Juventus manager Igor Tudor has blamed fatigue due to ‘really difficult conditions’ for his side’s round of 16 exit at the hands of Real Madrid at the Club World Cup on Tuesday.
The choice of the United States as the host nation for the tournament has been a subject of criticism among a number of players and coaches, with most deeming the weather conditions very hostile to perform under.
Six games had been previously suspended due to seasonal thunderstorms while extreme heat conditions have forced water breaks to be introduced in-between several matches.
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Speaking after his side’s defeat, Tudor was critical of the heat conditions, stating that his players struggled to cope with the intensity.
“The conditions were really difficult today,” Tudor told reporters. “Ten players asked me to be replaced. They were really tired.
There are a lot of factors that weighed into that. It is the end of a long season and there was a lot of stress on the players that takes their energy”, he added.
“The conditions that they played with were really difficult— the humidity too. All of these conditions make it much more difficult. And the heat — that was another thing that made it more difficult.”
The Old Lady suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Spanish side on Tuesday, to confirm their elimination from the newly-expanded 32-team tournament.
Gonzalo Garcia scored a second half header from a precise Trent Alexander Arnold’s cross, as Real Madrid advanced to face Borussia Dortmund in the last eight of the competition.
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Juventus had goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio to thank, after the Italian made 10 exceptional saves against the former European Champions to prevent a heavy defeat.
“I think it is time to rest now,” he said. “We will have three weeks of rest, so I don’t think it [Club World Cup] will affect us in a negative way. But yes, we need to get some rest, start again and be stronger.
The guys really gave it all, we played all out best cards and it wasn’t enough unfortunately”, he continued.
“If there are lessons, we know we can compete against some of the best players in the world and it is a precious experience when you play against clubs of a higher level.”
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
