If Antonio Conte had his way, Paul Pogba will be not leaving Turin in the foreseeable future, but the Juventus coach is resigned to his fate given the current economic scenario faced by Italian football.
French international Pogba has emerged as one of the best midfielders in Serie A since signing from Manchester United 18 months ago and his outstanding form has attracted the attentions of the richest club in his homeland, Paris- Saint-Germain (PSG), who have a recent habit of raiding Italy to boost their own fortunes in France.
Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta insists the Bianconeri will do everything in their power to keep hold of the 20-yearold but PSG have already prised 10 players away from the Italian topflight, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva from AC Milan, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani from Napoli and Javier Pastore from Palermo.
Players who were all at the time very much their club’s star men. It is a worrying trend that has further highlighted a power shift away from Italy.
Serie A is now, to use the words of Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli: “no longer a final destination, but a transit destination.”
The long-term future of Andrea Pirlo is also uncertain as the veteran midfielder is out of contract in the summer, although recent reports indicate he will soon sign a new deal in Turin.
Speaking exclusively to Sport360°, Conte, who was in the UAE last month to attend the 8th Dubai International Sports Conference, said: “I would not like any of my players to leave, but it’s not a decision that is in my hands. It is a commercial decision and I will leave it to the club management.
“On my part, I have spoken to both the players and they are happy to be with Juventus. But it will be unfair to expect them to stay if they get much better offers from other clubs. Unfortunately, such is the state of our economy that most decisions are influenced by money.
“I must add that I am fully aware of the situation the club faces. It is the reality and I have to accept it. I will not feel frustrated if we do lose players because of money, because I am prepared for it.”
Conte has also ruled out the possibility of bringing new faces to the club this month with moves for Southampton’s unsettled striker Pablo Osvaldo, Manchester United winger Nani and Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela among those driving the new year rumour mill.
He added: “I don’t think we are going to sign any new players in the January transfer window. Obviously, I have some ideas and I am going to be discussing this with the board, but the final decision on players to buy or sell rests with them.”
Juventus top the standings in Serie A after last Sunday’s 3-0 triumph over second-placed Roma extended their lead to eight points.
However, domestic success has been tempered by failing to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, where a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in miserable playing conditions in Istanbul left them third in Group B, and forced to settle with Europa League football.
Conte, who reached the Champions League final three times with Juventus as a player, said their failure to qualify for the knockout stage was a bitter pill to swallow.
Play was abandoned at the Turk Telekom Arena after 31 minutes on the scheduled day due to excess snow, and the remaining match was played the next day in almost similar conditions.
An 85th minute goal by Wesley Sneijder edged it for Galatasaray.
“That was very disappointing because I want to win the Champions League as a coach. It wasn’t a pitch on which you could have played football,” said Conte.
“I think we played well in the match given the circumstances. We lost, but we should have really not let it go until the last match.
“There is no use thinking about what went wrong.
“I just hope that we learn from the Champions League experience this year and use it to do much better next season. But we now have new goals for the season, and that is what I am concentrating on. We have got to use this disappointment and do well in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Europa League.”
Winning the Scudetto, however, is the number one priority now for Conte and his team. “I think we have done very well in the championship so far. It is not easy to do well after winning two. “There is a lot of pressure on the players and there is a lot of expectation from the fans,” he added.
Q&A WITH ANTONIO CONTE
Q Who did you consider the toughest player to play against in your career?
A Diego Maradona. He really could perform magic with the ball.
What is your dream job in football?
This one. The last few years as a player, I really wanted to return to Juventus as the coach. I have done that and also managed to win two championships with them.
Which coach has had the greatest influence on you?
I am lucky to have played under all of the great Italian coaches, except Fabio Capello. I have played under (Marcello) Lippi, (Giovanni) Trapattoni, (Arrigo) Sacchi and (Carlo) Ancelotti (right). I have learnt something from each one.
What is your greatest memory as a football player?
Of having played with two of the greatest players of my generation – Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro del Piero.
The best match you were involved in?
Manchester United v Juventus, Champions League semi-final 1998- 99. I scored a goal in that match and Ryan Giggs equalised in the last minute.
