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Juventus coach Antonio Conte buoyed by the signing of Sevilla defender Martin Caceres ahead of Udinese showdown
The Bianconeri boss felt that his side was short on cover at the back and believes that the Uruguayan is the ideal man to fill the void given his familiarity with the club
27 Jan 2012 16:53:00
By Mark Doyle
Getty Images
Juventus coach Antonio Conte has welcomed the arrival of Martin Caceres ahead of the Serie A showdown with Udinese on Saturday.
Caceres is in Turin putting the finishing touches on his move from Sevilla and his new boss believes the fact that the Uruguayan defender enjoyed a previous loan spell with the Bianconeri during the 2009-10 season will make his integration into the squad so much easier.
"I've seen Caceres and I welcomed him," Conte told the club's official website. "We only had five defenders, so it was appropriate to make a purchase.
"He is a player who already knows the club, so it will take less time to insert him [into the squad].
"He arrives with humility, knowing that he is now a part of a team that has the best defence [in Serie A]."
Meanwhile, Luca Marrone has begun to establish himself in the Juventus side in recent weeks and Conte, having worked with him during the midfielder's loan spell at Siena, insists that he never entertained the idea of offloading the youngster.
"Marrone is a player that I felt was never for sale right from the beginning of the season," the former Italy international said.
"He did well at Siena, where I was struck by his great personality. We all believe in him - he represents the present and the future of Juve.
"The important thing for him is to keep his feet on the ground, as he always has done, and continue to work hard without complaining."
Turning his attention to Saturday night's clash with Udinese at Juventus Stadium, Conte admitted that the game has added significance because it pits first against third in the Serie A standings.
"It's a challenge that's worth double to us - six points and not the usual three," he claimed.
"We must understand that and play with fierce competitiveness. We are facing a Udinese side which are no longer a surprise package.
"How are we prepared for this game? Unfortunately, we are not in good shape. We have some players who are not in the best condition.
"There is still another training session so tomorrow we will evaluate who's good to play and we will try to ensure we put on the best performance possible."
Juve currently top the table by a solitary point from AC Milan, while Udinese are just two points further back.
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Caceres is in Turin putting the finishing touches on his move from Sevilla and his new boss believes the fact that the Uruguayan defender enjoyed a previous loan spell with the Bianconeri during the 2009-10 season will make his integration into the squad so much easier.
"I've seen Caceres and I welcomed him," Conte told the club's official website. "We only had five defenders, so it was appropriate to make a purchase.
"He is a player who already knows the club, so it will take less time to insert him [into the squad].
"He arrives with humility, knowing that he is now a part of a team that has the best defence [in Serie A]."
Meanwhile, Luca Marrone has begun to establish himself in the Juventus side in recent weeks and Conte, having worked with him during the midfielder's loan spell at Siena, insists that he never entertained the idea of offloading the youngster.
"Marrone is a player that I felt was never for sale right from the beginning of the season," the former Italy international said.
"He did well at Siena, where I was struck by his great personality. We all believe in him - he represents the present and the future of Juve.
"The important thing for him is to keep his feet on the ground, as he always has done, and continue to work hard without complaining."
Turning his attention to Saturday night's clash with Udinese at Juventus Stadium, Conte admitted that the game has added significance because it pits first against third in the Serie A standings.
"It's a challenge that's worth double to us - six points and not the usual three," he claimed.
"We must understand that and play with fierce competitiveness. We are facing a Udinese side which are no longer a surprise package.
"How are we prepared for this game? Unfortunately, we are not in good shape. We have some players who are not in the best condition.
"There is still another training session so tomorrow we will evaluate who's good to play and we will try to ensure we put on the best performance possible."
Juve currently top the table by a solitary point from AC Milan, while Udinese are just two points further back.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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