Allegri: The Coppa Italia means a lot to us
At 04:00 a.m. Beijing time on January 5, in the round of 16 of the Italian Cup, Juventus sat at home against Salernitana. Coach Allegri attended the pre-match press conference and looked ahead to the knockout round.
The meaning of the Italian cup
'The Coppa Italia means a lot to us, as always. This is especially important this season because we only play in this competition and the league, so we have to do everything we can to reach the quarter-finals against Frosinone. ”
'Anything can happen in the knockout stages, just like we saw Napoli and Inter Milan already eliminated. The early stages of the Coppa Italia may not be of interest to everyone, but it's a trophy at stake. Losing or drawing a game is almost a disaster at this club and that's why we have to give it our all to qualify, and that's what makes Juventus great. ”
About the opponent
'Tomorrow we have a team on the rise, Salernitana beat Verona away and trained well, so we can't underestimate the opponent. We have to play again on Sunday, but for now we are focused on the cups. ”
'After this game, we turned our attention to the league. It's always difficult to win a game, and the further you go, the smaller the margin of error becomes, so we need to do a good job of that. ”
Transfer market and team development
'I'm calm about the transfer market. Paul Pogba and Faggioli have been out of action for a long time, but we just want to work hard and make progress. We have the right people and continue to monitor developments in the transfer market. ”
'I have a lot of options in attack, but at the moment the team has found its framework. We can't rush it, we'll continue to move forward one step at a time. These games become important because the players have enough playing time and give opportunities to those who have played less so far. ”
'We know we've played fewer games this season, so it's normal for some players to be in poor physical shape and that's why it's vital to get back in the Champions League. ”
Player status
'Nong Heat won't start, but he could come off the bench. As for the starting line-up, I'll only make a decision tomorrow. Perrin will definitely be in the open, Rugani and Chiesa will lead the way and I will need to assess the rest. ”
'Yildiz won't be playing tomorrow and when a young player does well they get immediate praise and he needs to stay calm and keep working hard and all that's left is to have a good time. I'm definitely going to have the best squad tomorrow and the stadium will be full, so we have all the more reason to want to win. ”
'McKennie has improved a lot, his time at Leeds has played a big role, he's grown and matured, he's come back full of desire to contribute, and he's got five months left to improve even more. ”
'As for Miretti, I'm very happy because he has found that he has played too much in the last 18 months. He's been playing a little less lately, but he's done his job whenever he plays. His goal in Fiorentina earned us an important three points and he can improve further in the future and he will definitely stay here. ”
According to Torino Sport, Juventus are trying to extend the contracts of goalkeeper Szczesny and striker Moise Keane.
Before the end of the season, the Bianconeri are hoping to complete contract extensions with more players. Gatti, Locatelli, Faggioli and Bremer have extended their contracts this season and the club are now planning to reach an agreement with other players.
According to Torino Sport, Szczesny and Keane will be the next two targets for contract extensions. The Polish goalkeeper's contract is 2025, and the current annual salary is 6.5 million euros, and Juventus intends to renew his contract with a salary reduction of around 4.5 million or 5 million.
Szczesny was happy at Turin City, where he also turned down an offer from Saudi Arabia in favour of staying with the Bianconeri.
Szczesny's contract extension talks could begin in March, while Keane's negotiations could begin even earlier, with his contract also expiring in 2025 and he is expected to extend until 2027 or 2028, which would allow the club to split the cost of his transfer in the budget.
Centre-back Rugani is also expected to take a pay cut to renew his contract, staying at Torino until at least 2026.