Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon says sacked coach Claudio Ranieri deserves credit for helping them finish runners up last season.
"A thought at the end of this season has to go to Coach Ranieri and all his staff. If we arrived at this result, the credit also goes to the hard work he has done in these years together," wrote the goalkeeper on his official website.
Ranieri was sacked with two rounds to go and replaced by Ciro Ferrara, becoming the first Bianconeri boss to be fired mid-season in four decades.
"The season ended well with two wins over Siena and Lazio that put us second, although there are some regrets about those two months we just threw away. At least the final result shows the foundations of the team are strong.
"If we can improve further, then we too can be there challenging for something important. The arrival of Fabio Cannavaro and Diego are certainly two moves that bode well."