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Well, it's finaly spring here in Belgium. When yesterday I entered the room where I watch TV I was well aware of spring. It reminded me of a beautiful day in May 1998 when I kissed my girlfriend goodbye to hurry home so I could watch the CL-final Juventus-Real. The half-hour before the game I was switching from one channel to the other. On the Dutch televesion there was (as usual) an interview with Cruyff. He told the reporter that he considered Del Piero the best player in the world.
Now 4 years later, a lot has changed. I still have my lovely girlfriend, but Juventus is different. In 1998 we were in the final. The 1998-1999 season was a disaster but we made it until the semifinals of the CL and in the two games against Man U we were for 135 the better team. It was a season without Del Piero, Zidane had been injured a lot, so as Inzaghi, Di Livio. I remember that in the game in Istanbul against Galatasaray, we missed 7 starters. But when something went wrong I didn't panic. I knew Juve would stand there when they had to. I saw this yesterday with ManU. They lost to Depor in the first round, but yesterday they won in La Coruña. ManU stood there, certain of themselves. But with Juve I lost that certainty.
Is this all about the lack of depth (and that resulting in tired players and injured players), or is there more?
Now 4 years later, a lot has changed. I still have my lovely girlfriend, but Juventus is different. In 1998 we were in the final. The 1998-1999 season was a disaster but we made it until the semifinals of the CL and in the two games against Man U we were for 135 the better team. It was a season without Del Piero, Zidane had been injured a lot, so as Inzaghi, Di Livio. I remember that in the game in Istanbul against Galatasaray, we missed 7 starters. But when something went wrong I didn't panic. I knew Juve would stand there when they had to. I saw this yesterday with ManU. They lost to Depor in the first round, but yesterday they won in La Coruña. ManU stood there, certain of themselves. But with Juve I lost that certainty.
Is this all about the lack of depth (and that resulting in tired players and injured players), or is there more?