Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis criticises Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s agent ahead of the Barcelona clash, reveals Luciano Spalletti ‘regrets’ and calls Maurizio Sarri a ‘loser’ at Lazio.
It kicks off at the Estadi Olimpico Lluis Companys – as Camp Nou is undergoing renovations – at 20.00 GMT.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The first leg ended 1-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, so as there is no away goals rule in UEFA competition now, any stalemate will lead to extra time or a possible penalty shoot-out.
New coach Calzona made his debut in that first leg tie and remains unbeaten, so it is possible he could remain next season.
“I have known him for many years. He is a very reliable person and this is why I looked to him during this rather complicated year,” De Laurentiis told Sport Mediaset.
“When you win a title, it is always difficult to repeat it. This is a very important match, because it gives us the opportunity to reach the quarter-finals and potentially the Club World Cup.
“It is already important for a team that has earned a place in European football that it did not have before. We will give it our all and hope to go through, but life goes on regardless and we will try to do better.
“Let us not forget that this is a sport, so our aim is to get the fans passionate.”
Kvaratskhelia’s agent continues to court headlines with regards to his future, as the Georgia international remains one of the lowest-earning players in the Napoli squad.
The representative said Kvaratskhelia would only leave if he received an offer that could not be refused.
“The offer that cannot be refused must come to me and not to him,” replied De Laurentiis.
“Kvara has many more years with us and I want to extend his contract. He has been a gentleman, we will talk it over at the end of the season.
“If he should become fixed on an idea, then that would be bad for him ad for us. We knew he was a great player, but thanks to Napoli he was able to express the best side of himself and it is only right that we get rewarded for getting that value out of him.”
It has been a chaotic campaign since winning the Scudetto, as Rudi Garcia and then Walter Mazzarri were fired to bring in Calzona. Looking back, what would the President not do again?
“I never look to the past, I just enjoy the moment where I can look to the future and achieve the targets that we set. The past is the past.
“If I do have regrets, perhaps I should’ve not allowed Spalletti to leave. However, in life when you work, you need to all get along, otherwise the climate becomes difficult.”
Another former Napoli coach, Maurizio Sarri, reportedly handed in his resignation as the coach of Lazio today.
“That really shocked me. After the first experiences where you qualify as a professional, you must take on your share of the responsibility. If you accept a role, you must carry it on to the end, out of respect for the club, the players and the fans.
“It’s too easy to hand in your resignation, that is what a loser does. I do not know the motivation behind it, but (Lazio President Claudio) Lotito does not seem aggressive. He is a man with qualities and there should’ve been a solution found for a team that can’t just be dumped near the end of the season.”
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms he will be paying his players €10m+ each if they beat Barca 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vsad9N4360
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2024
The only loser around these parts is you.