same time: the press conference on the eve of the match against Catania, the Exclusive Interview on Juventus Channel and the introduction to the game against the team from Sicily for the Match Program.

Three chats, with one subject prevailing on everything else, i.e. an assessment on the season that's ending. The encounter with the press at the Juventus Media Center in Vinovo was rather emblematic in this sense. There's a game to be played at the Olimpico, against Catania, who are fighting to avoid relegation, but the actual game went almost unmentioned. Ranieri was only eager to underline one thing: his side won't be a “holiday team” on the pitch: «We'll have motivations aplenty. It's the last game in front of our own fans and we really want to bid farewell to the people that have stood behind us for the whole year in the best possible way. Our supporters have been extremely important, they've understood the problems we had this season and they’ve treated us very well. They were always behind us and I thank them for this».

The three points up for grabs against Zenga's men, just like the other three in the last match against Sampdoria, won’t change Juve's League position. But the Bianconeri will be fuelled by other motivations: «We have to be fair and make sure the League’s regularity isn't marred, plus we have two players (Del Piero and Trezeguet) who can still win the top scorer award. Moreover, I won't even be resting Buffon».

To sum up the 2007/08 season, Ranieri returned on the things he said during the Exclusive Interview with Juventus Channel: «We started off well this year and after a few games we reached third place and we never let it go. That means we had a brilliant season. We’ll have to repeat ourselves in the next one, considering we also have the Champions League to play. Yes, if we’ll be able to repeat ourselves despite the added matches, it would be another important step in this team's growth process».

*juventus.com