Conte refuses to criticise

Juventus coach Antonio Conte refused to be critical of his players after they could only draw 1-1 at home to Chievo to slip three points behind AC Milan in the Serie A title race. The Turin side conceded a 76th-minute equaliser and had to settle for a point after Milan had earlier hammered Palermo 4-0. But Conte's side still have a game in hand on their rivals and the coach was full of praise for the commitment of his players. He told the club's website: "It's a shame because we could have and should have won this game. It seemed like we struggled when looking for a goal and often left space for them to hit on the counter. "Unfortunately, we only had one day to prepare for the encounter and I had to pick certain players who were involved in their respective international fixtures during the week. "I can't criticise the lads, I must thank them on a daily basis. They've given their all from the start of the season up until now. "We must be proud of them and can't forget where we've started from. Thanks to everyone's commitment we're performing above our expectations."