Pescara vs Juventus preview - Stroppa won't walk away

Posted Saturday, November 10, 2012 by PA

Pescara head coach Giovanni Stroppa insists he has no intention of resigning his post, but a tricky home tie against Juventus may go some way to deciding his long-term future.

Reports in Italy suggested the 44-year-old was prepared to step down at the Stadio Adriatico regardless of the outcome of last weekend's game against Parma, following club president Daniele Sebastiani's decision to hand his coach an ultimatum.

Stroppa duly delivered a 2-0 success - securing the struggling Abruzzo outfit just their third win of the season - and the former Genoa midfielder later stressed there was no truth in the rumours.

"I didn't resign before or after the game and I'm not resigning now," he told La Repubblica.

"That would have been too easy, after a victory and with the team on the road to survival.

"I have never shied away from difficulty, and I know my future was in the balance before the Parma game, but I would never consider doing such a thing."

Stroppa will pit his wits against the reigning Serie A champions without the services of midfielder Manuele Blasi, who will miss at least two months with a leg muscle injury.

Alessandro Crescenzi and Gaston Brugman are training hard to be fit for the game, but Christian Terlizzi and Giuseppe Colucci are further away from a full recovery.

Antonio Bocchetti is ready to step into defence though, telling Gazzetta.it: "We need to find some continuity.

"We need to think positively but approach the Juventus game with humility."

Juventus have atoned for Saturday's decisive defeat to Inter Milan, one that ended their 49-game unbeaten run, with a confidence-building 4-0 victory over FC Nordsjaelland in the Champions League.

Suspended coach Antonio Conte may now rest some of his regular starters in anticipation of a tricky triple-header against Lazio, Chelsea and AC Milan.

Sebastian Giovinco, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Pirlo and Kwadwo Asamoah could be given the evening off against Pescara, with Mirko Vucinic expected to partner Fabio Quagliarella in attack.

The latter striker told juventus.com: "There are five strikers and the manager has always been straight with us from the start.

"He picks two for every game and we all feel like the first choice.

"It's possible to play two or three games in a row and then start on the bench or be in the stands.

"We know that goals are expected from the strikers, but Conte mainly looks at our contribution to the play and movement. But what matters is that our sacrifices bear fruit."