‘We have to believe in the players and give them time,’ says Paratic

Juventus

locks horn with

Dynamo Kiev

on Wednesday at home with the top spot in Group G as their only objective. Since it is the first time in a

with a female referee, Stephanie Frappart, the battle is going to be historic.

“

Another barrier has been knocked down, but the most important thing is that she is a very good referee

,”

Paratici

said.

When asked about the amount of pressure younger players usually have to weigh, he answered: “

When a player arrives at Juve, unless he’s come from Real Madrid or Barcelona, he comes with a great deal of enthusiasm and also pressure. The ball doesn’t weigh the same as when you play for other clubs, where you have less responsibility and lower objectives.

“It is natural for those who go on to become great champions to initially have some difficulties. After all, Matthijs de Ligt is one of the best defenders in the world, but for the first six months there were lots of questions about what was going wrong.

“I have been here for 11 years, there are some who never get over that obstacle. We have to believe in the players and give them the opportunity to work, which is not just two or three months.”

Andrea Pirlo

, Juve’s coach, is highly praised and admired by his side.

“

Pirlo is getting better every day. He is an intelligent person, quite aside from having football intelligence

.

“

Juventus is a way of life. It’s a huge fortune for anyone to go through this experience. This season, we chose this path and pursue it with commitment, through the ups and downs, without seeking short-cuts.”

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