TURIN – Andrea Pirlo believes that the euphoria of Juventus’ Italian Super Cup triumph over Napoli can help his side revive their flagging Serie A title defence.
The Turin club won 2-0 in the annual showdown between the league and cup holders on Wednesday to clinch the first trophy of Pirlo’s coaching career.
It eased the pressure on the 41-year-old after a 2-0 "Derby of Italy" defeat to Inter Milan last weekend that left his side 10 points behind league leaders AC Milan in the Serie A standings.
The coach was hopeful that the Napoli result will help his side build momentum ahead of their league game against Bologna on Sunday.
“It left us with great enthusiasm because winning helps you to keep winning,” he said at a media conference.
“There has been a real euphoria and enthusiasm over the last few days, and we’ve managed to train well despite the tiredness, with our minds on future objectives."
Pirlo's side has struggled for consistency lately, losing two of their last five league games and failing to keep a clean sheet in that time, despite winning the other three matches.
“We’ve had a lot of highs and lows, like other teams," Pirlo said.
"This is down to having so many games, from not having enough preparation time.
“Every team has mental fatigue, it’s not easy to stay focused for 90 minutes every three days. We’re working on it.”
Reuters