Zidane: Juve Not in Clear Yet
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
TURIN, Italy (February 18, 1999 5:02 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Juventus may have claimed a rare victory over the weekend but French star Zinedine Zidane said Thursday that the ailing champion's troubles weren't over yet.
Juventus struggled to an important 2-0 win at Piacenza in its first match under new coach Carlo Ancelotti following the shock resignation of Marcello Lippi.
The champions have plummetted from top slot to mid-table since November, and the Turin faithful hope that Juventus is now back to being the powerhouse of Italian soccer.
Zidane, however, toned down the optimism, saying: "At Piacenza, we got the defense sorted out, we didn't concede any goals -- like we had been doing all the time until then.
"But there's still a lot more to do: the attack has to create more scoring chances and convert them. Once we've strung together three or four consecutive results, then we can talk about a revival."
Zidane, who wants to put the Lippi era behind him immediately, said: "We've turned a page, there's no point talking about the past. Those memories are here inside us."
The Frenchman paid tribute to international teammate Thierry Henry, recruited last month to boost Juventus' toothless attack, saying: "He's good, but he just happens to have arrived here at a bad time."
Zidane is also an admirer of Arsenal's French ace Nicolas Anelka, who in two Wembley performances demolished England earlier this month and helped the Gunners win the FA Cup last season.
"He's really good," said Zidane, the Golden Ball winner. "He plays by instinct, he doesn't need to think. He's going to become a great player."
