Marotta: The Scudetto and Coppa Italia are Juve's real targets
Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta says they will need "luck" to make the UEFA Champions League final, after coming up against three "powerhouses" in Friday's last-four draw. Juve qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in over a decade on Wednesday, thanks to a 1-0 aggregate win over Monaco following a goalless second leg in the Principality.
The Turin giants are now in the hat alongside defending champions Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich -- all of whom have won the title once each in the past four years. On paper, the odds are stacked against Juventus reaching their first final since 2003, when they succumbed to AC Milan on penalties at Old Trafford.
Marotta, speaking to Sky Sport, said: "There are three powerhouses in there with us, but we'll give it our best shot aware of the fact that they are on a different technical and financial level to us. We're fourth favourites in that sense, but you never know.
There are three powerhouses in there with us, In the Champions League we must be realistic.
Giuseppe Marotta, Juventus's CEO
"We have to see Scudetto and the Coppa Italia as our real targets. In the Champions League we must be realistic and recognise that there are different values in play, but with a spot of luck who knows?"
Pogba optimism
Juventus's quarter-final feat came in the absence of influential France midfielder Paul Pogba, who limped out of a last 16, second leg win over Borussia Dortmund with a hamstring injury. But although he is set to be sidelined for a further three weeks, Marotta said Pogba could return sooner than expected.
He said: "The doctors say he'll be ready in around three weeks, but he's young and may be able to recover more quickly than other players."
Juventus face Torino in the Derby della Mole on Sunday looking to tighten their grip at the top of Serie A. The champions hold a 15-point lead on both Lazio and Roma with seven games remaining.
Juve will also face Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on 7 June.