Transitional period no excuse for poor start: Juventus CEO

Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta Marotta has refused to put forward extensive changes as the reason for the Italian football champions' dismal start to the season.

The Serie A champions, coached by Italian Massimiliano Allegri, are currently 16th on the points table, having lost twice and drawing once in their three games.

The team's preparations for the new season was severely hampered by the departures of three key personnel -- playmaker Andrea Pirlo, attacking midfielder Chilean Arturo Vidal and Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.

The absence of these heavyweight trio that won the 2014-15 Serie A and finished runners-up at the European Champions League has proved to be too big a blow for the team to cope up quickly.

The troika's exit has witnessed the arrival of several new players in the squad all of whom are yet to settle down and fill in the big void.

World Cup 2006 winner with Italy and former AC Milan star Pirlo, 36, is now playing the trade with Major League Soccer (MLS) side New York City FC, while former Manchester City and United marksman Tevez, 31, left for his childhood club Boca Juniors.

Vidal, 28, went to German heavyweights Bayern Munich on a 36 million euros ($40.73 million) four-year deal.

"We're in a period of transition but that shouldn't be used as a way of excusing ourselves, that's not the way we do things at Juventus," Marotta told the official website.

"Undoubtedly, having a squad overhaul of nine or ten players presents its own problems but our goals will always be the same, to go into every competition with the intention of winning."

The CEO added: "We mustn't allow ourselves to rest on our laurels from past achievements, instead we need to focus on the present with the future always at the forefront of our thinking."

Marotta also hoped the team will do him proud on Tuesday against Manchester City in a Champions League clash as well as for the rest of the campaign.

"We're in unknown territory with the changes to our squad over the summer but that shouldn't be an excuse. We'll go to Manchester to try and win the game and show our best qualities as we always do," he concluded.