Luciano Spalletti opened up about his emotions and career ahead of Napoli’s possible Scudetto victory, although he refused to underestimate Salernitana.
The Campania outfit can lift their first Scudetto in 33 years on Sunday should they beat the Granata and Lazio fail to win against Inter, a moment that would see an explosion of happiness in the city.
Spalletti has earned widespread praise for his incredible work at Napoli this season, showing off an exciting and smart brand of attacking football, getting the best out of stars like Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-Jae.
Speaking in a press conference, Spalletti first discussed what Napoli’s success means to him on a personal level.
“There are still points missing, it’s not done yet. I remember when I talked about it in the family, I shared it with two sons who are now grown up, and both of them, as if they had been in the corner at a Maradona goal, told me in Naples you cannot not go, but then you have to win because there have been very strong coaches and players who have played magnificent football that has always thrilled me.
“There’s only one chance to come out happy, I also see from the statements that you come out unhappy if you don’t win! Now we have to do the missing points and we will think about something else, if it comes true, we will see.”
He commented on what has been required of him and his squad to win the league title this season.
“You always play for the maximum, with a suit and a whistle on the pitch, with strong players who immediately tell you off if you think differently.
“They are guys who can sense the mood around them, and enthusiasm sometimes makes you play games like the one this morning where the ball was spinning at two thousand kilometres an hour.
“What they’ve built up is exciting, there’s a reaction from everyone, even you can sense it by seeing how many of you there are today. You work to the best of your possibilities and abilities, without remorse, using all the time you can.
“If you love something or someone, the only thing you can dedicate to them is time, that shows how much you love them, and I have dedicated it all to them. With the team we’ve done our best, we’ve dedicated as much time as we can since I left.
“I’m not even convinced about my work if I don’t devote all my time to it, it’s a necessity for me in those two hours to do something else to see instead of pictures. It depends on the availability you create for your profession.”
The Napoli coach was asked if he was excited to step inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona tomorrow.
“Yes, I get excited easily, I’m scared if I think back to where I started. I already had the emotion on the roadside where I passed, tomorrow more, but you go for these things here, they are the ones that make the difference.
“Everything is there, but we know that if you don’t want to live or risk in these situations then you shouldn’t do football, but we want to and we go in with all the qualities we have.”
He touched on how it felt to see a team that wasn’t Juventus, Inter or Milan win the Scudetto.
“It hasn’t happened since 2001, it’s an extra value for this league made by the guys. But let’s see if we are also good in the final stretch.”
Spalletti was asked if there were too many stereotypes and cliches about the city of Napoli.
“It is an energetic city, sometimes crazy, from the outside they see it as theatrical and not very real, but very filmed of things that are not essential, not true, not real, but for me it is the opposite in the sense that it is precisely those things there that are real that the Neapolitans live deeply.
“These qualities of being able to send spectacular messages, making a spectacle of themselves, but we will talk about that in a little while.”
He touched on how he deals with loneliness.
“I’m never alone, Ciro takes me around, I have the players. I’ve been in some strong teams, I don’t know if to this point, but I’ve had a good track record and sometimes I’ve been reminded that for the many years I’ve been coaching I’ve never won.
“But this waiting and this difficulty that I found elsewhere, the unfulfilled, have been worth it, experiencing this with Napoli, I’m glad it has been so. It’s stuff you have to wait a few more games for.”
The Napoli coach opened up about his pride in his players.
“I’m looking for something to tell the children, the grandchildren, to want to tell them about particular, exceptional things, you have to do exceptional results, live exceptional stories.
“If they are good, this is one of those I can tell, they are exceptional guys, humble, willing to put something of their own into it and say something of their own, but what I’ve always liked is to see a family like theirs come together, it makes me proud to see a group like that.”
He touched on the dangers of Salernitana ahead of their decisive clash.
“Sousa is pleasant, cultured, he has worked in seven or eight different countries and teams, he has football culture and for what he is showing he knows where he wants to take the team and what to do with them.
“I know De Sanctis, I had him, I know his quality as a professional, everyone speaks well of Iervolino, he has ideas, so we know it will be a difficult match beyond the shift, it would have been anyway and we will have to be ready to overcome these high obstacles, these rocky mountains.
“If you are unable to pierce it, you have to go around it, like all matches. It’s a derby, but there are other things at stake that would have made it so equally, there is professional morality for everyone beyond the goals.”
Finally, Spalletti sent a message to the Napoli supporters ahead of their Scudetto parties.
“If we were to win and the match would determine things … we have to win even after the match in behaviour, in having fun, we all have to know that this sport belongs to the children, to the children, and everyone tomorrow, even me, will have children around the city.
“If someone does something that puts the participation of another person or children at risk, they are doing something that you absolutely cannot do, so you have to be smart and use common sense. The game is the children’s, and they have to celebrate if it happens.”