Mertens: “I’m away from Naples? The club could have talked to me first”

With Naples it is only a goodbye, Dries Mertens makes it clear immediately in his first Italian interview since his transfer to Galatasaray. “We will return often because it has become a bit like our home. My wife cried at the thought of leaving that house, leaving was hard. So we decided to keep it and try to spend as much time there as possible. They have been nine wonderful years, in which we have met extraordinary people: for this I can only say thank you ”, explained the Belgian during Supertele, broadcast on Dazn.

DISAPPOINTMENT

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The regret for a relationship that could have ended better remains. The speeches on a possible renewal have been intermittent, with too many silences: “It could have ended differently, the club could have talked about it earlier but I hope that we can learn from this so that Napoli becomes even bigger. I will always be the first fan of the Azzurri. I saw the match against Monza, I must say that the level is very high. I am happy because the players are showing enthusiasm: they are strong, young and willing to win. I hope they continue to grow ”.

LOTS OF GOODBYE

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Mertens was not the only painful goodbye, even Insigne’s adventure ended at the end of last season: “I hear him very often, he is fine there and he is happy. I myself am happy for him, after a long time in Naples he found a new adventure ”. Having played in the stadium that for seven years hosted the exploits of Maradona and which was then named after him, is something unique. “It will always be a special emotion, as is Naples and how that team was. It is for everyone who goes to play there. The best goal? At Marassi against Genoa (2-3 on 25 October 2017, ed), I showed that I can also score with a left foot “.

SUPER BELGIUM

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Mertens is no longer among the protagonists of our championship, yet the Belgian share in Serie A has increased significantly. “Lukaku has already shown that he is very strong and he is doing it also in his second experience at Inter. De Ketelaere is very strong, as is Origi: it is nice to see so many of my compatriots in Italy ”concluded Mertens.