Ulivieri: “Naples, there are players fed up with that shirt”

Renzo Ulivieri, president of the Coaching Association, has also led Napoli in his long career (season of B 1998-99). And he has been a lifelong friend of Luciano Spalletti not only for his common Tuscan origins. At a distance, but with strong participation, he frames the moment of the blue club in the relationship with his coach.

Ulivieri, first of all what idea did you have of Napoli which stopped at the best of the championship?

“I express my impression from the outside. I looked at the faces of the players on Sunday at the end of the match in Empoli. It seems to me that there is a group of them who no longer want to wear that shirt. These situations are difficult to remedy: there is none. only the match of Empoli enters “.

An incredible defeat after Spalletti’s team was on the double advantage …

“But it can happen if you don’t have the right motivations. So Empoli can overturn the result even if there are clear differences on paper. In this sense, I am convinced that the level of Serie A has increased.”

Spalletti’s season?

“He had an overwhelming start. And he is taking the team to the Champions League, which was the goal of the beginning of the season. surrounding the team. I didn’t make them, I limited myself only to technical evaluations and made mistakes. The emotional component transmitted by the city affects me. In Naples I had a player, Igor Shalimov, who was a Russian international and had also played for Inter. he said that as soon as he came out of the San Paolo underpass his legs were shaking … “.

Is this why Napoli have lost five times at home in the league?

“Not only that, but it may have been a reason for some players who at this point want to change their environment. It happens, it’s part of life.”

What would you say to Spalletti who in a few weeks has gone from praise to criticism?

“I have not spoken to Luciano and I never allow myself to give advice. In this specific case, I would suggest that he look inside himself and evaluate everything. In my opinion he must take into account the positive things he has done at Napoli. Often we coaches in moments in where everything seems to collapse we forget to look at what is good “.

“Luciano has given the city the opportunity to return to dreaming of the Scudetto after a long time. And it is a lot. It is normal that when you wake up from a dream there is bitterness. On the other hand, Naples has given Luciano the opportunity to discover a new I dream within oneself. They have “contaminated” themselves, so to speak, in this beautiful dream “.

“It would be nice if they continued together. But mine is an opinion. The club and the coach know what they feel like doing.”