Claudio Ranieri is sure Juventus will salute their fans with a sparkling performance before mounting next season’s Champions League challenge.
“The team needs to have motivation, plus it is our last home game,” commented the Coach who has already secured third place ahead of the meeting with relegation strugglers Catania.
“The lads want to salute the fans in the right way and also do well to ensure the regularity of the Serie A season.”
The former Chelsea boss is aware that last week’s sluggish 1-0 defeat to Siena highlighted a squad with nothing left to play for and wants to reverse that trend.
“We are Mediterranean and in England this sort of thing doesn’t happen because the work of a Coach counts for little. Their players don’t need to be motivated.
“It would be wonderful if in Italy we could always give 100 per cent. There’s no reason not to – we still have two players in the running for the Capocannoniere crown and I won’t rest Gigi Buffon because I want the best from everybody. I cannot do more.”
There had been reports Buffon would be rested once a Champions League spot was assured, so that his back problem can recover fully ahead of Euro 2008, but that does not seem to be the case.
Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet continue their duel to beat Genoa’s Marco Borriello at the top of the scorers’ charts.
Cristiano Zanetti is out of action due to a bruised foot, while Cristian Molinaro sits out a ban, so Tiago Mendes is likely to step in.
Ranieri is already looking towards next season and what is expected of Juventus two years on from Calciopoli.
“Certainly there will be some who ask for the moon and the stars. Although we cannot give them that immediately, we do want to improve.
“We had a great campaign, but took advantage of the fact we were not taking part in any European competition. We were able to train seven days a week and know each other better.
“Next year we will try to go through the Champions League preliminary round and go as far as possible. It is there that we will evaluate the strength of our players.”
