Juve's Thuram calms tensions ahead of Roma clash

Juventus defender Lilian Thuram has moved to calm tensions ahead of this weekend's Serie A clash with Roma.

The French international spoke out after Roma captain Francesco Totti made a personal attack on Juventus coach Fabio Capello in an interview with Rome-based newspaper Il Messaggero.

"They (Roma's players) can do and say what they want," Thuram was quoted as saying.

"We have to keep focused on winning the title and beating a team that is stronger than last year and which has players capable of turning a match on their own, like Totti, Cassano and Montella."

Totti and Capello worked together at Roma for five years between 1999 and 2004, winning the Italian title in 2001, but fell out after Capello moved to Juventus at the start of last season.

Totti said he would never be coached by Capello again.

"(Current Roma coach Luciano) Spalletti, compared to Capello, is a true person," he said.

"To me, the man matters more than the coach. While Spalletti makes no distinction between Totti and the rest, Capello used to behave differently with different players."

His comments have resurrected bad-feeling ahead of what, in recent years, has become one of Serie A's most ill-tempered fixtures.

Last season's showdown between the two sides was even uglier than usual, from the moment the Juve team bus was pelted by objects as it arrived at the Olympic Stadium.

The match, which Juve won 2-1, was constantly interrupted by fouls, culminating in an incident just before half-time when Roma defender Leandro Cufre slapped Juve striker Alessandro Del Piero in the face.