SPAL midfielder Radja Nainggolan responded to Walter Sabatini, claiming that he can drink up to 20 shots the night before a match and still play with his usual quality.

The 67-year-old sporting director, who knows the Belgian midfielder well from their time together at Roma, was speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport when he suggested that the player could drink heavily the evening before a match and still take to the pitch the next day.

Nainggolan returned to Italy with SPAL in January, signing a six-month contract with the Serie B side after his time with Royal Antwerp came to an abrupt end, following his suspension for smoking an e-cigarette on the bench during a loss to Standard Liege.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Nainggolan first explained why he tries to live life to its fullest off the pitch.

“As a boy I suffered, my family was poor, I made great sacrifices to become a footballer. And now, I don’t give up living, also because nature has given me a body that isn’t affected by the shenanigans I’ve done.

“Everywhere I did shenanigans. At Roma I arrived late, there were videos in which I was not very lucid in the evening and then that famous New Year’s Eve at my house…. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.

“Maybe that was the craziest night. Well, my videos drunk, smoking and saying words out of place went around the world. I was attacked by everyone, Roma went on a rampage. And they were right.”

The Belgian midfielder then backed up Sabatini’s claims and opened up a little about his drunken antics.

“Sabatini? I called him and told him that eight shots weren’t enough… I can also drink 20. And then I go out on the pitch anyway.”

“He loves me, he’s always advised me to have a quieter life. He thinks I would have a better career. But I don’t agree, on the pitch I gave it my all.”

Finally, Nainngolan confirmed that he was never tempted to join Juventus.

“Did I say ‘never to Juve’? True. They may have been the strongest, but I have experience on the pitch against them where they won, and not just because they were good.

“They were helped. With Roma, in 2014, we lost 3-2, with two penalties coming from outside the box.”

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