Juventus boss confident for Real showpiece
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is determined to have a night to savour in Cardiff tomorrow – by winning the UEFA Champions League.
Two years on from a 3-1 final defeat to Barcelona, the Italian champions are back in the showpiece game to take on Real Madrid at the Principality Stadium.
Allegri is confident in his men, but remains aware of the dangers posed by Real.
He told uefa.com: “Madrid have a lot of strengths. They’re an extraordinary side with great technique and pace.
“They’re used to playing in these kinds of games, so it will be a great final. We should be very pleased that we’ve made it this far, but we’re going into this year with a completely different level of belief than in 2015.
“I don’t know where it will be won and lost, because finals are decided by individual episodes.
“After 20 minutes against Barcelona in 2015, we thought we’d lost it and then, after drawing level, we thought we’d won it, but ultimately we ended up losing it.
“It will be an extremely long and fascinating 95 minutes – or maybe 120 minutes.
“Compared with the 2015 final in Berlin, our squad has changed in almost every position.
“Only four or five players are still here. Our confidence has increased, our awareness of our own ability has gone up, the atmosphere has improved.”
We have raised the bar after winning the Scudetto five times in a row, reaching the Champions League final, winning the Coppa Italia twice and the Supercoppa.
“This team needs to constantly set the bar even higher and go after an even bigger target.”
Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams believes the current squad is not good enough to win the Premier League and will see Arsene Wenger’s long reign “end in tears”.
The Gunners boss this week extended his 21-year stay at the club for a further 24 months by signing a new contract.
However, Adams, who led Arsenal to four league titles, admits he “prayed” for Wenger to quit after last weekend’s FA Cup win and admits unless there is a significant improvement in the playing staff then the Frenchman’s early achievements will be tarnished.
“I believe this squad is not going to win the league in the next two years,” he said.
“It could possibly all crumble around him (Wenger), and I think that would be very sad.
“From one human being to another human being, I hope it doesn’t. I really prayed that he’d get out after the FA Cup, say ‘Enough is enough’ and find someone else to replace him.
“I just think he’s been the most successful Arsenal manager of all time.
“I don’t want that spoiled and I see signs that he’s incredibly addicted to football. I don’t see that he’s got a life outside of it. I just don’t want him to go on too long and for it to crumble and end in tears, and all of us don’t like Arsene. It would be so sad.”