Buffon: Italy, look to Juve

Buffon: Italy, look to Juve
Wednesday 2 September, 2009

Gianluigi Buffon confirms the Italy squad should look to Juventus for inspiration and leaves the door open for Antonio Cassano.

Coach Marcello Lippi has picked eight Bianconeri players for the World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Hungary, while he also prompted a row with Inter boss Jose Mourinho when he tipped the Turin giants for the Scudetto.

“It is only right that the Juve fans dream and make wild flights of fancy towards the title,” said Buffon.

“We must be realistic and not it is very difficult, as Inter are the strongest overall side and a real tank.

“I honestly did not understand what Mourinho was trying to say. I will only point out they already took two Scudetti off us, now they want to take our hope too…”

It would be Juve’s first victory since the Calciopoli scandal of 2006 saw them demoted, but they are top of the table and have packed out the Italy squad.

“This is a club that focuses heavily on homegrown talent, so it is only natural that the Azzurri Coach would look to Juve,” continued Buffon.

Cassano has again been dropped from the squad and it looks as if the Sampdoria starlet will never be able to do enough to convince Lippi.

“He is not a ghost following the side around, but I don’t envy Lippi his job,” added the goalkeeper.

“I read his statements on Cassano and there was no finality to them. When Roberto Donadoni was in charge, Cassano and [Alessandro] Del Piero were last-minute additions to the Euro 2008 side.

“The team overall comes first and we all need to work together on that. We need to rediscover the team spirit that was so sorely lacking in the Confederations Cup.

“The only way to do that is through playing good football, notching up wins and knowing how to sustain pressure as a unit.”

Claudio Ranieri was sacked at Juventus with two rounds left of last season and begins again today at Roma.

“I am happy for him. Roma was what he wanted and he is the ideal man for that club. The rapport with the team had not collapsed at Juve, just with a few individual players.

“The rumours on who would replace him were flying around for months and in those circumstances it’s inevitable you lose your authority over the squad.”

* Football Italia