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March started with an away trip to Parma, who had been thumped 5-0 on their previous meeting against Nick's side, and Nick was confident that they could pick up another three points against them. Ruben Olivera had picked up a virus, and was therefore unavailable for the match, meaning Kevin Larsen stepped into the match on the left wing. Dagoberto regained his place, despite Valeri Bojinov returning to full training, and Palladino took Del Piero's place as his strike partner. It was Palladino who set-up the first goal, feeding the ball through for Dagoberto to flick the ball round the keeper with the outside of his right foot and put his side in front. It was only 4 minutes later that the lead was doubled, Kevin Larsen cutting inside the defender and firing across the keeper into the far corner of the net. No more goals came in the match, although Juve and Parma both had good chances to score more goals, the best chances of the game falling to Dagoberto and Matteo Paro in particular, but neither side was able to find the net and Juventus ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, and completing the double over Parma. A visit to Siena was next, and it was another game that Nick expected his side to win comfortably. After ten minutes, it looked like that was going to happen, Nick's side cruising into a two goal lead, with goals from Ruben Olivera and Mauro Camoranesi. Nick's side shoul have take advantage and hammered it home, winning by 3 or 4, but instead they took their foot off the gas, and somehow lost the match 3-2, a Bogdani hat-trick sealing an unlikely victory for Siena. Nick was extremely unhappy with his players, and told them as much in the dressing room afterwards, it was a defeat that should not have been, especially after being two goals in front.

After the disappointing defeat to Siena, Nick wanted his side to make up for it by picking up maximum points in their next three games. A home game against Messina was a perfect opportunity to get back on track, and Nick wanted his side to really make this opportunity count. They came out and from the first whistle to the last whistle they were dominant, having 23 shots to Messina's 4, but once again they were unable to make the most of it, only managing to come away from Olimpico with a point. It took 65 minutes for the scoring to be opened, Valeri Bojinov racing through the defence and slotting the ball home underneath the keeper to score on his return to the side. Juve should have had 3 or 4 more before the Messina equaliser, and for the second successive game, Juve conceded a goal in the final 5 minutes of the game, and a draw was not what Nick wanted. His side were still sitting in third, and although he felt that the title was just out of reach Nick was confident second place was possible, as long as they picked up their performances.

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An away trip to Napoli was to follow, and once again Juve failed to capitalise on their chances, only coming away with yet another point. After Del Piero gave them the lead in the 8th minute, heading home Camoranesi's cross, it should have been game over and Napoli should have been dead and buried, but as it was Christian Bucchi's 54th minute equaliser was enough to send them away with a point. Bojinov missed 3 good chances before getting injured, and Del Piero missed 2 good chances, as well as Gabi missing a sitter from 8 yards out. It was a disappointing result yet again for Nick and his team, and if this carried on then they would fall away out of the top 4, which is where Nick wanted to be, in the promised land and Champions League competition next season. Bojinov's injury came as a big blow for Nick, as it would see him ruled out for the rest of the season, meaning Dagoberto would have to fill the gap that Bojinov's absence left. The bottom placed side Empoli visited Olimpico for the final game of the month, and for the 4th game on the trot Juve were terrible. This was the worst performance of Nick's tenure easily, as not only did no goals go in but no chances were created. It was obvious Empoli had come for the point, but Juve could not find a way past them. It took something special, a 30 yard shot from Gabi hitting the inside of the post and finding the back of the net in the 90th minute to keep his side third in the table and on course for that Champions League place.

March 2008 Summary
(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Parma 0-2 Juventus Dagoberto (11) Larsen (15)
Siena 3-2 Juventus Olivera (4) Camoranesi (10)
Juventus 1-1 Messina Bojinov (65)
Napoli 1-1 Juventus Del Piero (8)
Juventus 1-0 Empoli Gabi (90)

League Position : 3rd

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With 8 games left in the season it was vital that Nick got his side really firing on all cylinders, and a home game against Lazio was the first game for them to do this. It would not be easy, as Lazio had started to hit a bit of form recently, and Nick knew his side had been a little bit inconsistent of late. They started the game well though, Del Piero and Gabi both missing good chances to put Juve in front. Camoranesi had been causing the Lazio full-backs all sorts of problems throughout the game, and it was his cross that set up the opening goal, firing a low ball across the box for Gabi to slot home into the far corner to give his side a 1-0 lead. This lead went through to half-time, and the second half was much of the same, Juve dominating the match, and they got their rewards on 73 minutes, Mauro Camoranesi cutting inside the defence before firing home into the top corner. Juve could have had at least 3 or 4 more before the end of the match, Gabi and Del Piero missing guilt-edged opportunities. Lazio were reduced to ten men in the final ten minutes, Juan Sebastian Veron dismissed for lashing out in frustration at Camoranesi, but all in all Nick was happy with his sides performance, and another three points to add to the tally. After this, an away trip to Torino was up next, and once again it was a difficult game. Torino, 4th last season, and sitting in 5th this year, had been the perennial overachievers of the Serie A, and their home record was nothing short of superb. Juve started well yet again, but Torino also started just as well, but it was Juve that took the lead on 29 minutes, Gabi scoring his third goal in as many games, and he seemed intent on proving to Nick that the £4.2million investment he had made was worth every penny. He could have had another goal before the interval, and Juventus should have gone in more than 1 goal ahead, but it didn't make too much difference as the game was sealed in the 70th minute, Dagoberto running onto the loose defensive clearance and slotting the ball home underneath the keeper to seal the game for his side.

Games against Genoa and Milan were the final two games of the month, and if Nick's side could win one of the final two games then they would almost be assured of a Champions League spot. Genoa came out and seemed determined to be the team who stopped that. They were at home and had their fans, the twelfth man behind them, and they came out and started the better of the two teams, having three good chances in the first 15 minutes, but it wasn't until the 34th minute that they took a deserved lead, Luciano Figueroa crossing the ball and Igor Tudor deflecting the ball into his own net. This was a good thing really, as it seemed to wake Nick's side up, and they were stung into life, and played a lot better after this. They did go in at half time behind, but it was only 5 minutes into the second half that they drew level, Andrea Gasbarroni curling home a 25 yard effort. Both sides were pushing for the winner after this, and they both came close, Dagoberto hitting a post and Figueroa having a shot cleared off the line. Neither side could find the breakthrough, and they both had to settled for a point each, which kept Juve in third. Milan visited the Olimpico for the final match of April, and they were the team in 2nd that Juve were chasing, and last years Champions. As it turned out, this was Juve's first goalless draw for a year, since the match against Rimini last April, and it wasn't the best game to watch for the fans. There were only 3 or 4 decent chances in the entire 90 minutes, Ricardo Oliveira and Fernando Torres for Milan and Dagoberto and Del Piero missing Juve's best chances. The 0-0 draw kept both sides in their respective positions, and left them both just a win away from Champions League qualification.

April 2008 Summary
(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 2-0 Lazio Gabi (27) Camoranesi (73)
Torino 0-2 Juventus Gabi (29) Dagoberto (70)
Genoa 1-1 Juventus Gasbarroni (50)
Juventus 0-0 A.C Milan

League Position : 3rd

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Nick knew that his team needed to be at their best in the final 4 games of the season, and he also knew that 2 wins would secure a top 4 place. The first chance to get one of these wins was an away trip to Palermo, and it turned out to be a comfortable 3-0 win, the goals coming from Camoranesi and two from Gabi, who had suddenly started to find his scoring boots. Camoranesi headed home an Olivera cross after 10 minutes, and Gabi's first goal was a 20 yard effort after receiving Camoranesi's pass three minutes before half time, His 2nd, and the teams third, came on 81 minutes, Gabi racing through the defence to slot the ball home past the onrushing keeper to secure a simple three points for his side. Palermo's cause was not helped by the fact they were reduced to 8 men by the final whistle, Pedro Leon seeing red for an elbow on 48 minutes, Amauri's second bookable offence giving him his marching orders after 72 minutes and Zaccardo's frustration showing, a headbutt on Dagoberto seeing him dismissed on 84 minutes. The win was comfortable, and a win in the next match against Atalanta would see Juve gain a Champions League place for certain. The Atalanta game would prove to be another comfortable victory, this time by 2 goals to nil, the goals both coming in the second half, Daniel Sturridge using his pace to beat the defence after an hour and slot underneath the keeper, and Giuliano Giannichedda sealing the points in stoppage time with a header from Camoranesi's cross. This secured a top 4 spot for Nick and his side, a terrific performance considering it was their first season back in the top flight.

A trip to Chievo was the agenda for the penultimate game of the campaign, and for some unknown reason Nick saw his players get outclassed in every department. They were second to every loose ball, they were beaten to 90% of balls in the air and Chievo were passing the ball around like Juve were not there. Nick couldn't believe what he was watching. Chievo took the lead after 28 minutes, a loose ball being won in midfield and played through for the Chievo striker to slide underneath Marcelo Grohe. The second was scored right on half time, the same attacker capitalising on a defensive mistake and placing the ball inside the far post to send his team in at the break 2-0 up. The next goal did come from Juventus, although they had left it late, Giannichedda curling a free-kick home from the edge of the area. There was still time for one more goal, Chievo breaking straight from the kick-off and scoring a third goal, yet again from poor defending, to secure a surprising win and three points for their own European push. The final game saw Udinese visit Olimpico, and fortunately the team played a lot better than in the previous game, this time winning the game 3-1. Giannichedda opened the scoring with his third goal in as many games, hitting the ball from the edge of the 6 yard box and putting his side in front on 36 minutes. Dagoberto doubled that lead on the stroke of half time, racing through before finishing brilliantly from a tight angle to give his side a two goal lead at half time. Dagoberto sealed the three points 6 minutes after half time, curling home a free-kick from 20 yards to score his teams third goal and secure a final day win. Udinese had time for one goal, Gyan Asamoah heading home from a cross, but Nick was happy with a 3-1 win, and on the whole a very successful season in Serie A

May 2008 Summary
(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Palermo 0-3 Juventus Camoranesi (10) Gabi (42,81)
Juventus 2-0 Atalanta Sturridge (60) Giannichedda (90)
Chievo 3-1 Juventus Giannichedda (88)
Juventus 3-1 Udinese Giannichedda (36) Dagoberto (45,51)

League Position : 3rd

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> PL W D L GD PTS1. Inter Milan 38 29 2 7 +66 892. A.C Milan 38 21 14 3 +37 773. JUVENTUS 38 22 9 7 +28 754. Fiorentina 38 22 8 8 +35 745. Torino 38 17 14 7 +13 656. Roma 38 17 13 8 +13 64</pre>

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After a successful first season in Serie A for him and his side, Nick felt that they were capable of more, and especially a stronger title push next season. He knew that he would need some more players though, and that they would have to be top quality and fit into the team easily, so he sent his scouts out to scour the market and make a list of some players that would be good enough for the Juve team. Nick also felt that some of the current crop of players were not good enough to stay in the squad, and the wage bill needed trimming so he wanted to get rid of some of the deadwood. There were some youngsters Nick wanted to try out next season, in particular Daniel Sturridge, as he felt that the only way to get them experience is by putting them in the first team limelight and letting them taste the first team opportunities, so he didn't have a problem with throwing the young Englishman into the squad. After assessing the squad, and their record over the last two seasons, he made his notes on the team and had his opinions on who he felt was good enough to remain in the squad.

Juventus Squad Statistics
(Both seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08)

Gianluigi Buffon, GK - 88 apps, 48 cln, 7.34 Avg.
Gianluigi has been my number one for the last two seasons, and he will be for a few years. He is still Italy's number one and has over 1 clean sheet every 2 games. He will still be my number one in the coming season

Marcelo Grohe, GK - 7(1) apps, 2 cln, 6.92 Avg.
Marcelo has been my back-up 'keeper but hasn't complained once. He hasn't whined, groaned or moaned, but he definately has a big future in the game. He will be my replacement for Buffon in a few years


Jonathan Zebina, DRC,WBR - 77(3) apps, 2 gls, 7.12 avg.
Jonathan has been superb at right back, and his obvious quality has shone through. He has been good in both defence and attack, and chipped in with some timely assists. Will be first choice right back again next season

Jelle Van Damme, DLC,WBL - 9 apps, 0 gls, 7.00 avg.
Jelle was signed for a nominal fee from Anderlecht in the January Transfer window, and his job was to provide cover at left back and at centre back, both of which he has done admirably. He has been consistent and has done a terrific job of stepping into the team when needed

Jean Alain Boumsong, DC - 70(3) apps, 0 gls, 7.09 avg.
Jean Alain had his critics at Newcastle, but he has been teriffic for me, and not one complaint from me. He has been superb at centre back and has shown his true colours to the team

Didier Digard, DC,DM - 10(6) apps, 0 gls, 6.75 avg.
Dider came on loan from Ascoli as cover at the back, and he did really well when he had to step in. He is still young and has a big future in the game at both club and international level. Would love to have signed him permanently but is just not possible at this moment in time

Younes Kaboul, DC,DM - 80 apps, 3 gls, 7.19 avg.
Younes was my first big money signing, £4 million, and it was money well spent in my estimation. He is a big, strong powerful lad and stands well over 6 feet tall. His heading ability is second to none and I am delighted to have his talent at my disposal. Will be vital in our future successes

Igor Tudor, DC,DM - 30(21) apps, 4 gls, 6.83 avg.
Igor's experience and kno how has come in handy over the last two seasons, and although he has proved to be an able back-up I dont think he will play much of a part next season. Has been vital to our success

Kevin Larsen, D/AML - 30(4) apps, 4 gls, 7.28 avg.
Kevin has been the surprise of the squad for me. I signed him as a back-up player and he has ascended himself into a possible starting role with his exceptional performances when he has stepped into the team. He has also chipped in with some vital goals too

Florian Kringe, WBRL,DM - 15(9) apps, 0 gls, 6.60 avg.
Florian isn't happy at the moment, he feels he should be playing more of a role in the team, but I see him as nothing more than a back-up player. He has been a good player when he has needed to step in but won't play much of a part next season

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Giuliano Giannichedda, DM - 48(15) apps, 6 gls, 7.08 avg.
Giuliano has been a stalwart for me in my two seasons in charge, and he will be for a little while yet. He has experience in abundance and has also chipped in with some goals and assists over the last couple of seasons, and he will be a member of the squad come next season

Mario Suarez, DM - 5(3) apps, 0 gls, 7.00
Mario was signed on a season long loan and although he hasn't played much of a part his contribution will be remebered, and I will be grateful for his back-up. In the 8 games he played he did well, helping the team by doing the job I signed him to do

Matteo Paro, DM - 49(12) apps, 4 gls, 7.06 avg.
Matteo has been terrific in the centre of midfield, and his creativity and defensive abilities have both been vital in our promotion push and then the third placed finish this season. There has been interest from other clubs, but I don't think I will sell him unless I receive a good offer

Gabi, MC - 44(4) apps, 8 gls, 7.20 avg.
I originally signed Gabi on loan in January 2007, but his performances were so goos I signed him for the next season. He was once again impressive, and I agreed a fee of just over £4 million to bring him to the club permanently. His goals from midfield have been crucial, and he has been one of the most consistent performers of the side

Mauro Camoranesi, AMR - 71 apps, 9 gls, 7.47 avg.
Mauro has been my best player over the two seasons, making 34 goals and scoring 9 himself. He has been superb on the right wing, and is still a regular in the Italian national side. Will be a vital player for several years to come yet

Andrea Gasbarroni, AMRLC - 11(7) apps, 2 gls, 6.94 avg.
Having spent all of our Serie B title winning campaign out on loan, he was recalled to the first team squad as a squad player for this season. He has provided good cover all scross the midfield, and will stay as cover next season due to his versatility and ability to play anywhere across the midfield

Marco Marchionni, AMR - 19(10) apps, 1 gls, 6.95 avg.
Although my backroom staff rate him highly, I haven't seen much from Marco that has convinced me he is good enough to remain at the club. If a suitable offer comes in I will offload him to another club. Did a good job in his 29 appearances but nothing spectacular

Ruben Olivera, AMRLC - 31 apps, 3 gls, 7.26 avg.
Ruben exceeded all of my expectations this season, as he was brilliant on the left wing, laying on 14 goals for his team-mates. He dpent the first season on loan at Sampdoria but he has established himself as a vital member of the team and will be here for a few years yet

Rafaelle Palladino, AML,ST - 18(17) apps, 6 gls, 6.94 avg.
Rafaelle has been back-up throughout the two seasons but has never once complained. He has knuckled down and worked hard for the team, and when he has stepped into the side he has put 100% effort in. He is a useful player, so I will look to keep him around as a back-up player


Alessandro Del Piero, AMLC,FC - 63(14) apps, 41 gls, 7.08 avg.
Alessandro has been a great player throughout his career, and in my two seasons so far in Italy he has been excellent, but I think it is time for younger players to step up to the plate. His 41 goals have proved vital, although his old legs seemed to slow him down in Serie A, but he will be recognised for his achievements

Valeri Bojinov, ST - 48(18) apps, 41 gls, 7.08 avg.
This was Valeri's first season as a fully fledged Juventus player, and boy was he worth the money I paid for Fiorentina's 50%. He has scored 41 goals in 66 Juve appearances, a superb record by any standards, and he is still only 24 too. He has a great future ahead of him and will be a major part of the team in the future seasons

Dagoberto, AM/FC - 40(20) apps, 22 gls, 7.04 avg.
Signed for £1.4 million from Atletico Paraneanse in 2006, Dagoberto has proved to be a super player. He has scored some vital goals at vital times and chipped in with assists. He has formed good partnerships with all the strikers, and I am delighted to have him around the club. He will hopefully be here for a few years yet

Roberto Batres, AM/FC - 5(4) apps, 0 gls, 6.78 avg.
Roberto was disappointing and didn't have the impact I expected when I brought him in on loan. He looked out of his depth in the games that he played, and I am disappointed he didn't fire on all cylinders. I do still believe he has great potential though

Daniel Sturridge, ST - 6 apps, 3 gls, 7.25 avg.
Daniel has shown lots of promise in his relatively short career so far, and I will ecpose him to the rigours of first team football more often next season, and I believe he will be one of the worlds best in a few years. He is labelled the 'next Gary Lineker' by the press, and if he lives up to that I will be happy

Christian Vieri, ST - 8(5) apps, 4 gls, 6.92 avg.
After a season in which he provided an able back-up, Christian decided to call it a day and hang up his boots at the age of 34. He did well in the 13 appearances he made, and I will be grateful for his contributions. Has had a long and glittering career, so will retire with his head held high

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Nick had really scoured the Transfer market long and hard, and once he had an idea of who to make bids for he set about making those bids. Although the club had qualified for a Champions League spot, and this would be bringing in a lot of revenue and T.V money, Nick didn't want to go mad in the spending. He had worked hard to cut the wage bill and get the club back into the black, so he wasn't prepared to ruin all that hard work. He had looked for players whose contract's were expiring soon, and had really seen some prospects he liked the look of. On his list of priorities were a striker, a central defender and a goalkeeper, and there were players in all these positions that Nick felt would provide good cover and could do a job in the first team. All in all he made offers for 6 players whose contracts were soon expiring, and all he could do was wait for replies. He had also contacted Mallorca about buying their centre back Francisco Pavon, a man who had experience and had been at Real Madrid a few years back. He had played in big games (and won) Champions League, League titles and Spanish Cups, and he was getting a regular starting berth at Mallorca, but he felt like a fresh challenge. His club didn't stand in his way too much, and after accepting a £2.9 million offer from Nick, he was free to discuss terms. What he saw at the club was enough to convince him, and he was happy to sign on the dotted line to seal his move to Italy. He would arrive at the start of the Transfer window on July 1st, just over a month's time, and Nick was delighted to have captured such a talented defender.

During the course of the next two weeks, Nick was a very busy man. He had secured deals with 5 of the 6 out of contract players he had wanted, Lassana Diarra the only one to snub Juventus, opting for a move to League Champions Inter Milan instead, but Nick felt he had some really good talent at his disposal. Wayne Bridge had signed from Chelsea, and he was an exceptional left back who would easily slot into the left back role. He had pace, and could bomb forward without hesitation, but his defensive abilities were also exceptional, and Nick was delighted to beat a whole host of clubs to his signature. Three other players had been signed from English clubs, two from Arsenal and one from Liverpool. Godwin Antwi was the Liverpool man Nick signed, and he had received a glowing report from chief scout Ciro Ferrara, who touted him as one for the future. He was another big, strong lad, and his heading ability was frighteningly good. He would start in the under 20's but Nick was sure he would work his way up. The two player's that agreed moves from Arsenal were also for the future, and both were terrific prospects. Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was 18, and at 6'3 had a hell of a stature about him. He seemed to be able to pluck balls from nowhere and his kicking and throwing ability was second to none. The other player from Arsenal was another youngster, Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner. Not only was he one for the future, but Nick felt he could step up and compete for a place in the first team too. He was a quick lad, with some real speed about him, and his finishing was some of the best Nick had seen from a young player. He wasn't brilliant in the air, but his positioning and his anticipation were excellent. Nick was very happy with his new additions to the squad, although he still felt another top-class striker was needed to replace Del Piero and partner Bojinov. This is what he instructed his scouts to look for, and sent them off to all parts of the world in search of another 20 goal a season target man.

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Nick had managed to arrange 6 friendly matches, and he felt that they would provide a mixed set of opposition and give the team a good test before the season starts. The only thing that Nick was concerned about was the fact that with the Champions League games and Serie A games the team would be playing more games than they were used to, so a rotation system may need to be employed for the lesser games in all competitions. He was confident however that the team would cope and would show their real potential. The new signings were really starting to gel together, and Bendtner looked a really good striker, and his finishing ability was close to Valeri Bojinov's level at the moment. Unless Nick could manage to get another striker in before the start of the season he would be looking at Bendtner starting up-front with Bojinov come the opening game of the campaign. His scouts had given him some feedback on strikers so far, and they had come back with a few options, but so far only two had really caught Nick's eye. They were both playing their trade in Argentina at River Plate, and were both young players. Gonzalo Higuain was a young Frenchman, who could play up-front of in midfield behind the front two, and his record for River had been good for the last two seasons. The other option was a Colombian striker, Falcao, who was another young player but this time he was an out and out striker, and would make a very useful target man to support the speed of Bojinov. Nick was more inclined to go for Higuain, for the simple reason that Falcao was a Non-EU player, and Nick had his eye on another foreign player, and the rules of the lead only allowed the side to purchase 1 foreign player a season. Nick thought long and hard, but in the end his instincts told him to make an offer for Higuain, as he felt he would give the most to the team in the long run. The other player Nick had made a bid for was young Figueirense defender Michel Schmoller, who was another player who looked like an excellent prospect for the future, and he had a minimum fee release clause in his newly signed contract of £2.2 million pounds, a fee that Nick matched and one he was more than happy to pay for such an outstanding young player.

During the course of the next two weeks, Nick had finally got his squad just how he wanted it, with his final two additions of Schmoller and Higuain, and he felt he had a team that was capable of challenging for the Serie A title and maybe even challenging for the Champions League, although deep down he knew that was a difficult task. The £2.2 million fee for Michel Schmoller was accepted, as his club had no choice but to accept it, and the young Brazilian was quick to accept terms with Nick. He said to the press he was delighted to move to Juventus, describing it as the 'best moment of his life', and Nick was more than happy to have such a talented individual at his disposal. It had been a bit more of a chore to get River to agree to a deal for Higuain though, as they felt he was worth a lot of money and were holding out for a silly sum of money. In the end, after a weeks strenuous negotiation, a fee of £8.75 million was agreed with a 30% sell-on clause, and once Nick had started to discuss terms with the Frenchman it was easy to sway him towards a move to Italy. The key factor was the fact Juve were expected to challenge for honours, and Nick felt that they could do that for several years with players such as Higuain in the squad. In the two weeks he was negotiating terms with Higuain and Schmoller he had also been in charge for two friendly matches, away games against Belgian side Standard Liege and French side Caen. The Standard game had seen the strike force of Bendtner and Bojinov, and they seemed to be a good combination. Bendtner opened the scoring on 26 minutes, latching onto a Camoranesi pass and firing the ball underneath the Standard keeper, taking the goal with aplomb. It was 11 minutes later that the match was decided, Younes Kaboul beating the Standard defence to the ball and heading home for a 2-0 lead. It stayed 2-0 for the rest of the match, neither side managing to find the back of the net again, and Nick was happy with his sides performance overall. The Caen game didn't see as good as performance as against Standard, but it was a different type of performance, a solid defensive performance to secure a 1-0 win. The goal came on 25 minutes, Mauro Camoranesi cutting inside the defence and firing low into the corner. Nothing else happened in the match, and two wins out of two was good enough for Nick.

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Transfers In, July 2008
(All transfers for July)

Gabi from Atletico Madrid £4.2 million
Francisco Pavon from Mallorca £2.9 million
Michel Schmoller from Figueirense £2.2 million
Gonzalo Higuain from River Plate £8.75 million

Free Transfers In

Godwin Antwi from Liverpool Free
Nicklas Bendtner from Arsenal Free
Anis Ben Hatira from HSV Free
Wojciech Szczesny from Arsenal Free
Wayne Bridge from Chelsea Free

A tour of Portugal saw Nick and his side visit three different teams from different levels of Portuguese football, and it would provide a different set of tests for Nick and his team. The first game of the tour saw a trip to Santa Clara, a team in the second division, and it was an easy game to start the tour. It turned out to be a 4-0 victory, with all of the four goals coming in the space of a 16 minute period in the first half. The opener came in the 10th minute, a Ruben Olivera cross headed home by Francisco Pavon. It was 6 minutes later that the lead was doubled, Valeri Bojinov racing through the defence to slide the ball home underneath the onrushing keeper. Paro scored a third three minutes later, hitting a 25 yard free-kick into the top corner of the net to put the game beyond doubt. Matteo was on the transfer list, and wouldn't be at the club much longer, but he was determined to go out with a bang. Bojinov scored his second and the teams 4th on 26 minutes, sealing the game and putting a seal on a terrific performance. Nick made 7 different substitutions in the second half, and although there were no more goals for either side Nick was happy enough with his sides performance and he felt they were starting to gel well together.

Varzim and Nacional De Madiera were the final two games of the tour, and they both resulted in wins for Nick and his side. The first game, against Varzim, was a first start for Gonzalo Higuain in Juventus colours, and he scored the first goal of the match after 2 minutes, firing home from the edge of the area into the bottom corner of the net. Despite having several chances in the first half, and the second half, they didn't score again until the 75th minute, substitute Rafaelle Palladino curling the ball home from the edge of the area to secure the win. Varzim did pull one back after 84 minutes, but it had no effect on the game and the final result, Juventus running out 2-1 winners. The Nacional De Madeira match was just as simple, another easy 2-0 victory for Nick's side, both goals coming in the second half from Bojinov in the 58th minute and Gabi in the 75th minute. Nick felt his side were more than ready for the start of the new season and their fitness levels were excellent, and the new signings were starting to fit in well.

Pre Season Round-Up
(Juventus scorers listen only)

Standard Liege 0-2 Juventus Bendtner (26) Kaboul (37)
Caen 0-1 Juventus Camoranesi (25)
Santa Clara 0-4 Juventus Pavon (10) Bojinov (16,26) Paro (19)
Varzim 1-2 Juventus Higuain (2) Palladino (75)
Nacional De Madeira 0-2 Juventus Bojinov (58) Gabi (75)

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Nick was extremely interested to see how the draw for the Champions League came out, as his side were seeded and he felt a good draw would really set his team up for a good run in the competition. As it was, they were pitted against either IFK Goteborg or Domzale, and either one of those two teams would provide a fairly easy ride for his side. The league fixtures had also been faxed through, and with opening games against Genoa, Lazio and Ascoli he was confident he could get a good start to their season and really set the tone for a strong title challenge. Nick knew what his ideal starting eleven would be, and he felt he had a strong enough squad to really push for the Serie A title and give a really good showing in the Champions League. Nick had sat down with his chief scout Ciro Ferrara and assessed the squad, making notes on who he felt would be regular starters in the forth coming season.

IFK Goteborg had won their qualifying match in the second round and would meet Juventus in the third round of qualifying, the first leg of the tie was at the Delle Alpi, the new 69,041 seater Delle Alpi, so if Juve could get a good start at home, get a two or three goal win then the game would almost be assured, and Nick's side would be in the Champions League. The first leg was vital, and both sides wanted to get a good start, so they both started with their strongest possible teams. Bojinov and Dagoberto starting up-front for Juve with Bendtner on the bench. It was Bojinov that opened the scoring, racing through from Giannichedda's through ball and lofting the ball over the oncoming 'keeper to give his team a deserved lead. No more goals came in the first half, although it wasn't for want of trying, Bojinov, Dagoberto and Ruben Olivera all missing good chances. Going in at half time 1-0 in front was fine, but Nick knew that they needed to push on in the second half and take chances better than they had in the first half. Bojinov missed two chances in that second half in the first 10 minutes, both of which were very good chances. It wasn't until the 59th minute that the lead was doubled, Ruben Olivera's low ball across the box finding Giuliano Giannichedda who side footed the ball past the keeper and into the bottom corner. It was the other winger, Mauro Camoranesi, that set up the third and decisive goal, his right wing cross finding substitute Raffaelle Palladino's head and he duly found the top corner with his header. Goteborg did find the net on 88 minutes, but it was unlikely that the goal would make much difference to the tie, and Juventus had one foot in the Champions League.

The second leg of the tie was a game that was dependant on how well the defence played for each side. Nick knew he could afford to rest a couple of players, and he duly did do that, swapping Bojinov for Palladino and bringing Sidnei in for Younes Kaboul, as well as Andrea Gasbarroni taking Mauro Camoranesi's place on the right had side. That proved to be a good decision, as it was Gasbarroni's cross that found Dagoberto's right foot and his volley found the back of the Goteborg net to all but guarantee his side's progression into the Champions League proper. They could have had more goals in the match, Dagoberto and Olivera the worst offenders, and substitute Kevin Larsen missing two good chances to seal the match. The game was sealed with just the one goal, and it was a 4-1 aggregate victory to Nick and his side which guaranteed his sides progress. Goteborg had Fredrik Ljungman sent off in the 90th minute to really upset their momentum, but Nick was happy with his sides progression and the fact European football was coming to the Stadio Delle Alpi, and he felt the team would cope well with the strains and demands of the added games.

August 2008 Summary
(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1st Leg
Juventus 3-1 IFK Goteborg Bojinov (19) Giannichedda (59) Palladino (70)
Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1st Leg
IFK Goteborg 0-1 Juventus Dagoberto (23)

Juventus Qualify for Champions League