Igor Tudor faced the media ahead of Juventus’ lunchtime match against Como, addressing the challenges his team currently faces including injuries and rotation ahead of their Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
Reflecting on the two weeks of training since the international break, Tudor said: “Not many were here, but we worked well. We needed to recover and gave players some days off. McKennie arrived yesterday, and everyone came back healthy. We’ve done two training sessions together to prepare for the game.”
The coach stressed the importance of the match: “It’s a tough game. Como looks small but they’ve spent a lot of money and the players were chosen by their manager, which is a rare and great thing. We respect them, but we want to go there and play our match.”
When asked about the formation, Tudor was cautious: “It can happen or not, I’m not talking about what we are preparing.” On Kenan Yildiz, he commented: “It’s normal to have opinions about Juve from those who aren’t coaches or club staff. That’s the beauty of football. Everyone has their idea about what’s best, but the coach knows the players better than anyone else. Kenan has always played behind the striker with me, but he’s free to find the spaces he feels comfortable in. He’s doing great with the national team. If Yildiz is the problem, then we have no problems. He and my staff have done great work; he’s grown a lot.”
Tudor highlighted the fluid nature of the squad: “The team is never the same, it’s a living organism that changes shape and form. Problems arise that change things positively or negatively. Playing once a week is different from playing every three days. Sometimes the team pushes hard but can’t keep it up, which people don’t always consider. The main topic is: we are Juventus and we have to win – which is right. If you don’t win, all the talks here mean little. But I need to explain my views, and those with intellectual honesty understand. It’s tough for a coach because with Juve if you don’t win, whatever you say is wrong. I make mistakes and analyse them with my staff. Every day, morning to night, I think about how to help my players and how to invent something to make them perform better.”
On Yildiz’s playing status: “No, he’s not resting.” Tudor also addressed the defensive setup: “I’ve played 3-4-3 for years. That’s what the team did for months, but maybe we can try something different. We have problems and absences, so all options are open.”
Regarding injuries to key players: “Zhegrova is impossible to play, Conceição is difficult. Tomorrow Zhegrova won’t be there because of a hip problem.” He also gave an update on Miretti: “He should return to training with the group on Monday.”
