Every word: Max Allegri talks Torino, his future, team news, John Elkann and more

Juventus is close to reaching its big goal: getting into the Champions League. Every upcoming game is super important for the team including the Derby against Torino.

Massimiliano Allegri talked about this in a recent press conference, showing how focused they are on winning.

He talked about the next big match against Torino, but also about what lies ahead for Juventus. It’s all about staying together and working hard to achieve success.

ATMOSPHERE – “When you win, you feel better, it’s for sure. With 7 league games left, we anticipate the return of the Italian Cup, which is 35-40 days away. It’s still a long time, with teams battling it out. We need to take a step forward to continue the path we’ve embarked on.”

ELKANN – “Important words from the Engineer. They highlighted the work that began 3 years ago. It was necessary to reintegrate young players who grew up in Next Gen every year.

“I believe this has been done to ensure sustainability for the club, a job that will continue over the years under the guidance of director Cristiano Giuntoli. This underscores the importance of the work carried out in Vinovo.”

JURIC – “Is there an ‘Allegri-style’ team? I thank Juric for his kind words. Every year, teams are not assembled in the same way in my experience. I always aim to field players in the best conditions, depending on their characteristics. It’s difficult to find players with the exact characteristics a coach desires or wants to play. Sometimes, you change your approach during the year. I think it’s a pre-requisite.

“With the players I have, it’s right to adapt to achieve our goals. Juric is an excellent coach, and playing against him is always difficult. His teams apply a lot of pressure, and it will be a tough match. For us, it’s a special derby, for Torino, for the fans. But it’s an important match for us; we need the points to continue pursuing our objective.”

FUTURE – “At this time, achieving goals takes precedence over everything else. I believe €100 million will dance around whether or not we enter the Champions League. Right now, the main objective, in which we are all involved, is fundamental to achieve.

“In the future, the club, as always, will decide what’s best for Juventus. So far, the best course of action for all of us is to join forces and achieve this goal, which is very important.”

PITFALLS – “There are many. Torino has kept 15 clean sheets. They score one goal every 2 games, conceding 10 at home. It’s tough. They don’t score many goals, but they have the fourth-best defense in the championship.

“And then it’s a derby, a story in itself. For us and for them, who are both chasing Europe, it would be another important step towards the Champions League. We must address it in the best possible way.”

TRAINING – “I have two doubts; I’ll decide them in the morning.”

RELIEF – “When you win, you see things differently. We hadn’t won in a long time. We lost direct clashes in the second round, with Lazio, with Inter. We lost in Naples. We only won one important game for the ranking, considering the moment we were experiencing.

“We must not think that everything is solved. Until you reach your goal, you haven’t achieved anything. It’s one step at a time. Let’s focus on what needs to be done on the pitch. Then we will prepare for Cagliari, which will be another battle.”

CRITICISMS – “I always take them into consideration; they’re also made by people who understand football. I’m very realistic, and I listen to them. I can draw inspiration from them, as with all things. We always need to improve.

“Against Fiorentina, we didn’t have any shots on goal until the 65th minute. Without creating much, we lost possession to Rabiot, and there was a shot towards Szczesny in the 72nd minute…

“We’re trying to improve possession and ball management. At this point in the season, points carry more weight. We’re from an unwelcome period. We knew the importance of the match.

“When you then cancel out three goals, there are concerns… I have nothing to reproach the players for. We need to improve. I accept criticism, especially when it’s constructive.”

IDEA ABOUT THE FUTURE – “I don’t dwell on the problem. We’re so close to the goal because we haven’t achieved it yet. If we qualify for the Champions League, we’ve reached it. If we don’t, we’ll see things differently.

“It’s useless to talk about it. We need to focus on tomorrow’s race, then Cagliari. There’s still a month left until the end. We need to work well and concentrate. We’ve worked all these months for the final month.

“We started with the goal of qualifying for the Champions League, and the company confirmed the objective. The Italian Cup was another objective. We played the semi-final, and now it’s the return leg. In the last month, we decide things.

“Despite all the problems and seasonal challenges, we’re on track, and it’s important to be there. But we must achieve our objectives. That’s what counts. The rest counts for nothing.”

LAST DERBY – “I didn’t think about it; I thought it’s an important derby [against Torino]. Special for us, for the fans, for the city. It means a lot to us. Let’s strive to return to playing in the Champions League. For Juventus, you can’t afford to stay out of the Champions League for two years, even from an economic standpoint. I believe that if we succeed, it will be a great achievement.”

STIMULUS – “The derby? Being compared to a legend like Trapattoni, whom I had the pleasure of working with in Cagliari, gives me immense pleasure and fills me with joy. The derby against Torino itself, with two goals to achieve, creates adrenaline and makes you want things.

“We must strive for these victories; they will lead us to the Champions League. Next year has to be a wonderful season; playing in the Champions League brings a different atmosphere. Then there’s the Italian Cup, which won’t be easy. Lazio is an excellent team, and it will be very complicated.”

EUROPEAN THOUGHTS – “We didn’t discuss the Champions League. Real-Manchester was extraordinary, with top-level technical values. The ball mastery was really a pleasure to watch. I enjoyed the Real match, as well as Barcelona and PSG. Atalanta yesterday, Milan-Roma yesterday. We need to have confidence in what we have.

“The Italian championship may be inferior to others, but last year, Roma reached the Europa League final, and Inter reached the Champions League final. One and a half are already in the Europa League, with Fiorentina in the Conference… There’s something good there.”

DOUBTS – “The only doubts I have against Torino are Filip Kostic – Iling Junior. Another on the wings: Andrea Cambiaso and Timothy Weah.”