Tudor Plays Down Importance of Roma Clash Despite Juventus' Top-Four Hopes

Juventus coach Igor Tudor has downplayed the significance of Sunday's Serie A clash with Roma, despite the match's importance in the top-four race, saying 'it's an important match, but not decisive'.

Igor Tudor, the newly appointed Juventus coach, has emphasized that his team is still a work in progress, two weeks into his tenure. Tudor took over the reins after Juventus experienced a dismal period, and he acknowledges that the team's transformation will take time. As Juventus prepares to face in-form AS Roma on Sunday, Tudor recognizes the challenges that lie ahead.

Juventus currently occupies fifth place in the Serie A standings, trailing Bologna by a single point as they strive to secure Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Roma has been on a tear, winning their last seven league games, and now sits three points behind Tudor's team. “I found the team in a bad moment; now we have picked ourselves up and started to pedal. How much time will it take? I don't know and no one can know,” Tudor reflected during a press conference on Saturday.

Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta last month following back-to-back losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina, commenced his tenure as Juventus coach with a 1-0 win over Genoa. As he looks ahead to the clash with Roma, Tudor is pragmatic about the challenges that await his team. “All life is a test. I expect a difficult match like everyone else in Serie A. You never make calculations in football. Every Sunday, you have to give everything you have,” he stated.

🎙️ Igor Tudor: "Conceicao is a smart player, quick in tight spaces: centrally it's harder to make an impact than on the flank, but he has the right mentality-he's a hard-nosed guy who has great desire. It's good to have a talent like him in the squad, he's a great alternative."…

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) April 5, 2025

Igor Tudor, the former Croatia defender and current Juventus coach, downplayed the significance of the upcoming match against Roma, stating that it would not be a decisive battle in the top-four race. With eight matches still remaining in the campaign, Tudor emphasized that the team's focus should be on their own performance rather than the opposition. “It's an important match, but not decisive... we will face a team with a very good run of results. We want to think about ourselves and do the things we're working on,” he added.

Tudor attributed Roma's excellent form in the league to the impact of their coach, Claudio Ranieri. “Ranieri has made the difference. There are difficulties everywhere because they have strong players,” he said. This acknowledgement of Roma's strengths underscores the challenge that Juventus will face in their upcoming match.

In terms of team news, Tudor confirmed that midfielder Douglas Luiz and defender Andrea Cambiaso have returned from injuries and will be available on the bench for the match against Roma. However, the team will be without key defender Federico Gatti, who is sidelined with a calf bone fracture. Tudor adopted a pragmatic approach to this absence, stating, “It's a very important absence, but let's not cry. There are others who will take his place.”

𝕊𝕢𝕦𝕒𝕕 𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥 ⚪⚫📜

💪 Powered by Azimut#RomaJuve pic.twitter.com/fyW2qSRpvz

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) April 5, 2025