Conte welcomes Cacers but issues warning : " Marrone is not and never was for sale "

Caceres is in Turin putting the finishing touches on his move from Sevilla and his new boss believes the fact that the Uruguayan defender enjoyed a previous loan spell with the Bianconeri during the 2009-10 season will make his integration into the squad so much easier.

"I've seen Caceres and I welcomed him," Conte told the club's official website. "We only had five defenders, so it was appropriate to make a purchase.

"He is a player who already knows the club, so it will take less time to insert him [into the squad].

"He arrives with humility, knowing that he is now a part of a team that has the best defence [in Serie A]."

Meanwhile, Luca Marrone has begun to establish himself in the Juventus side in recent weeks and Conte, having worked with him during the midfielder's loan spell at Siena, insists that he never entertained the idea of offloading the youngster.




"Marrone is a player that I felt was never for sale right from the beginning of the season," the former Italy international said.


"He did well at Siena, where I was struck by his great personality. We all believe in him - he represents the present and the future of Juve.


"The important thing for him is to keep his feet on the ground, as he always has done, and continue to work hard without complaining."

Turning his attention to Saturday night's clash with Udinese at Juventus Stadium, Conte admitted that the game has added significance because it pits first against third in the Serie A standings.

"It's a challenge that's worth double to us - six points and not the usual three," he claimed.

"We must understand that and play with fierce competitiveness. We are facing a Udinese side which are no longer a surprise package.

"How are we prepared for this game? Unfortunately, we are not in good shape. We have some players who are not in the best condition.

"There is still another training session so tomorrow we will evaluate who's good to play and we will try to ensure we put on the best performance possible."

Juve currently top the table by a solitary point from AC Milan, while Udinese are just two points further back.

Thank God for Conte!

I love this man. Will become Juventus Guardiola. This is what teams need, a man who has the club running through his blood, not mercenaries.

CONTE