Agent says Fabio Quagliarella will stay at Juventus despite the potential arrival of Roma's Marco Borriello

Fabio Quagliarella's future at Juventus does not depend on the potential arrival of Roma's Marco Borriello, the player's agent has indicated.

Italian sources suggest that Juventus is closing in on the Italian striker, with a meeting between the two clubs scheduled for this week.

Borriello's arrival would push Quagliarella, who has so far made just eight appearances this season, further down the pecking order at Juventus, but the 28-year-old is not thinking about leaving the club.

"If Borriello joined Juventus, it would create a problem for the current Roma player because he has to gradually win the confidence of coach Antonio Conte," Beppe Bozzo told Sky Sport 24. "One thing is certain, Fabio will stay at Juventus and he is very happy with the way things are going for him."

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Napoli 3-3 Juventus and the best five Serie A games of 2011

That Italy has the most representatives in the last 16 of the Champions League has shocked many who still mistakenly regard Serie A as inferior to both the over-hyped Premier League and the two-horse race that is La Liga. 

However, for those who have been following Italian football over the past 12 months, the presence of three sides in the knockout stages came as no surprise. The competitiveness and standard of football on show in Serie A this year have been outstanding and we think that has been reflected in our choices for the top five games of 2011. 

However, feel free to make use of the comment box below to let us know if you agree with our choices or simply want to share some of your favorite moments of the year.

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Antonio Conte: Juventus has exceeded all expectations

The 42-year-old revealed his satisfaction with the results shown by the Old Lady so far, praising the commitment of his players, and also had a word on upcoming opponent Udinese

Juventus coach Antonio Conte is of the opinion that his team has exceeded all expectations so far this season.

The Old Lady sits top of Serie A, courtesy of a 15-game unbeaten run. The Turin-based outfit has yet to taste defeat in the league this season and has a two-point cushion over AC Milan and Udinese.

"So far Juve have gone beyond all expectations, including mine and we are in a beautiful moment just now," Conte said at a press conference at Vinovo.

"Even though the title is handed out in May and it only matters where we are then, I must say the boys are currently doing something extraordinary."

"After 15 rounds the numbers are important and our success has been possible thanks to the efforts of the players, who have embraced my idea of ​​football. The big credit goes to them.

The 42-year-old coach also shared his thoughts about the game against Udinese on Wednesday.

"It cannot be considered a surprise that Udinese are challenging AC Milan for the Scudetto after what they achieved last year. We have great respect for them, but we will not go there to roll over as this is foreign to our way of thinking."

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18 December, the day of the Piedmont derby

The first meeting of Juventus and Novara in 55 years could only fall on 18 December. In the 42 previous encounters between the sides, two of these have been played on this date, with both games contested in Novara.

1938 saw the two teams play out a goalless stalemate, while the second clash in 1949 resulted in a five-goal thriller. Giampiero Boniperti scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 Juventus victory. The striker hit two in the first-half, responding instantly to the hosts taking the lead. Silvio Piola grabbed a Biancoazzurri equaliser, before Boniperti struck again to clinch victory.

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Final focus

The Bianconeri have returned to Vinovo just hours after yesterday’s 2-0 success over Novara. Antonio Conte’s men conducted an early training session to prepare for Wednesday’s showdown with Udinese – their final encounter ahead of the festive break.

It was business as usual for those who featured against the Biancoazzurri: a warm-down to begin the week in the best possible condition. The remainder of the squad, including yesterday’s suspended duo Bonucci and Vidal, underwent a routine workout.

Just one further training session remains before the team travel to Udine. Tomorrow will see Conte hold a pre-match press conference from Juventus Center at 1:45pm.

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Nedved: “Havel, a Czech legend”

18 December 2011 proved to be a sad day for the Czech Republic. Vaclav Havel, a political activist who successfully fought against his nation’s communist regime, passed away at the age of 75. The first president in the post-communist era oversaw the initial step of the country’s divide to form Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The death of the writer and influential figure has caused widespread sadness amongst the Czech population. And today Pavel Nedved sought to pay tribute to his nation’s former leader.  

“It’s a sad day for the Czech Republic,” said Pavel. “He represented the freedom that we gained in 1989, and it was truly down to him. He was the first post-communist President. He was a legend for the Czech Republic and everyone adored him.”

Nedved then reflected on the past and recalled the historic moment in 1989: “I was 17 years old and I still lived in Pilsen. I went to school and, with my classmates, I followed the events of those days with great attention. It was clear that something important was happening and, thanks to his revolution, Havel brought us freedom.”

The Bianconeri director concluded by emphasising Havel’s warmth when the two met 15 years ago: “It happened in 1996, when our national team came second in the European Championships. He was the President in office and came to greet us after the final. Along with the whole country, he was proud of the squad and hugged everyone. The gesture meant a lot to us, as did his presence.”

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2012: Juventus’ hot season is coming

Juventus are set to begin the New Year in glorious winter sunshine. Antonio Conte’s men will kick off their mid-season preparations in the United Arab Emirates before moving onto Saudi Arabia.

Following the game against Udinese and a brief period of rest, Friday 30 December will see the squad make the trip to Dubai to commence a winter training camp.

The Bianconeri will then transfer to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday 4 January, where they will face local side Al-Hilal in Riyad at 7:15pm local time. The game has been arranged as a farewell to Arabian star Mohamed Al-Deayea.

While Conte's men will be far from Italy, the unwavering efforts of the Bianconeri media team will ensure that fans are constantly kept informed of every development from the training camp. By simply browsing Juventus.com or accessing the club’s official social networking pages (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube), all Juve supporters will have the opportunity to follow the team’s progress through articles, posts, tweets and exclusive videos.

The final whistle in Riyad will signal the end of the tour, with the side then flying directly to Brindisi ahead of the championship restart. Lecce provide the opposition in Puglia on Sunday 8 January.

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