Bettega Warns Against Complacency
Friday 24th August 2001
Juventus vice-president Roberto Bettega has urged his side to ignore media reports claiming they have been drawn in a favourable Champions' League group.
The former Juventus forward insists that the Turin club will need to be at their best to avoid crashing out of the Champions' League in the first group stages for the second time in a row, despite avoiding all of the competition favourites in Thursday's draw.
"Last year everyone said it was an easy group and we all know what happened," he insisted. "Of course on paper we can beat Celtic, Porto and Rosenborg, but last year we all thought we would beat [Deportivo] La Coruna, Hamburg and Panthinaikos."
Bettega also points out the fact that Juventus will have two of their most influential players unavailable for much of the first group stages.
"We are without our engine room," he explained, with reference to Edgar Davids, who is banned from competitive matches until January after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone, and Pavel Nedved, who must serve a three-match European suspension after receiving a red card for his former club Lazio last season.
"But traditionally we do well against Rosenborg," continued the Juventus chief. "We've eliminated them twice before, once when we drew in Norway and then by beating them 2-0 in Turin.
"Last time we played in Glasgow we beat Rangers 4-0 in 1995-96. We also beat Porto in the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1984," he added.
