Buffon: Inter Layak Jadi Capolista

Mantan kiper Parma itu tampak lebih memilih di Coppa Italia, karena Scudetto semakin menjauh dari genggaman Juventus.

Kemenangan Inter 3-0 atas Reggina akhir pekan lalu tetap memelihara jarak tujuh poin dengan Juventus, dan semakin memberatkan harapan juara Bianconeri.

Kiper Juventus Gianluigi Buffon pun melihat Scudetto telah lepas dari jangkauan timnya, dan Nerazzurri memang layak duduk di puncak klasemen.

"Untuk saat ini, Inter layak menjadi yang pertama karena dalam waktu yang sulit mereka menang banyak pertandingan dengan mudah. Seperti yang terjadi di semua tim hebat, mereka punya sedikit keberuntungan," kata Buffon saat dikutip Sky.

Meskipun Inter masih dalam jangkauan Juventus, namun Buffon merasa waktu sudah hampir habis dan sebaiknya ia berkonsentrasi pada turnamen domestik lainnya.

"Saya berharap Juve dapat menaklukkan setidaknya satu gelar musim ini. Yang terdekat adalah Coppa Italia, memang gelar liga lebih penting, tapi juga lebih sulit saat ini," kata kiper berusia 31 tahun itu.

Buffon absen di sebagian besar paruh pertama musim ini akibat cedera, namun kini telah berhasil kembali ke puncak kemampuannya dan berhasil masuk timnas Italia yang akan menghadapi Montenegro dan Irlandia.

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Juve Harus Segera Dekati Inter

Pelatih Juventus Claudio Ranieri mendesak timnya untuk mempersempit jarak dengan Inter sebelum kedua tim akhirnya saling berhadapan untuk tetap membuka peluang meraih Scudetto.

Sekitar satu bulan dari sekarang, La Vecchia Signora akan menyambut Inter dalam Derby d'Italia yang kemungkinan akan sangat penting dalam menentukan siapa juara Serie A Italia musim ini.

"Kami hanya bisa berharap, tim di depan kami, suatu tim yang sangat kuat, akan kalah di liga. Tapi jika seseorang kehilangan Scudetto, dan hanya mereka yang dapat kehilangan itu, kami harus jadi yang pertama untuk memanfaatkannya," tegas Ranieri kepada La Republica.

Ranieri mengakui, "Juve-Inter pertandingan yang menentukan? Saya harapkan demikian, jika jarak ini lebih dekat, itu akan lebih menarik bagi semua orang. Tapi jika tetap bertahan seperti ini, itu hanya akan menjadi pertandingan penting antara pimpinan liga dan runners-up, namun dengan selisih yang besar."

Selain tentang laga klasik itu, Ranieri juga mengungkapkan tentang masa depan Sebastian Giovinco dan kondisi cedera para pemainnya.

"Saya tak mengerti mengapa ia (Giovinco) tak akan bertahan di Juventus. Saya berharap kami dapat menyambut Camoranesi, Marchisio, dan Legrottaglie setelah libur tim nasional, itu sangat penting. Cedera ini telah dialami semua tim Italia dan seluruh dunia, ini bukan hanya masalah Juventus," lanjut mantan bos Chelsea itu.

Dengan kemenangan 4-1 atas tuan rumah Roma, kini Bianconeri tertinggal tujuh poin di belakang Nerazzurri.

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Jorge Andrade looking towards Juventus comeback

Jorge Andrade says he hopes to return to playing football at the highest level, as he continues to work towards his comeback from an injury-ridden last couple of years.

The 30-year-old has not played for 18 months, since damaging his knee three games after signing for Italian giants Juventus. The Portuguese international had hoped to return to action at the start of this season, only to suffer a relapse last summer while preparing for the new campaign.

It was Andrade’s fourth serious injury in a little over two years, as blows to his left knee saw the former Porto man miss both the 2006 World Cup in Germany and last summer’s European Championships, leading to genuine fears over his future in top-level football.

“Psychologically and physically, I could not be better,” he said of his progress. “The stage of crutches and other complications has passed, I am working more and more on the training pitch, the outlook is good. I am very happy.

“This is part of the profession, I look at it as such. The injuries came at times I did not want - before a World Cup and a European Championships - but I am trying to get back to playing as soon as possible. I have a lot of willpower to do so.

“Can I return to the highest level? Yes, of course. I am working for that and the recuperation is working towards that, to again give the positive impression I had given up until now. I expect it to happen. I am over the problems and I am looking ahead.”

Still a Juve player

Andrade’s injury nightmare led to suggestions that Juventus were looking to terminate his contract, which runs until next summer, but the defender refutes those reports. “Juventus is my club. Every day I have done my physiotherapy, I have been thinking I am a Juventus player. This is my future. On the contrary to what was reported, I did not rescind my contract.

“I can say here with complete calm that my contract with Juventus is in power, nobody can rescind unilaterally and I am going to be a Juventus player up to the last day of my contract. I am going to continue to fight every day to come back to the highest level.

As a player and man known for his humility, Andrade refuses to look for sympathy for his plight, and hopes to return to action as soon as possible, although no specific date has been scheduled for his comeback to the game.

“I do not have a set date. I know it will be soon, but I don’t want to rush myself. I am entirely dedicated. In football, we work in a group, but I have to be a little selfish and dedicate myself to me, taking myself away from everything and everybody and concentrating only on the recuperation: the physiotherapy, the gym work and the swimming pool.

“Do I feel like an unlucky player? Unlucky is a player who hits the post with the last penalty of a European competition and loses the trophy. An unlucky player could not have had the career I have, which was always progressing: Amadora, FC Porto, Deportivo La Coruna, Selecao, Juventus.”

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Juve Antara Cassano Dan Giovinco

Juventus kini masih belum dapat memilih antara Antonio Cassano atau Sebastian Giovinco.

Keinginan Juventus untuk membeli Antonio Cassano dari Sampdoria yang tadinya seperti sudah tak dapat diubah lagi, kini sepertinya akan dapat tak terjadi.

Pasalnya para petinggi Bianconeri sekarang menjadi bimbang apakah harus memilih Cassano atau malah mempercayai Sebastian Giovinco yang merupakan hasil binaan mereka sendiri.

Menurut Tuttosport, hal itu disebabkan cemerlangnya penampilan Giovinco saat diberi kepercayaan oleh pelatih Claudio Ranieri untuk turun bermain di Liga Champions dan juga Serie A.

Saat turun melawan AS Roma, si Semut Atom tampil menawan dan menyumbangkan assist saat Bianconeri menghancurkan Giallorossi 4-1.

Semuanya itu cukup membuat adanya keinginan untuk menunda proses negosiasi untuk memboyong Cassano ke Turin.

Keputusan baru akan diambil oleh Juve pada akhir musim ini setelah melihat penampilan kedua pemain itu dalam semua pertandingan yang tersisa.

Pilih Cassano atau Giovinco?

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