Napoli coach Francesco Calzona admits he doesn’t have enough time to solve all problems, so he doesn’t even think about his future at the Stadio Maradona: ‘Slovakia were the first ones to believe in me.’
The Partenopei boss spoke at a press conference attended by Football Italia after a 1-1 draw against Inter at San Siro on Sunday.
“You need a magician to solve all problems. We play a lot and so we don’t have time to train properly, so we need to focus on priorities,” said the Partenopei boss.
“We’ve been trying to fix the defence, so we haven’t focused much on the attack. It’s a matter of time. We came close to the goal, but we couldn’t finalise it, but I am really happy.
“We don’t have enough time to solve all problems. Six games in 24 days are so many. Considering days off, I think we had six or seven tactical training sessions. It’s not an excuse; it’s objective. It takes time.”
What sort of relationship does he have with the group?
“The players have heard so many words over these months that I am not telling them many things,” the coach replied.
“The only thing I’ve told them is that they need to free themselves from problems, I’ll deal with them. After so many coaches, I think it is the best solution.”
Calzona is under contract with Napoli until the end of the season, but he’s also in charge of the Slovakia national team who he will guide at the 2024 Euros. During his post-match interview with DAZN, Calzona said he would follow Napoli training sessions during the international break with drones, but does he expect to remain at the Stadio Maradona beyond the summer?
“There are so many things to do that I don’t even have time to talk to my family. I have a six-year-old daughter with whom I only speak once a day, sometimes not even that,” the coach replied.
“Right now I am not interested in this. I have a contract with Slovakia until 2025. They were the first ones to believe in me and gave me a lot. They respect me and I respect them.”
Juan Jesus accused Inter defender Francesco Acerbi of having targeted him with racist remarks. Did the Brazilian defender speak to Calzona about the matter after the final whistle?
“I met Juan outside the dressing room. I congratulated him on his performance, but he didn’t tell me anything about the rest. I know nothing,” the coach concluded.