Following his calming words at the press conference – “Playing football should not become a burden. Yes, responsibility, but enthusiasm, desire to create, take risks because players have to do it, when you have this burden, you give an advantage to the opponent” – Thiago Motta, Juventus coach, followed them up with actions. He has granted his players the freedom to spend the evening before the game with their families and, at their discretion, to arrive for the night before the match against Atalanta at the bianconeri headquarters, which had been made mandatory after being eliminated from the Italian Cup in the quarter-finals by Empoli on penalties.
This was not a punishment, however, but simply a choice related to the new organization of the club. Without cup games in the next three months, Thiago Motta will have a whole week to prepare for each match, optimizing recovery time and better studying opponents. The team, in essence, must demonstrate that they know how to take advantage of this new condition to restore consistency in the league and finish the season in the best possible way, including with that compactness that was sometimes a bit lacking and which they aimed to restore thanks to retreats (which seem to have paid off). For now, meanwhile, a change of strategy, also aimed at relieving a group that is ultimately quite young from the responsibilities that a direct match like the game against Atalanta may entail.
Juventus is approaching the match just three points behind the nerazzurri, with the possibility, if they win, of catching up with Gian Piero Gasperini’s team and staying within six points of the top of the league table, which is occupied by Inter, who won their match against Monza. Paradoxically, and despite the double disappointment in the cup, Juventus’ season can still end on a high.