Juventus Head Coach Thiago Motta Focuses On Player Performance Ahead Of Napoli Clash

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Juventus' primary goal is to enhance their players' performance, according to Thiago Motta. The focus is not on the return of Napoli's head coach, Antonio Conte, to the Allianz Stadium. Conte, who had a successful career at Juventus as both player and manager, will visit for the first time as Napoli's coach. As a player, he made 419 appearances and won 12 titles. As a coach, he led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles.

Napoli secured the championship in 2023 but ended up mid-table last season, trailing champions Inter by 41 points and missing out on European qualification. Despite this setback, Motta believes Conte's well-rested team is poised to compete for the Scudetto this season. "They are a strong team," Motta stated, acknowledging their strategic changes aimed at winning the league.

Juventus began their current campaign with two victories but were later held to draws by Roma and Empoli. Meanwhile, Napoli has been on a three-game winning streak and currently sits in second place. However, Juventus regained momentum in the Champions League midweek by defeating PSV 3-1.

Motta emphasized that the spotlight should be on the players rather than himself or Conte. "Tomorrow it's Juventus-Napoli," he told reporters. "Players are the protagonists." He hopes his team will demonstrate their abilities and steer the game in their favour.

Striker Dusan Vlahovic is showing improvement after missing opportunities against PSV. Motta noted that Vlahovic must always strive for betterment alongside his teammates. Additionally, centre-back Federico Gatti will be available for Saturday's match despite sustaining a minor injury against PSV. However, forward Francisco Conceicao remains unavailable due to injury.

Motta shares a positive relationship with Conte from their time together at Euro 2016 when he played under him. They have only faced each other once as managers back in 2019 when Conte was with Inter and Motta managed Genoa.

Conte expressed excitement about returning to Turin but Motta remains focused on achieving victory rather than dwelling on nostalgia. "You are too focused on Conte and me," said Motta during Friday's press conference.

Motta acknowledged that not participating in European competitions might benefit Napoli's league ambitions but stressed that Juventus must tackle each opponent one match at a time given their schedule constraints.

The upcoming clash between Juventus and Napoli promises an exciting encounter with both teams eager to assert dominance early in the season while focusing on individual player development within their squads.