New Napoli signing Fernando Llorente has warned Juventus that the pressure is ‘all on’ them in the Scudetto race this season.
Llorente recently joined Napoli on a free transfer, in what is a return to Serie A for the striker after his two Serie A titles with Juve between 2013 and 2015.
“I’ve not been here long but I’m already in love with Naples,” admitted the 34-year-old at his official presentation.
New Napoli signing Fernando Llorente has warned Juventus that the pressure is ‘all on’ them in the Scudetto race this season.
Llorente recently joined Napoli on a free transfer, in what is a return to Serie A for the striker after his two Serie A titles with Juve between 2013 and 2015.
“I’ve not been here long but I’m already in love with Naples,” admitted the 34-year-old at his official presentation.
“I wanted to play for a top side and Napoli are a world-class club. I had various different offers, but Napoli were always my priority.
“It wasn’t an easy transfer because I had to wait for three months, but I was desperate to come back to Serie A and play for a competitive team in the Champions League.
“There’s a lot of work to do, but I’ll give my all. I’m here to help the Coach and my teammates: I feel in good shape physically and I know I can make a contribution to the team.
“It’s a great feeling when a Coach like Ancelotti calls you. I was already keen on coming to Napoli, but when there’s such a successful Coach involved you have no doubt that you’re making the right decision. Napoli is a big club with a great Coach. I really wanted to work with Carlo, so I’m delighted to be here.
“I definitely have a lot of experience. I’m not the youngest anymore but I know what I’m capable of and I’m sure that I can show that.
“I’ve always scored lots of goals and I’d like to do that here too. That said, the priority is to be available and follow the Coach’s instructions.
“The first thing you notice here is how friendly the people are. I’m getting a lot of love from everyone – it’s great. Now I want to repay that by scoring lots of goals.
“Napoli and Juventus are both great teams – Napoli have come on a lot recently. I just need to focus on training and giving 100 percent.
“I can’t wait to get started because I’m really confident and I believe in the dream we have here at Napoli. The dressing room is like a family and that gives you a boost.
“Fabian [Ruiz] and [Jose] Callejon are really helping me to settle in, but this is a beautiful city, so I won’t find it hard to adapt. Naples is a very welcoming place.
“I want to win. If I had the chance to choose, I would go with the Champions League. I’ve lost two finals so it would be amazing to win it.
“It was definitely love at first sight. I was bowled over by the beauty of the place and the passion of the locals.
“I’m really happy here and I can’t wait to repay the people by showing what I can do on the pitch. I’ll give my heart and soul for this club.
“I’ve worn the No 9 jersey at various different clubs and I’ve always scored lots of goals. I’m a centre-forward and that’s my preferred number.
“I don’t care about pressure. I just hope it brings me good luck here too.”
The Spaniard was then asked about the Partenopei’s chances of ending their 30-year wait for a Scudetto, with the Old Lady having won the last eight.
“It’s not easy. When I was at Sevilla we beat them 1-0, with me scoring. I’ve beaten them before but it’s one thing to do it in a single game and another thing to do so over the course of a season.
“As I’ve said, I’m confident and I believe we can have a good season. Juventus are used to winning, but Napoli are their closest rivals.
“We have a very talented group with young players who will develop. I’m sure that we’ll have a team of top players in the future.
“We have to believe, but without pressure. The pressure is all on Juventus. We must stay up there and we can win [the Scudetto].
“Looking at Napoli from the outside, I thought they were an incredible team, of the highest level.”
Image credit @sscnapoli via Twitter