Walter Mazzarri broke his media silence, but didn’t reveal his future. “I will explain everything after the final game against Roma.”
The Coach’s contract expires next month and he hadn’t spoken to the media since May 5, but called an unexpected Press conference this afternoon.
There were reports this morning that he had already signed for Inter, while others suggested he was heading to Roma.
Walter Mazzarri broke his media silence, but didn’t reveal his future. “I will explain everything after the final game against Roma.”
The Coach’s contract expires next month and he hadn’t spoken to the media since May 5, but called an unexpected Press conference this afternoon.
There were reports this morning that he had already signed for Inter, while others suggested he was heading to Roma.
“Since this summer, when I said I’d take a decision at the end of the season, I continue to state there is one game left. So, I continue to hold out and will explain everything straight after the final game, which is tomorrow against Roma.
“I don’t know if it’ll be tomorrow night or in a few days, but I will explain my decision. I am not avoiding the question, but there is specific timing in football and that can change an action from positive to negative.
“If I say we have to wait until the last round, there is a reason for that. The reasons will become clear soon.
“Few realise that when a Coach opts to let the contract expire rather than sign a three-year deal, when in this business we mainly seek guarantees for our jobs, that should be respected. I have the right to leave it to the end of the season and make my decision.
“Similarly, the club knows I am out of contract in June and so have the right to look elsewhere for alternatives. At the end of the season we’ll decide whether to sign a new deal or go our separate ways. I have not met with any other club, out of respect for my team.
“Out of respect for the fans, I must give my all every day to motivate the players and get the best out of this team. There are still three points to go and they could set a new club record, writing this season in the history books.
“If we win against Roma tomorrow, we’ll beat the all-time record – including the Maradona era – for average points per game. It is extraordinary and I am proud to point this out, as are the club, staff, players and everyone here at Napoli.”
Asked to describe his four years at Napoli, Mazzarri spoke to the fans.
“We want to win and victory must be defined within certain parameters. If we were to end with a defeat, we’d still have 28 points more than in the post-Maradona years, so that would be considered a victory. If we go back and analyse these four years, Napoli have done better than any other Italian team, considering certain parameters. The statistics speak clearly.
“Being competitive for the Scudetto is already a victory. It’s not as if we then finish second and it’s treated as a tragedy.”