New Napoli signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia discussed his Champions League dreams, his happiness in Naples and his adaptation so far.
The 21-year-old Georgian winger joined the Partenopei earlier this month from Dinamo Batumi in a deal worth around €10m, and he appears to be one of the most exciting arrivals in Serie A this summer, being a fast and tricky winger with tonnes of potential.
Speaking to Il Mattino, Kvaratskhelia first discussed how he feels following his arrivals at Napoli.
“The Champions League represents my first football related dream, practically since I started playing I have been dreaming of a match in such a prestigious competition.
“Moreover, in Naples the atmosphere is even more engaging and in fact I can’t wait to take to the pitch in those matches.”
He commented on which positions he feels most comfortable on the pitch.
“My favourite position is left wing, but I am at Napoli’s disposal. I adapt to play a little bit everywhere.
“I like to take set pieces but I have seen that in Naples there are also other very good options, it will be up to the coach to decide. If he asked me I would be very happy.”
The 21-year-old touched on his relationship with Luciano Spalletti.
“He is proving to be a great teacher. He teaches me something new every day and it is good to see that he does it with everyone.
“In this training camp period we have little time to prepare for the season and he is doing everything he can to convey his ideas to us perfectly.”
Kvaratskhelia spoke about Spalletti’s Russian language skills.
“He says a few words to me, but then we always prefer to communicate in English to be more direct.”
The Georgian winger then touched on his adaptation to the Italian language.
“Actually here they told me that I have to learn Neapolitan first and then Italian. I have only learned a few words, but I have good teachers on my team who can give me a good hand.
“On the other hand, I’ve already learned about cooking, pizza, mozzarella and coffee from Tommaso, our storekeeper, irreplaceable.”
He discussed how he copes living so far from home at the age of 21.
“Alas, I learned very early to live away from my family because at 17 I was already in Russia at Lokomotiv. I know this is part of my job and it will be like that as long as I am a footballer.”
The 21-year-old touched on his departure from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
“I was in Kazan for two years and especially in the last period I was doing great. But then the war broke out and I realised that I had to return home.
“I was not afraid of the war, but I felt the need to return to my homeland, to a safer state. In Georgia, football is experienced in a very passionate way.
“In the last match I played with the national team, the fans moved from one side of the stadium to the other at halftime so they could see me up close, it was incredible.”
He spoke about how he feels as a newcomer at Napoli.
“It’s a great feeling. The teammates have welcomed me really well. Everyone loves me. In just a few weeks they’ve made me feel at home, they’ve welcomed me as if I were family. It’s an exceptional thing.”
Finally, Kvaratskhelia discussed if he’s found somewhere in Naples to live yet.
“Not yet, but especially in the beginning I would like to take a house near the sports centre so I can be focused on work to the maximum.”