Former Napoli centre-back Raul Albiol hopes to see the Partenopei secure a win against Juventus today and spoke about Villarreal’s upcoming game against Atalanta in the Champions League.
The 36-year-old centre-back arrived at Napoli in July 2013 and spent six seasons with the Azzurri before joining the Yellow Submarine.
Albiol gained experience at Real Madrid, Getafe and Valencia before joining the Partenopei and has worked under some of the biggest coaches in the game.
The veteran said he can picture himself in the dugout in the future and believes ‘it would be a shame to waste’ everything he has learned from ‘great coaches’ like Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
“I see myself as a coach in the future,” Albiol told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “It would be a shame to waste all the teachings from such great coaches.
“I believe [Jose] Mourinho, [Unai] Emery, [Rafael] Benitez, [Vincente] Del Bosque and [Carlo] Ancelotti are among the best in the world.
“This season there are great coaches who have arrived in Italy, who bring prestige to the championship and raise the level.”
Juventus arrive at the Stadio Diego Maradona tonight and Albiol hopes to see the Partenopei secure three vital points against their rivals.
“I obviously hope Napoli win. I saw Spalletti’s Azzurri in the first two games, and I liked them a lot,” Albiol added.
“On the other hand, I see a Juventus under construction, and I think they will pay more due to the international break.
“In Naples, however, I left my heart, so I can only cheer for them. I often speak to [Kalidou] Koulibaly, [Lorenzo] Insigne and Fabian Ruiz, we are not just linked by friendship, but also by the many good times we spent together.”
Villarreal host Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday and Albiol expects a tough test from Gian Piero Gasperini’s men.
“On Tuesday we face Atalanta, it will be a very difficult match,” Albiol continued. “They are a great team, with a great project based on the growth of youngsters and work ethic.
“It’s a model to follow. In a certain sense, we can say that we are both the answer to the Super League project.”