Juventus interim manager Igor Tudor will face his first big test in just his second game in charge Sunday evening, as the Bianconeri head to Rome to face one of Serie A’s most in-form sides in Claudio Ranieri’s Roma.
Tudor, who took over the club after Thiago Motta was fired midway through the March international break, has clearly outlined his ambitions for change, and a reversion back to what he sees as Juventus’ core principles — ones rooted in a dogged determination to win, and improve with every game.
So far, despite a 1-0 victory against Genoa last weekend, the fruits of Tudor’s compelling rhetoric are yet to be determined. Tomorrow, the Croatian will have the opportunity to put his word into action as Juventus face off against the perennially dangerous Roma, coached by veteran and journeyman coach Claudio Ranieri.
Before the game, Tudor sat down to discuss the team’s development, which with every new day improves, and to discuss tomorrow’s tactics. Tudor, who has had a full week with the squad now that everybody is back from international duty, spoke of his new team as one in transition, hinting that the Motta period had weakened the squad’s mentality, and he is now toiling to rebuild it.
“This week — the first “complete” one together — went well, we got through a lot of work,” Tudor said. “We concentrated on both phases, on set pieces, on physical preparation, on details, and on individual development. The lads are well prepared and are showing a desire to express themselves at their best. When I returned to Turin I found a team going through a difficult period, but we have started to rebuild together and we are working well. How long will it take to see clear changes? I don’t know, I can’t know, but I know that the boys are putting their hearts and souls into it.”
As a nice little aside regarding the team’s bonding, both with the new coach, and as a squad reeling from some of the tension the Motta era may have engendered, Tudor spoke about how he took his squad out for dinner earlier in the week.
“I wanted to take everyone out to dinner to spend time together, off the pitch,” Tudor said. “The players were there, but the whole staff were there too. It was a nice evening, it helped us to get to know each other better, to create the right synergy. These are small details, but they count a lot in a team.”
Regarding Sunday night’s game, Tudor asserted that while important, it is not an essential victory. At this point in the season, while the club scrambles for a top-four finish, they must also remain patient, remembering that positive results will most likely come when they’ve taken the time to reinvent themselves as a team.
“Tomorrow’s match is important, but not decisive,” Tudor proclaimed. “Roma come into the game off the back of a series of excellent results, we know it won’t be an easy game, but we’ll have to focus only on ourselves. Ranieri, since returning to the Giallorossi, has allowed the team to move up a gear. Tomorrow will be a good match to play, a tough encounter. When you go to Rome you can’t get ahead of yourselves. We have to think game by game, without looking too far ahead, especially when you get towards the end of the season.”
Finally, Tudor commented on the individual progression of certain players, seemingly providing updates on the majority of players who were in doubt to play due to injury, progressing slowly, or their position at the club in jeopardy with the looming summer transfer window.
“(Andrea) Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz are back available,” Tudor said first. “They certainly won’t start in Rome, but they will be able to contribute from the bench. We talked a lot about (Teun) Koopmeiners. Teun has worked very well, as have all the other players. His week of training was very good. In football, it’s natural, there are trickier periods than others and for Teun it was like that, but he is a strong player and I’m sure his contribution will be key for us during this season’s run in. Kenan (Yildiz), I have only had the opportunity to see him up close in these first few training sessions, so I cannot make a concrete judgement yet. I can say, however, that he is a serious guy, focused on football. His qualities are obvious to everyone, I don’t have to underline them. It is crucial that he is never content, he must push himself to the maximum in every single training session and every single game.
Tudor continued: “I liked [Vasilije] Adzic a lot in the training he did with us. (Weston) McKennie is a wildcard in his own right and that is absolutely an advantage for us. His versatility allowed us to play him on the left against Genoa, but for me he is a midfielder. (Federico) Gatti’s absence will be a big miss, but we have accepted it of course. Federico is an important player for us, but we are lucky to have strong players who are ready to step in. (Francisco) Conceicao is an intelligent player, quick in tight spaces: centrally, however, it is more difficult to make an impact than out wide, but he has the right mentality. He is a tough guy, who has great desire. It’s great to have a talent like him in the squad.”
