Juventus discusses Champions League final; Chiellini: 'Messi is the god of football'

Juventus players, along with manager Massimiliano Allegri, met the media in the first of what will be multiple sessions ahead of the Champions League final, and discussed Lionel Messi, Barcelona and their own chances in a match that will bring the football world to a standstill on Saturday evening.

Massimiliano Allegri

On preparing for the Champions League final ...

"Preparing for a game like this is enjoyable. Everyone dreams of doing so and I consider myself very fortunate to coach players who have brought great joy over these past four years. It’s been an extraordinary season that will go down in history, and winning the Champions League would make it even better."

On how the match will play out ...

"We need to appreciate that we’ll be in for some difficult spells but also moments that go in our favour. We’re not travelling to Berlin to make up the numbers. It’s the final and taking on the world’s best players is something that’s perfectly normal, but this shouldn’t make us anxious as we have great character."

On Barcelona's talented core of attacking stars ...

"We're aware of the quality of Messi, Neymar and (Luis) Suarez and especially that of Iniesta," he said.

"We know that Barca are a quality team and play a brand of football that is unique. We want to show and prove to the rest that we can compete against this Barcelona team. Messi and Neymar play in a different way to any other forward pairing in the world. We need to play a tight game."

Giorgio Chiellini

On Lionel Messi's scoring exploits ...

"It's a bit more difficult to score goals like that in Italy because we are a bit different defensively and offensively," Chiellini said. "In Spain, they play better football but defend worse. But Messi is Messi. He scores when he wants. We have to be good in limiting him as much as possible."

On comparing Messi with Pele and Diego Maradona ...

"You can't say that. But at the moment, Messi is the god of football. He's the best in the past 20, 30 years. He's certainly a class apart in this sport."

Claudio Marchisio

On his team's chances in the Champions League final ...

“We possess plenty of respect for Barcelona, who have a phenomenal strikeforce that’s capable of scoring 120 goals. Having said that we’re an organised side with a tight-knit group and great heart. We’ll go out there and play in a carefree manner, aware of the qualities we have."

Alvaro Morata

On the challenge posed by Barcelona's front-three ...