Tevez: 'Juve are demanding'

Carlos Tevez is not afraid of wearing Alessandro Del Piero’s shirt. “Juventus are very demanding and I will be ready.”

The striker arrived from Manchester City this week for €9m plus a potential €6m in performance-related bonuses, choosing the number 10 jersey.

“I have to be back in Italy on July 9 to begin pre-season training, when we’ll be in Turin for two days and then in the mountains for 10 days,” he told Argentine newspaper Cronica.

“Juve are a very demanding club and I will be ready. I think pre-season will be very important to help me settle into Italian football and know what I am facing. Those days of training with my teammates will be crucial.”

There was controversy over Juve’s decision to hand the legendary 10 to newcomer Tevez, but he shrugged it off.

“In truth I feel absolutely no pressure. I don’t think about the shirt number at all. I am concentrated on preparing as best I can for the season.

“My new teammates have already made me feel at home and it’s fantastic, it makes me want to get started straight away.

“The fans also gave me a warm welcome. I had difficulty leaving the airport because there were so many supporters and they followed me everywhere. It was incredible.”

Tevez also stated he would one day finish his career at Boca Juniors and would gladly accept a return to the Argentina squad, “but for now I think the national team is alright without me.”