At the end of a disappointing season this week has been a busy time for Juventus Director General Beppe Marotta who, after sacking coach Gigi Delneri has also seemingly sealed the arrival of club idol Antonio Conte to replace him. Yesterday the club announced, via their official website, the free transfer of Italian World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo who left Champions Milan last week. The statement revelaed he has signed a deal which will expire in June 2014, the length of contract offered seemingly a key reason behind his departure from San Siro. Pirlo had spent all day having a series of medicals with the club.

This has been followed by the reported arrival of Swiss international Reto Ziegler at the Turin clinic used by the Bianconeri and the player, who’s contract with Sampdoria has expired, seems set to be the second arrival of the summer. Beppe Marotta, in Manchester last night for the Gary Neville testamonial match, gave yet another frank interview on the work he has done already and the summer that lies ahead. He told reporters;

“Last summer we were in a downward spiral and we had two choices: renew the team by looking for a couple of Champions samples to insert into a deeply flawed group or be revolutionary. There could not be a mix of the two, it would cost an unsustainable figure. We preferred the second option because I feared that with the first we would finish worse than when we started and despite the disappointment of ending once more in seventh place, we are not repentant. This year we start with a base ready to progress.”

“We were able to move fast, with a greater choice this year. We need motivation and motivators in the squad. Delneri achieved 80% of what was asked of him and it was not easy. Now we need to introduce a new mentality, we were among the teams with the lowest number of defeats but we paid a high price for too many ties, we have thrown away games that were already won. We must again be referred to as the Juve Franco Causio told me about, which once 1-0 up gave no hope to anyone.” 

While there may be no football to be played, there is much work to do in Turin, and Marotta seems to be hard at work already.

Adam Digby

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