Gonzalo Higuain believes Juventus are on course for another Scudetto and says he’ll score against Leonardo Bonucci when he faces him on the pitch.
Speaking to reporters in the US and the Gazzetta Dello Sport newspaper, the striker talked about Bonucci’s departure as well as the season ahead.
“For many years Bonucci helped Juve win,” he told reporters in the USA.
“Now he’s gone to a direct rival but we remain very strong. We have the players to not feel his absence.
“Our first rivals are ourselves, we have to confirm what we’ve been doing for the past six years. Every year they talk about other teams, but in the end we always win.
“We can’t relax though, because it will be more difficult this year. The others have strengthened, so it will be a good season.
“Do Napoli worry me? Yes, because they haven’t changed anything, but we have a team which is so strong that we can fight for everything. Like last year.
“I’ve only won one title and I have the desire, the others do too or they wouldn’t keep going.
“Bonucci will be hungry, but we’ll have the same conviction to try and win a seventh title. When he plays against me, I’ll score.
“I know a bit more about him than during my time at Napoli, I always want to score.
“The Champions League? In the second half they were more angry, we relaxed and they massacred us. We could have done more, but the past is the past.
“We’re thinking of the new year, which will be harder and longer. We’re motivated and we really want to make up for last year.
“I always want to win and score more, even if we’d won the Champions League last year we couldn’t have let up.
“Allegri is right when he says the final shouldn’t discredit our whole season. In two days we went from being the best team in Europe to an ordinary one.
“We don’t feel like the best team in Europe, but we’re not ordinary either. We can fight with the best.
“Allegri says I need to score more in the Champions League? He’s right.”
Pipita turned his attention to Paulo Dybala who is being linked with a move to Barcelona this summer.
“Dybala is at a delicate age which I’ve already experienced,” Higuain told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I went to Real at 19 and I was there until I was 25, but I was at an important club for a long time.
“Everyone wants to play with great players, and I can’t point a gun at his head and tell him to stay. Everyone should do what makes them happy, like he is here, and we all want him to stay.
“Can he win the Champions League here? Last year we were convinced we could win it and we got to the final, this year will be tougher because the other teams have strengthened.
“It’s not just to win the Champions League that he should stay, but for the seventh Scudetto and a fourth Coppa Italia in a row, then if we get that particular trophy so much the better.
“He’s been at Juve for two years, he has consistency here. He’s young, he’s very happy here, the club and the fans all love him, as do we, and Juve helped him grow.
“Paulo will know what’s best for him, and we want him to stay.
“I suffered a lot because I left a city which gave me so much, friends, a great group and great coaching staff.
“I was a bit unsettled but now I’m fine, I’ve come back in better mental, physical and emotional shape.
“The whistles at San Paolo? I only care about the opinions of teammates, family, friends, my club and people who know about this sport.
“I don’t talk about what I don’t know about – cooking for example – I listen so that I can learn.
“Costa? He’s made a good impression.
“As well as being a strong player, he puts in the fast crosses that I like. There have been important signings which will help the team grow.
“Bernardeschi will have no problems because he’s Italian, it’ll be the same for De Sciglio and Szczesny.
“Bentancur is young, we’ll help him and Douglas to adapt. We’ll have a quicker, more direct game.
“The 4-2-3-1? That’s the formation I’ve played all my life, that’s how we did great things last year.”