Four ex

Big match Inter Juventus News Newsnow Serie A

ByLorenzo Bettoni

Feb 6, 2024 10:56

Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Mauro, Alessio Tacchinardi and Franco Causio admit Inter are favourite to win the Scudetto but feel the title race is not yet over: ‘Juventus never give up; it’s in their DNA.’

Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus suffered a 1-0 loss against Inter at San Siro on Sunday night, seeing the Nerazzurri move four points clear at the top of the Serie A table with a game in hand.

The Bianconeri’s performance was pretty disappointing as Allegri’s men only managed one shot on target throughout the game, while Inter dominated possession and had multiple chances to double their lead in the second half.

Allegri has said that the Bianconeri have not been built to win the Scudetto this season, but four ex-Juventus stars and Scudetto winners in Turin believe the Old Lady should still believe in the title.

Tacchinardi, Causio, Mauro and Zambrotta spoke about Juventus’ ambitions on Tuesday’s printed edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport on page 9; here’s what they had to say:

Zambrotta: “I was at Juventus in 2000 when we lost the Serie A title despite a nine-point lead with eight games remaining, but still with the Bianconeri, we won the title in 2002 even if we were third six points below leaders Inter with five games remaining. There are many variables until the end of the season. Juventus will only play Serie A games until the Coppa Italia semis in April, while Inter will be involved in the Champions League.

Mauro: “It costs nothing to believe in it. Juventus never give up; it’s in their DNA. It’s just the beginning of February and many games are remaining. Surely, Inter have the Scudetto in their hands right now and they proved to be a strong side with excellent reserves the other night. If I were Juventus, I’d rely on the club’s DNA and the anger they accumulated at San Siro.”

Tacchinardi: “The game at San Siro was a big blow. A defeat is acceptable, but I thought Juventus had reduced the gap. On the other hand, we saw too much difference on Sunday. However, I learned to never give up during my years at Juventus because anything can happen. For example, we lost 1-0 against Ronaldo’s Inter in 1997-98, but Marcello Lippi told us in the dressing room: ‘We’ll win the title.’ This is why I’d love to hear Allegri and the directors talk about it and ride the enthusiasm.”

Causio: “Inter are a strong side, but Juventus are more united than in the past. I know the Juventus mentality and they never give up until the end. Inter have a big gap, but they have a game in hand against Atalanta, one of the trickiest teams in Serie A. With the return of the Champions League, Inter may drop some points. Remember that titles are won against small and medium teams so the draw against Empoli must hurt Juventus more than the defeat against Inter.”