Delneri bullish on Juve´s season

They may have missed a Champions League berth for next season but Juventus manager Luigi Delneri has been satisfied with his side’s Serie A campaign.

Champions League football has been a regular commodity at Juventus in the past, but the only European action the Bianconeri will see next season is if they can overhaul a three-point gap on Roma in sixth and grab a Europa League berth.

Despite currently sitting in seventh and failing to live up to their lofty pre-season ambitions, Delneri believes this campaign has been a successful one.

“We have done some good things this season, as don’t forget we are the team with the least defeats behind Milan and Inter,” he said.

“It’s true we drew many games as well, but three draws or three wins cannot change the judgment on an overall campaign’s work. It would be banal.”

“We have completely rebuilt the squad that we started with in July and big changes do lead to big difficulties. People said I’d find it difficult to lead a group of champions, but that was not the case and I’m happy with the rapport we’ve forged.”

Juventus face 14th-placed Parma on Sunday, but will have to make do without a handful of key players.

Midfielders Milos Krasic and Claudio Marchisio are suspended, Leandro Rinaudo, Momo Sissoko, Fabio Quagliarella, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Zdenek Grygera have already been ruled out and there are major doubts over Alberto Aquilani and Armand Traore.

But Delneri remains confident his side will be able to gain the important three points.

“Having Aquilani would be important as an extra alternative to use during the game, but we’ve done everything we had to in order to face Parma with the right spark,” he said.