Juve crisis is over, insists Ranieri

May 11, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has insisted that his team have emerged from their recent crisis despite failing to win for a sixth league match in a row.

Juve held AC Milan to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on Sunday night when Vincenzo Iaquinta’s diving header on the hour-mark cancelled out Clarence Seedorf’s opener three minutes earlier.

It leaves Juve third in the table, four points behind second-placed Milan and three ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina.

Only the top three in Italy will go directly into the Champions League group stages next season, with the fourth-placed finisher having to negotiate two qualifying rounds.

There had been speculation before the match that Ranieri would be fired if Juve lost, although press reports have claimed that the former Chelsea and Valencia boss will be replaced at the end of the season regardless.

“We have been reactivated. The international break knocked us off the tracks and we weren’t ourselves anymore,” said Ranieri.

“After we were knocked out of the Champions League we became mentally unplugged and there was a very real crisis.

“Milan were the right team to help us return to the team we have been for the last year and nine months (since Ranieri took over).”

Juve put in a much improved performance, even if they did fail to win, and while Milan dominated possession, Juve looked the more potent up front with Iaquinta in particular causing the ageing Milan backline all sorts of problems.

The performance may have saved Ranieri’s job, but Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli was giving nothing away after the match.

“The team honoured the name and brand of Juventus, we could even have won the match,” he said.

“As for Ranieri, we’ll do the sums at the end of the season.”

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