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Long-time Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon cautiously assesses his team's chances of winning the Serie A championship in Italy for the third consecutive time.
The captain of the Italian national team also defended his new teammate Carlos Tevez, whose debut goal in Serie A led Juventus to victory against Sampdoria.
Speaking in front of the microphones of Sky Sport Italia, G. Buffon evaluated the warning given by the team's coach Antonio Conte about the lack of motivation.
"Conte warned us that winning the third Scudetto in a row will be extremely difficult, as many believe the opposite. We don't have the same hunger and determination we had when fighting for the first title, so there is a risk that at the first signs of danger we will start to falter," said the captain of the Italian national team.
It is no secret that C. Tevez, who played for Manchester City, was involved in several conflicts with coach Roberto Mancini and the club's management, so there are rumors that a similar situation awaits the Argentine in Turin.
"The public opinion about Tevez is wrong. The team's well-being is more important to him than his own ego, and there are simply no words to describe his talent. He is a true champion," said Buffon.
"When I heard rumors about Conte possibly leaving, I felt shivers running down my spine. He is the cornerstone of our team. Would I give up three years of my career for him to stay? Maybe only three weeks," joked G. Buffon.
According to many, this season Juventus' priority will be the UEFA Champions League tournament, as last year the Italians withdrew from the quarterfinals, where they lost to the champions, Bayern Munich.
"We have a challenge that can bring the team down, but that doesn’t mean we can win the Champions League. It takes luck and especially during the draw. Maybe things would have turned out differently if we had faced Bayern in the final last year instead of the quarterfinals," explained Buffon.
"Objectively speaking, there are currently three or four stronger teams that can win trophies. However, I believe that facing a stronger opponent can bring out the best in us," reflected G. Buffon.
