By Mark Meadows
MILAN, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Juventus should have no problem
finishing in the top three in Serie A again this season, club
chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said.
Juve did extremely well to finish third last season, their
first back in the top flight since their 2006 demotion for
match-fixing.
Inter Milan edged out second-placed AS Roma for the scudetto
and are favourites again for the new season, which kicks off
this weekend.
Usual title contenders AC Milan crawled in fifth in May but
with Ronaldinho on board they are expected to put up more of a
challenge.
Fiorentina, fourth last season, have also made some big
investments but Cobolli Gigli remains confident.
“With the squad we have we should not have any difficulty
finishing in the top three in the league,” the chairman told
Reuters in an interview.
An assault on the title is not beyond big-spending Juve.
Claudio Ranieri’s side have bought Palermo striker Amauri
for 22.8 million euros ($34 million) to complement forwards
Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta.
Sweden centre back Olof Mellberg joined on a free transfer
from England’s Aston Villa while exciting playmaker Sebastian
Giovinco has returned from a loan spell at Empoli.
ROUGH COMPETITOR
Christian Poulsen cost almost 10 million euros from Sevilla
but Juve fans did not immediately take the Dane to their hearts
given the midfielder’s reputation as a rough competitor after
run-ins with Italian players in the past.
“I’d like to mention Poulsen. He has been a bit of a
controversial buy but Poulsen has shown he is a great long
passer, passing the ball 40 metres to feet consistently,”
Cobolli Gigli said.
Poulsen was especially effective in Juve’s 4-0 win over
Artmedia Bratislava in their Champions League third-qualifying
round first leg two weeks ago.
Progression to the group stage looks a formality for the
twice European champions, who were last in the competition two
years ago before being banned in the match-fixing affair.
“For me the Champions League is the most important thing. It
seems to me we have good prospects,” the chairman said.
“I’ve seen some lovely play, a strong midfield and very few
errors.”
(Editing by Rex Gowar)