WE DESERVE THIS
After four final losses, Juve feel it’s their time
IN a hotel close to the grand home of Juventus, an excited concierge is talking about Cardiff. This, for the moment, is the only topic in town.
Excitement and anticipation is building among the Juventini (who have devoted their lives to those famous black-and-white stripes) but, as this sage explains, those are not the only feelings going into the Champions League final. Desperation is also taking hold.
‘We need this trophy,’ he says, lingering on that second word before stressing it again. ‘We need something more than Serie a.’
His observation fits the mantra that the club have been promoting in Europe. Before every game at their cavernous stadium, a simple message for the Twitter age has continually leapt off the digital scoreboards: #itstime.
This is the moment. This is the point when all the agony and frustration they have suffered in this competition must be extinguished. It is time, they believe, to lift the Champions League again and conquer Europe.
Dominating Serie a is no longer enough. Massimiliano allegri’s squad arrived in Cardiff yesterday with a sixth consecutive league title and the Coppa Italia in their possession, yet there will be a feeling their season has been ruined if they do not beat Real Madrid.
Here is a club proud of all they have achieved.
There are reminders everywhere of the past, trophies painted in white on the black panelling that divides the upper and lower tiers or hanging from the walls inside the main stand. There was even living proof on the touchline at the stadium this week as Pavel Nedved, who won the 2003 Ballon d’Or as a Juventus player, intently watched training with andrea agnelli, the current chairman whose family have owned the club since 1923. Images of the European Cup, however, are few and far between. as things stand, their victories in 1985 (over Liverpool) and 1996 (against ajax) leave them level with Nottingham Forest and the defeats are remembered most. Juventus have lost six finals, including their last four. ‘ People say we lost these finals,’ explains allegri. ‘There is a negative approach that scares me. It is not easy to play in this final. There is only one Super Bowl! It is an achievement to play in eight finals.finals We’re in the right moment to play this one.’
That much is indisputable. Juventus have been magnificent in the Champions League this season, making light work of their group before dismantling Porto, Barcelona and Monaco in the knockout stages.
The foundations have been built on a rearguard that went 690 minutes between November 22 and May 9 without conceding a goal in Europe and the totems of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and the fabled goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon have been consistently outstanding.
‘It’s incredible to play with Buffon,’ says Juan Cuadrado, who has revived his career in Turin after a dreadful spell at Chelsea. ‘I couldn’t tell you what a privilege it is to play with him, to share a dressing room with him. What he is doing is writing a legend.’
They have been called the BBC and the challenge of stopping Real’s BBC — (Gareth) Bale, (Karim) Benzema and Cristiano (Ronaldo) — is unlikely to leave them flustered. This collision, however, will come down to more than just attack versus defence.
‘It will be a battle all over the field, in every single position, at the back, in the middle and in the corners,’ says Miralem Pjanic, the Bosnian midfielder.
‘There will be 22 fantastic players out there. Everybody is dangerous. It will be a fantastic game, we are two good teams, two fantastic clubs. Real Madrid deserve to be favourites. They won the trophy last year. But it will not be easy for them, certainly not. It is a big game and I hope we take this beautiful trophy home.
‘Is it destiny? I think more than anything we deserve it. We played to win this trophy two years ago. To be in two finals in the last three years is something incredible. For many years this club have been chasing to win this trophy. We are desperate to win it. and I think we can do it.
‘We have worked so hard during this year and we deserve our chance to win this title. But we will go there and try to play our game, just as we did against Barcelona and Porto and Monaco. It is just one game now. We only have one chance and we have to take it. We have to play well when it matters.’
That is what it comes down to — coping with 90 minutes of intense pressure. The hunger in the Juventus dressing room is mirrored by the desire in Madrid’s to get la Duodecima (their 12th European Cup) and their third crown in four years.
Juventus, simply, want their third of all time. Buffon, Bonucci and Chiellini know they may not get another chance but if it goes according to plan, they may only need this one opportunity to land the one they want more than anything else.
‘We’ve arrived in a different way,’ says argentina striker Paulo Dybala. ‘We know we’re stronger than two years ago (when losing to Barcelona in Berlin), with different players to the strong ones we had then. We can’t leave anything behind.’
allegri, it is clear, will not let that happen.
‘ These guys have played a fantastic season,’ he says. ‘Now they have to make a last effort. We want to bring the cup home.’