Juventus coach Ranieri admits team just not good enough
ROME: Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri admitted his team simply isn't good enough to win the Serie A crown after a second successive draw virtually killed off its title hopes.
Juve was held 0-0 at home by Sampdoria on Sunday, a week after it needed a last-gasp Alessandro Del Piero penalty to salvage a point and a 1-1 draw at Catania.
Those two results have left Juve 12 points behind champions and leaders Inter Milan and with little chance of finishing top of the pile come May.
"We're not at the same level as the big teams," admitted Ranieri after watching his team be frustrated by a dogged rearguard action from Sampdoria.
"Congratulations to Sampdoria, they played well. We had the chances but we needed to convert them. Of course, we can't always win but our position in the league hasn't changed much."
Despite being held to the goalless draw, Ranieri's team was a little gung-ho going forward and the former Chelsea boss defended that approach.
"I've said before that if you want to try to fight for the Scudetto you have to fire up the players," he explained.
"Today the game reminded me a lot of the one against Udinese (a 1-0 loss at home), frantically trying to score a goal and taking the risk to concede one."
With Inter, which came from behind to beat struggling Parma 3-2, disappearing over the hill, Ranieri admitted he is keen to dip into the January transfer window to bolster his squad.
"We will certainly do something but we have to find the right player for us. If they're looking at Milan or Inter, then they certainly won't be joining us."
Rather than looking above to try to catch Inter, or even second-placed Roma, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon admitted the Old Lady of Turin were more worried with the teams behind it in the race for the four Champions League berths.
Fiorentina's third successive victory cut its gap to Juve to three points while European champion AC Milan is resurgent, despite sitting down in ninth place - it has three games in hand on its rivals.
"I've said before that we expect Milan to come back into the Champions League race and they've proved me right and are looking dangerous once again," said Buffon.
Milan have won both its matches since the season resumed following a three-week winter break.
And there is also Udinese, who is just five points behind Juventus in fifth place, in the race.
AFP
(China Daily 01/22/2008 page22)
