General manager Jean-Claude Blanc backs Claudio Ranieri, but asked for “unity in these four games, then we'll see.”
A few weeks ago the Bianconeri chief had given his Coach unconditional support, but he confessed to television cameras that things have changed.
“The figures in a club are tied to the results on the field. Today's message is we are all on the same boat. As directors we are capable of making decisions and right now the decision is to all work together on our path for the final weeks of the season.”
Today he called Ranieri to the club headquarters for an emergency meeting and then held the squad in the locker room for 90 minutes to discuss the seven-match winless streak.
“What is happening to Juve? It's a difficult moment in sport and the fact we have not won in 45 days is weighing on us,” Blanc told Sky Sport Italia.
“It was right to talk to the whole team and the staff, sharing what needs to be done an the objectives we must achieve. We came together and are united.
“In October we went through a similar period, so we will take the same steps and try to emerge from this crisis the way we did back then.”
Ranieri hinted he felt abandoned by the club hierarchy in recent weeks, so Blanc and director of sport Alessio Secco have pledged to change that situation.
“It was right we talk to Ranieri and we have taken the decision to spend more time together. We are checking the details more carefully in an important week that leads up to Milan-Juve.”
This coming weekend there is a head-to-head for second place at San Siro and there are reports another embarrassing setback could see the Coach sacked or resign.
“[Patron John] Elkann was right when he said a season can only be evaluated at the end,” continued Blanc.
“We will concentrate on the remaining four games and on doing as well as we can. We have the quality and mentality to emerge from this situation. I've asked for unity in these four games, then we will see.”
It is hardly a glowing recommendation and also hints that talk of a furious row within the Juventus locker-room has truth to it, specifically that Mauro Camoranesi was livid at half-time against Lecce when he was substituted.
Blanc moved to silence newspaper reports that Ciro Ferrara will be put in place as the caretaker Coach if Juventus lose to Milan.
“It is not true that we will put Ferrara on the bench. We will keep going with this staff until the end of the season.
“The club is on Ranieri's side. This is a difficult moment. But enough of the criticism, I demand respect for the work done by our staff.
“With the work Juve is doing, they do not deserve such strong criticism. A little respect would also help on an international level, so people could see Italian football doesn't just destroy everything with this criticism.”
Hard work at Vinovo
In the other place, Juventus had training with something different this afternoon.
The programme was different for some of the bianconeri compared to the one in the morning: Claudio Marchisio, after having worked in the gym at the start of the day, took part in the warm-up with his team mates and then proceeded to work with coach Riccardo Capanna. Legrottaglie first had an athletic session and then returned to the gym while Zdenek Grygera who in the morning trained in a separate session with the other defender joined the group in technical exercises. After, Grygera worked in the gym with Del Piero, Chiellini and Iaquinta while the other players moved to the field adjacent to the main one for some intense athletic training.
Mellberg and Knezevic also worked in the gym, while Hasan Salihamidzic and Momo Sissoko were busy with a light jog during which they returned to working with the ball. Cristian Molinaro who is once again suffering of abdominal pain is still resting.
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