Orestis Karnezis explains why David Ospina is preferred to Alex Meret and backs Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos to do well at Napoli.
The veteran goalkeeper completed his transfer to Lille yesterday, as part of the deal that took Victor Osimhen to the Stadio San Paolo.
“I had two unforgettable years with Napoli, we won the Coppa Italia and we’ll remember that night forever,” he told Radio Marte.
Orestis Karnezis explains why David Ospina is preferred to Alex Meret and backs Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos to do well at Napoli.
The veteran goalkeeper completed his transfer to Lille yesterday, as part of the deal that took Victor Osimhen to the Stadio San Paolo.
“I had two unforgettable years with Napoli, we won the Coppa Italia and we’ll remember that night forever,” he told Radio Marte.
“Originally, I had arrived to be the understudy for Meret and helped him mature, but the situation changed because Alex got injured in his first training session and fortunately we managed to get Ospina.
“David found himself in more or less the same situation I did, which is he went from second choice to regular starter.”
Since taking over from Carlo Ancelotti, Gennaro Gattuso has largely favoured Ospina more than Meret.
“It’s because the coach prefers to start moves from the back, so needs a goalkeeper who is good with his feet. In his view, Ospina is better-prepared for that role, also due to his experience and character. Meret has decent feet too, but he needs time to grow.”
Kalidou Koulibaly is on the verge of a move to Manchester City and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has already named Arsenal defender Sokratis as a likely replacement.
“He’s a very good defender, we played together for six or seven years in the Greek national team,” explained Karnezis.
“Sokratis is very quick and has good technique. He’s played in Italy, Germany, England and Greece, so has plenty of experience to bring to Napoli.”