Thousands of black and white clad fans have seen their Juventus heroes up close and personal at WIN Jubilee Oval on Saturday afternoon in Sydney.
All of Juventus’ big guns took part, including veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo, young gun Paul Pogba and internationals Carlos Tevez, Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini.
Only Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal, who is working his way back to fitness from a knee injury, trained away from the main group meaning he’s unlikely to face the All Stars.
In a rare opportunity for local fans, the Italian champions opened their final session to the public before Sunday’s clash with the Foxtel A-League All Stars at ANZ Stadium.
And for the 5000 or so that turned up they were given a great insight into just what goes into preparing for a big game by one of Europe’s greatest cubs.
Mark Seminari from Petersham has been supporting the Bianconeri for 35 years and brought his two young sons to see Juventus’ array of superstars in action.
“It’s wonderful to be able to see Juve play here in Australia but to watch them train and see what things a big club does is fantastic,” he told www.footballaustralia.com.au .
“I’ve been watching this club since I was a little boy. We’ve had some tough times but a lot of great times as well.
“It’s great to see (Andrea) Pirlo, Gigi (Buffon), (Claudio) Marchisio and all these great Italian players here too.
“My boys are only young but I’m sure they will really appreciate it one day.”
With the start of their Serie A title defence just a few weeks away, new boss Massimiliano Allegri put his side through a rigorous hit-out for over an hour.
The session involved everything from some physical work, to small-sided games and some crossing and shooting movements as they gear up for kick-off at ANZ Stadium.
After an impressive 8-1 win over an Indonesian Select XI on Wednesday, Juventus will face a far stiffer test from Josep Gombau’s Foxtel A-League All Stars.
They finish their Asian Tour with a clash in Singapore next week.
