Ferrara vows positive approach for Bayern ´final´

Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara promised his team would not play for a draw in Tuesday’s crucial Champions League Group A clash against Bayern Munich here.

Ferrara described the match as a ‘final’ as only one of the two European giants will qualify for the competition’s knock-out rounds.

As Bordeaux have already won the group, Juve and Bayern are playing for second place, with the Italians holding a slender one point advantage.

Bayern have to win while Juve can afford a draw but Ferrara insisted that won’t enter their thinking.

“We can’t afford to think about playing for a draw, that’s not in the mentality of a big team like Juve, we’ll try to win,” he said at Monday’s pre-match press conference.

“We will focus on our own qualification. Getting to the next round is very important for the team and the club.

“It’s an authentic final, for Bayern as much as for us. Both teams will give everything.

“If we can repeat the performance we gave against Inter (Milan, a 2-1 win on Saturday) I’ll be pleased. That would do me if we see the same spirit, desire, concentration and determination we showed on Saturday.”

His Bayern counterpart Louis van Gaal agreed that Juve would not play defensively, although he said the fact that his team must win while the Old Lady of Turin need only a draw would be significant.

“There’s a difference between us and Juve because we absolutely have to win, whereas Juve know a draw will be enough for them, so that’s important,” he said.

“It’s true that in the first match in Munich Juve kept it very tight but they also like to go forward and I think their coach supports that philosophy.

“It’s easier for us because we just have to win, we’ve no other option. But I watched Juve play on Saturday and they seemed to be an attacking side that had a go at Inter.

“It’s true that Italian teams have this reputation (of being defensive) and maybe you (journalists) know better than me if you watch (Juve) every week but they don’t seem defensive to me.”

Van Gaal has some history with Juventus having been the coach of Ajax in 1996 when they lost to the Italians on penalties in the Champions League final, a year after the Dutchman had guided them to the title against AC Milan.

Ferrara played for Juventus that day but in coaching terms he is a mere rookie next to Van Gaal.

The Italian began his first-team coaching career two games before the end of last season while Van Gaal took over Ajax in 1991, leading them to three Dutch titles.

He moved to Barcelona in 1997, after turning down the opportunity to coach Milan, and won two Spanish titles in Catalonia before taking over the Dutch national team job.

Last season he guided AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch crown but his start in Munich has been difficult and he has been widely criticised as his team sit only fourth and four points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

“I’m not satisfied with what I’ve done up until now with Bayern, we should have been better,” he admitted.

“We have had several problems both in training and in matches but if we win tomorrow I’ll be satisfied with the result, even if we could have done better.

“We have many new players which makes it difficult to find consistency in training or in games but if we win the next two or three games I’ll be happier than I am now.”