Former Juventus defender Jonathan Zebina has stated that his former employers cannot compete for the Champions League.
The Bianconeri are set to face Monaco in the quarter-final of the competition on Tuesday night, and the Frenchman has stated that the champions of Italy for the past three years lack the mentality of playing in Europe.
“Their priority has been Serie A in recent years,” Zebina told L’Equipe. “They know they can’t compete for the Champions League.
“The overall level of Serie A has went down, it can no longer keep or attract top players.
“Juventus face teams a lot weaker than them, so they have trouble with the intensity of the Champions League.
“They lack funds, so they’ve focused on youngsters like [Paul] Pogba in addition to buying experienced players at a lower cost such as [Carlos] Tevez and [Patrice] Evra.
“Maybe this year they’ve faced a draw easier than in previous years, but Monaco are not an easy side to play against. Also, Juventus may be lacking in terms of European mentality, as it is more direct and far less tactical than Serie A.”
