Igor Tudor’s hungry appetite for success in his third spell at the Bianconeri saw him treat his squad to dinner last week.
Having been a star player for the Turin titans, and then unceremoniously sacked as assistant manager at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, it could be third time lucky.
He kicked off his return with an 1-0 win over Patrick Viera’s mid-table Genoa last weekend, but faces a challenge when he takes his side to the Italian capital.
The lair of the imposing Stadio Olympico and Claudio Ranieri’s in-form AS Roma make for a mouthwatering match on Sunday. Both teams are in the race to try and secure a Champions League berth for next season.
Tudor relayed his thoughts about key Juve players, being coy about Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, in his pre-match press conference before Juventus tackle I Giallorossi. AS Roma enter the clash in red-hot form, with seven wins on the spin.
Tudor praises players
He admitted: “When I returned to Turin I found a team going through a difficult period, but we have started to rebuild together and we are working well.
“We have to think game by game, without looking too far ahead, especially when you get towards the end of the season.
“I wanted to take everyone out to dinner, to spend time together off the pitch [as a bonding exercise]. The players were there, but the whole staff were there too. The evening helped us to get to know each other better, to create the right synergy.
“The lads are well prepared [to face AS Roma], and are showing a desire to express themselves at their best. We know it won’t be an easy game, but we have to focus only on ourselves.
“[Francisco] Conceicao is an intelligent player, quick in tight spaces. It's great to have a talent like him in the squad. He has the right mentality, he is a tough guy who has great desire.
“I liked [Vasilije] Adzic a lot in the training he did with us. [Weston] McKennie is a wildcard in his own right. His versatility allowed us to play him on the left against Genoa, but for me he is a midfielder.
“I have only had the opportunity to see Kenan [Yildiz] up close in these first few training sessions, so I cannot make a concrete judgement yet.
“He must push himself to the maximum in every single training session and every single game. He is a serious guy, focused on football. His qualities are obvious to everyone.”