Marotta calls for Juventus belief

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta is confident his side can defend their Serie A title as winning has become second nature for the club.

The titleholders were beaten by both Inter and AC Milan in recent weeks, but remain top of the table.

Despite the setbacks, Marotta has little doubt they will stay ahead of their rivals.

“The title race is open and it’s our duty to believe we can do it. We’ve got respect for everyone, but Juve must look to win, it’s in our DNA,” he told Sky TG24.

“Last year we won the championship with our never-say-die attitude. From there we’ve continued our positive run and we’re still top of the league as it stands.”

Marotta spoke about his side’s chances of making the knockout stages of the Champions League and believes they have the quality to progress.

“The Champions League is an important competition. We have the desire to go through to the knockout stages, but there’s still a way to go,” he said.

“We’re convinced we’ve got a balanced squad which is up to the standard required to reach this target.”

Juventus sit second in Group E of the Champions League, and a draw against Shakhtar Donetsk on the final match day will be enough to secure progress to the knockout stages.