“Juve Been Warned!” Says Mourinho

New Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has told rivals Juventus that they should be scared of his side.

Italian giants AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus battle tonight in the TIM Cup, three 45-minute encounters at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin, and Mourinho has already drawn first blood before the match has even begun.

Mourinho claims that if Juventus lose to Inter it will cause a big dent to their confidence and could even derail their plans ahead of the new season. Juventus is preparing for the Champions League qualifying stages and is also looking to mount a serious title challenge next season in the Serie A.

A loss to their rivals before the season has even begun could be a minor blow for Juventus, who only recently returned to the top flight after being relegated for match-fixing in 2006.

“Juve should be scared of Inter, If we beat them then it will be a novelty as they have been working hard well before we started pre-season preparations,” said Mourinho.

“They will need belief in light of their forthcoming Champions League preliminaries.”

Mourinho was never too far away from conflict during his tenure in England as the manager of Chelsea, and it appears he is already starting off in Italy where he left off in England.

But no matter what is said off the field, it’s all about what happens on the pitch. Maybe Mouinho should let his players do the talking for once.

Juventus goalkeeper Gainluigi Buffon has already claimed that Juventus are the hardest playing team in Italy. He admitted that his side may not play the most beautiful football, but they are one of the toughest teams to get a result against.

Buffon thinks that AC Milan, not Inter Milan, are the favorites for the Serie A title, but claims they will have to be wary of Juventus before they can think of reclaiming the league crown.

"The fact they are not playing in the Champions League is a great advantage for Ancelotti," Buffon said. "But they will have us to reckon with."

Maybe Mourinho should pay attention Buffon's own warning. None the less, it sets us up for what should be a cracking season in Italy.