Naples, Spalletti: the heart with Vialli and the head to the championship

From our correspondent Maurizio Nicita

January 7th
– CASTEL VOLTURNO (Naples)

A minute’s silence for Vialli and Mihajlovic, Luciano Spalletti asks to begin the press conference like this: “Because after Sinisa’s disappearance we hadn’t had a moment together to reflect”. Then the memory of Gianluca: “It was 85-86, I was playing with Entella Chiavari and we played a couple of midweek friendlies against that Sampdoria. In a clash I ended up on the ground, he ran further, came back and helped me to get up. A man of great charisma, attentive to detail. He was a forerunner in the high pressing of the attackers. One of the first to go to the Premier League, appreciated first as a footballer and then as a coach. He distinguished himself as a television commentator, always with style. He spent all of himself for us, for the national team at the European Championship”.

TURN THE PAGE

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Then it’s back to everyday life. And Spalletti still hasn’t digested the first stop in the championship: “We learned that we could still have an 8-point lead and now it’s 5. A defeat can happen but we’re pissed off. And they have to because we didn’t do what we had to and we don’t want to settle for the advantage. We want to go and play matches against the strongest opponents too, with the same desire and determination. We didn’t play well, but we didn’t play that bad either.”

CHANGES

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There will be three or four changes against Sampdoria, but the coach is keen to explain: “Certain choices were already thought out before Milan, as expected.” In short, no punishment, indeed the coach is keen to underline: “Napoli have many leaders, the tendency is to make them all feel like leaders. Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Anguissa, Mario Rui, Osimhen who attacks the opponents with a leader. Even Elmas. Then there are the more taciturn ones, who take cues without protesting”. Any reference to Kvaratskhelia is not purely coincidental. And this time it is Spalletti himself who “protects” the Georgian: “Before it was me who asked for more… now you. He’s the quality player who is a bit like that. In my opinion he didn’t do any harm, he entered the area to look for some We just have to wait for him to regain total confidence in the match. We go to play the next games confident that he can find better qualities”.

SACRED FIRE

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We have to rekindle it, at San Siro it was a flame that didn’t warm up: “We need a reaction. Among other things, Samp was going through a bad period and recovered and then we’ll find a particular emotional environment. But I saw correct looks and attitudes, of those who want to put things right. With Inter, the strength of the opponent weighed, which also somewhat determines the intensity in your reaction. The important thing, however, is that there is the reaction after the mistake. I want to see malice and determination to put things right. We can’t always play at the top, but I expect to see what the lads have always done so far.”

INDICATIONS

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Spalletti doesn’t give much on training. It is clear that Rrahmani will rest: “He did very well. Dzeko was very good at the goal. I’m happy. Of course we have to evaluate after 90 ‘so suddenly, it could have been wrong. We are evaluating”. Then the evaluation of the substitutes is indicative: “I saw Elmas and Ndombele wanting to put into practice what they wanted, the others also had the right desire but they didn’t succeed”. No comment instead on the purchase of Bereszynski? “I can’t comment. We have to wait, we await the official announcement”.