Soccer-Tudor relies on fitness not formulas in Juve's push for top-four finish


  • Football
  • Saturday, 19 Apr 2025

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Genoa - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 29, 2025 Juventus coach Igor Tudor before the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo

(Reuters) -Juventus manager Igor Tudor is relying on players in the best condition and adaptability over rigid tactics for Monday's trip to Parma as his side bid for a top-four Serie A finish.

Juve travel to 16th-placed Parma with momentum after Tudor's side earned seven points in their last three matches and occupy fourth place with six rounds left.

They are two points above fifth-placed Bologna, who host leaders Inter Milan on Sunday, and three ahead of Lazio in sixth before the Rome outfit travel to mid-table Genoa on Monday.

"We don’t have a Plan A and a Plan B, we just have to choose the players in the best shape because Parma are doing well and held both Inter and Fiorentina to draws," Tudor told reporters on Saturday.

"We’ve been working together for two to three weeks now and the squad is improving. We increased the intensity to win back the ball quickly. We need to be aggressive and united, that is an objective."

Tudor added that there were some injury concerns ahead of the match.

"We had a few problems, (forward) Kenan Yildiz had some issues and worked a little bit with the group, so we’ll see tomorrow. (Midfielder) Teun Koopmeiners also did a bit, but he is a major doubt to feature in the match," Tudor said.

Despite their strong form, which has put them in a Champions League place, Tudor's future remains unresolved due to his short-term contract — though he appears unfazed by the situation.

"When a coach arrives, he can be fired even if he’s got a five-year contract all signed. Every coach lives one day at a time," he said.

"You can’t plan too far ahead, you build the future today, you take lessons from the past, but thinking about the future too much creates nothing except anxiety.

"You’ve just got to prepare the best you can and then go at it, that’s all that counts. The rest means zero."

(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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