Ahead of the Turin derby between Juventus and Torino, Juventus manager Thiago Motta addressed the media in a pre-match press conference. Following their Champions League draw against Lille, the Bianconeri are preparing to face their city rivals at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Motta opened the conference by emphasizing the importance of the derby: “I have good feelings, we are ready to go all out and play a great game. It will be a great atmosphere for us and our fans. The importance of a derby is that we know how the city experiences the match. We also live the special atmosphere in an intense way. We will do our best to bring the game to our side.”
Discussing the team’s physical condition and a recent visit from former Juventus player Leonardo Bonucci, Motta stated: “The team is physically very well. We’ve had three days of recovery and it’s important, it makes a difference. I see the team very well. I have confidence in everyone’s commitment, from the start and during the game. Everyone will give 200%. With Bonucci, we talked about many things, including his future. He’s taken the coaching course and it was a conversation about football, how things are in the job when you experience something different. We experienced the national team together and it was a pleasure to receive a visit from a player who has made Juventus history.”
On his relationship with Turin and the status of Douglas Luiz, Motta shared: “I don’t experience much of the city, also by my own choice honestly. I feel very privileged. Since I started my career in football, I’ve been fortunate to live in great cities and play for great teams. The same is true today, I can’t ask for anything more. Douglas Luiz? I requested that he be present for the match against Lille. In the last training sessions, he still didn’t feel 100%, so I don’t want to risk him, we’ll see in the next few days, same for Nico Gonzalez. It will take time for Bremer and Milik. Adzic won’t be available against Torino either.”
Reflecting on the emotion of playing in a derby, Motta said: “All the derbies I’ve played have stayed in my heart. You live it from days before, you always want to win it. These are special feelings. You have to try to do things the right way. The past counts very little when the game starts. We will try to impose our game against a team that is very dangerous on the counter-attack.”
Motta concluded by addressing his future at Juventus: “I’m not just passing through at Juventus, I want to stay for many years. But I don’t even think about these things, I work on a daily basis. I try to do the right things trying to put the best on the field.”
