Conte: Scudetto hat-trick not easy

Juventus boss Antonio Conte is refusing to panic after defeat to Inter, but has again warned his players against complacency during 2013-14.

The Old Lady lost 10-9 on penalties against the Nerazzurri in the USA during the night after the 90 minutes ended 1-1.

“Today we committed the odd error when building the play, but given the heat and our heavy workload, it’s understandable,” the tactician noted.

“We only lost against Inter on penalties and that was at the end of a balanced game. In previous years, in the Trofeo TIM or the Trofeo Berlusconi, we’ve also ended up on the losing side…

“We’ve worked very well and I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen. Angelo Ogbonna was solid, while Carlos Tevez has forged an understanding with Mirko Vucinic – who showed his capabilities in leading the line.”

The Italian champions will start the campaign in pole position to win their third straight Scudetto, but the former midfielder has underlined that hunger will be key.

“In my playing career I played in four consecutive Finals, three in the Champions League and one in the UEFA Cup, but I’ve never won three successive Scudetto titles,” he continued.

“Everyone needs to get into their heads that it won’t be at all straightforward to win again and we’ll need to ignore those who have us down as favourites.

“If we’re all able to understand that we’ll come up against great difficulties this year, then we’ll have the possibility to experience further joy.”