Napoli in Turin finds away fans, there are 10,000
(ANSA) – NAPLES, MARCH 18 – The eighteen-point lead in the championship standings, the historic qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the draw in the continental competition deemed extremely favourable, despite the official statements: Luciano Spalletti is living a moment magical, certainly the most intense and full of satisfactions of his career. He coaches a team that until now has brought him one step away from winning his first Scudetto in Italy and which ‘risks’ sending him all the way to the Champions League.
In these conditions, on the eve of a difficult and delicate match against Turin, the coach from Certaldo cannot avoid making general considerations about life and his overall career as a coach. He never pronounces the word ‘scudetto’, perhaps he got infected by the superstition that hovers in the city. But the reasoning that he does reflexively lead to the conquest of the tricolor of Italy. “I have to hurry – he explains – because I’m 64 years old and I don’t have much time so I know that I have to give value to all the things that pass in front of me especially now. And I’m willing to do anything to complete my career with Napoli Time that passes always creates the same problem for me of going to do something that gives me satisfaction and that gives that fullness to the time that passes. Because in the end we will be judged for what is seriousness, professionalism, humility with which we have faced things in the path we have taken. I don’t know what the future holds for me, every moment can be different so it’s better not to make calculations. We’ll see how long I’ll be on the bench. If I think about availability and commitment of the team, I would like to live forever; if I think about what happened the other night in the city, I would like not to participate in this type of situation”.
“As far as I’m concerned – adds Spalletti – the unrepeatable year will be the one after this one. Whatever happens, the following year will be unrepeatable and so it always is. We can go on indefinitely”.
But beyond the existential and philosophical considerations, the reality of the moment looms over Naples and facing the Bull tomorrow at home will not be a walk in health. Spalletti agrees. “With Torino – he says – it will be a very difficult match and I don’t say this only because of the respect I owe to Juric and his team. He’s a very complicated opponent because he’s always asphyxiating in everything he does, both in the ball possession phase whether it’s non-possession. Torino won’t change their attitude. They always play in the same way, they press you constantly, they make you feel breathing down your neck. That’s why it will be a difficult game.”
Napoli will be accompanied by 10,000 fans, who have returned to free movement after the travel blockade due to clashes on the motorway with the Roma ultras. “For us – observes Spalletti – it is essential to have our supporters away. I hope that no other unpleasant situations arise. With the fans the game becomes more beautiful”.
For once, he lets himself go to limited indiscretions on the formation he will send on the field. “I’ll change something, but don’t make me tell you what.” And he also talks about some of his footballers to praise them. “Zielinski – he says – is constantly growing and is becoming even more ‘bad’, Kvara had a swollen vein in his neck when he scored against Atalanta, Elmas deserves to play more, Ndombele is very strong and having seen Totthenam play I think that would have been of great use to them”. Finally he quotes Di Lorenzo, the captain: “He always has something important to do – he concludes – and he proves it. It’s the correct spirit of the team”. (HANDLE).
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