Ciro Ferrara has board's trust

Ciro Ferrara has board's trust

Juventus deputy director Roberto Bettega gave coach Ciro Ferrara a vote of confidence after their 1-0 defeat at Chievo.

The result in Verona marked Juve's fourth league loss in five games and dropped the struggling Bianconeri 13 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

Bettega said to Italian TV station Rai: "Besides our injury woes, the team is struggling to adapt to the way in which our opponents approach the game.

"AC Milan came out of a crisis (this season) by trusting the players and the coach.

"We will try to do the same without returning to the (transfer) market, considering that we have big players.

"These are games that you lose as a team not as an individual."

Under-pressure Ferrara was left disappointed with his team's lacklustre performance.

"It's a negative period for us," he said. "I don't want to find excuses or alibis.

"We went down by one goal and we lacked a great reaction.

"We didn't create any goalscoring chances and hence we lost another game and this is painful."

Juve have given away four goals while failing to find the back of the net in their last two games.

Ferrara believes his team are struggling in every department.

He said: "I think our problems are a mix of physical and mental and perhaps we have a bit of fear."

Despite his team's poor run of form, Ferrara is confident his job is safe for the time being.

"If the problem is the coach the club will come and tell me,"

Ferrara said.

"So far, I have not been told directly anything in that respect."

Next up for Juventus is in-form Roma in Turin on Saturday night.

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W.Sameul hits winner for Inter Milan

W.Sameul hits winner for Inter Milan

Wesley Sneijder and Walter Samuel scored late goals as defending champions Inter Milan twice came from behind to claim a thrilling 4-3 Serie A victory over Siena in the top-versus-bottom clash at the San Siro on Saturday night.

Massimo Maccarone's swerving effort fired Siena into an 18th-minute lead, but Inter were level six minutes later when Sneijder found Diego Milito who drilled in.

Sneijder curled in a second from a 36th-minute free-kick but Siena responded immediately as Albin Ekdal ghosted in at the back post to drill in a leveller.

Maccarone scored his second after 65 minutes but Sneijder scored his second free-kick after 88 minutes and Samuel hit a stoppage-time winner as Inter and Jose Mourinho's long unbeaten home records remained intact.

Siena had Cribari sent off as their frustrations boiled over after the final whistle.

Meanwhile a first-minute goal from Daniele De Rossi was enough to give 10-man Roma a 1-0 victory over Chievo which moves them up to fourth in the table.

Rossi headed in from a corner to give the hosts the lead at the Stadio Olimpico, but they had goalkeeper Doni sent off after he handled the ball outside the area after coming out as Elvis Abbruscato charged through on goal.

Chievo were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage and Abbruscato and Luca Ariati wasted chances as the Giallorossi secured the win.

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Nesta does the damage in dying minutes

Nesta does the damage in dying minutes

Alessandro Nesta scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, as AC Milan came from behind to beat Chievo 2-1.

Giampiero Pinzi put the home side ahead in the seventh minute but Chievo were unable to hold onto their advantage and succumbed to some heavy late pressure.

Nesta scored the equaliser in the 81st minute before heading home the winner deep in time added on.

The outcome lifted Milan up to sixth position in the Serie A standings and left them seven points behind leaders and city rivals Inter.

The visitors went into the game looking to cap a great week which had seen them beat Roma 2-1 before claiming a 3-2 triumph away to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Leonardo opted to play in-form Alexandre Pato, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ronaldinho in attack but it was the hosts who started strongly.

Michele Marcolini warmed the palms of Dida with a stinging drive from the distance which the keeper turned over for a corner.

Chievo broke the deadlock soon after when an unmarked Pinzi latched onto Andrea Mantovani's cross before firing past Dida on the volley from the centre of the six-yard box.

Dida was called into action soon after to save Sergio Pellissier's right-footed strike from the edge of the area.

Milan should have equalised in the 15th minute after Luca Antonini fed Clarence Seedorf inside the area, but the Dutchman's right-footed strike was saved by Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

On the half-hour mark, Pato wasted a good chance to restore parity with his close-range header from Pirlo's cross going high and wide.

Pellissier twice had the chance to extend his team's lead before the break.

He fired a left-footed strike from Pinzi's cross just over the bar with Dida already beaten, while seconds later his close-range header went wide.

Shortly after the re-start, Milan passed up a glorious chance to draw level as Pirlo missed an open goal.

Sorrentino did well to anticipate Pato but his clearance fell to Pirlo, who fired high over the bar.

Leonardo then made his first substitution with Marco Borriello replacing Huntelaar.

Borriello should have done better in the 68th minute after meeting Massimo Oddo's cross but he only manage a weak header that proved an easy catch for Sorrentino.

Milan's efforts finally paid off in the 81st minute.

Borriello connected with Pirlo's cross and his header rebounded off the crossbar and into the path of Nesta, who nodded the ball into the back of the net.

At the other end, Dida made a crucial save to clear substitute Pablo Granoche's close-range header from Pellissier's cross.

The Rossoneri poured forward in search of the winner and Sorrentino did well to save substitute Filippo Inzaghi's strike from inside the area.

But there was little Sorrentino could do to deny Nesta shortly after.

Nesta met Pirlo's corner into the six-yard box and nodded past Sorrentino to silence the home fans at the Bentegodi stadium and the Rossoneri held on for their fourth league victory of the campaign.

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