Coach Maurizio Sarri reveals he was “close to Milan,” but he can change Napoli’s mentality and is not afraid to correct Raul Albiol.
The tactician was hugely impressive for his organisation and attacking approach at Empoli last season, earning him the right to replace Rafa Benitez at the Stadio San Paolo.
“My father is Tuscan, but he worked in Naples for five or six years and I was born here,” he told Sport Week.
Coach Maurizio Sarri reveals he was “close to Milan,” but he can change Napoli’s mentality and is not afraid to correct Raul Albiol.
The tactician was hugely impressive for his organisation and attacking approach at Empoli last season, earning him the right to replace Rafa Benitez at the Stadio San Paolo.
“My father is Tuscan, but he worked in Naples for five or six years and I was born here,” he told Sport Week.
“He had a difficult job, not like mine. He controlled cranes in Bagnoli. I always thought you should support the club from where you were born, so once we returned to Florence I was the only Napoli supporter in school.
“The fans have this extraordinary love for the team and the city. A few weeks ago I was on the seafront and decided to go for a walk. I left the hotel and was immediately mobbed by a crowd.
“Two police officers at the door grabbed me by the arm, spun me round on the spot and pulled me back in. They made sure I was ok, then asked to take a picture with me!
“I don’t know much about Neapolitan cuisine, but I do sense the risk of reaching 100kg… I am very superstitious, which is inevitable for a job where a ball hitting a post at a certain angle can change your life.”
Sarri had several meetings with President Aurelio De Laurentiis before signing the contract.
“The President is a volcanic character with big ideas and a strong personality, so he can make you feel intimidated. I think we formed an honest rapport. He is not an easy person to work with, but that is because of his intelligence.
“He asked me to lay the foundations for this team to have a future and qualify for the Champions League, because those millions make a difference.
“He said he chose me because he wanted to base Napoli on work instead of big names. I took it as a compliment. He considered me the right man for a younger team with a strong Italian identity.
“In return, I asked for friendship and fairness. In order to give my best, I have to feel like one of the family.”
Before that, Sarri was in the running for the jobs at Milan and Sampdoria.
“Was I close to Milan? Yes. I had several meetings with Adriano Galliani.”
“People ask us to buy more defenders, but I reply that I will aim to improve the defensive movement of the current squad. I prefer the chance to improve a player rather than just get another one.
“Actually, in our first training session I told Albiol that his body positioning was all wrong. Later that night I remembered he’d won a World Cup and European Championship, so it did make me laugh.
“Lorenzo Insigne intrigues me. He is talented, but hasn’t got the best out of himself yet. According to Arrigo Sacchi, he’s the most talented Italian player right now. Insigne asked me to try out as a trequartista and that’s what we’re doing.”
Last term Napoli tended to fumble precious points against the smaller clubs and Sarri aims to “change their mentality. Juventus, for example, rarely get it wrong against the small sides. Against Empoli, I could tell the look in the eyes of the Juve players was different to the Napoli ones.
“Napoli is an opportunity for me and I cannot be worried about that. I am happy to do this for a living. If next year I started again from the bottom of Serie A or even Serie B, I’d be just as happy.
“I hope not to change too much. I will continue to wear my tracksuit on the bench, then if the President asks me to change into a suit for interviews, I can do that. On the bench it’s strictly the tracksuit.”