Napoli boss Rudi Garcia felt ‘disrespected’ following a 3-1 loss against Fiorentina but insists President Aurelio De Laurentiis ‘supports’ him.
The French coach seemed close to being sacked at the beginning of the October break, with President De Laurentiis reportedly in talks with Antonio Conte.
Garcia was asked how he’s been preparing for Saturday’s game against Hellas Verona and what he felt after the defeat to Fiorentina at the Stadio Maradona.
“This is a press conference ahead of the game with Hellas Verona so I will reply to this question and then, I will only accept questions about the game,” said the French coach.
“I am calm and if I reply firmly, it doesn’t mean I am irritable. To say that I didn’t appreciate what happened after the Fiorentina game is an understatement. I felt I had been disrespected.
“However, I thank the journalists who supported me and the fans who encouraged me. I think it was exaggerated. I am not saying we did all well, but we didn’t get everything wrong either. I wasn’t happy because I felt the whole thing was disproportioned,” he continued.
“What matters is the team, the staff and the rapport with the club directors and the President who continued supporting me yesterday. Not everything went well, especially against Fiorentina after four or five good games. I take responsibility, now it’s important to beat Verona. We have three important games in one week.”
De Laurentiis confirmed his trust in Garcia on Thursday, saying that rumours about Conte were only ‘gossip.’
The Partenopei visit Verona tomorrow and Garcia did face questions about the match.
“Osimhen and Anguissa are out, but I am not one who complains, I trust those who will play. We’ve built the team with three centre-forwards, we have Simeone and Raspadori so we are covered.
“In midfield it’s different. We signed Cajuste for this. He can play as a Mezzala, but also as a playmaker, he will replace Frank with quality.
“It’s always a tough game in Verona. It’s hard to win but this is our target. We must do well with and without the ball because they don’t concede many goals. It’s a difficult game but my staff and I are ready,” continued Garcia.
“The state of mind will be important. Attitude comes first tactics. The guys are motivated, I am sure about it, we’ll prove it together. We want to win at all costs, it’s an important game.
“Rrahmani has trained regularly this week and has recovered. He can play with Natan or Ostigard. I am happy with the defensive partnership of the last few games. Hopefully, Juan Jesus will return soon too.”
One last question did not strictly concern the game with Verona, but Garcia still answered. It was about the players’ irritability when they are subbed off.
“It’s not a question on the game with Verona, but it’s something De Laurentiis and I discussed yesterday,” confirmed Garcia.