Napoli nutritionist Marco Rufolo revealed that the Partenopei players are allowed to eat pizza ‘once a week’.
The role of nutrition in football is incredibly important, helping the players reach full fitness and maintain good physical help, affecting both their performance level and recovery time from injuries. Tottenham coach Antonio Conte famously bans ketchup from any of the squads he works with, a sign of the importance of food quality.
Speaking in an interview with La Repubblica, Rufolo explained the role of a nutritionist in a football club.
“My job is to take care of nutrition and integration, but also to prevent dehydration, one of the main enemies of the athlete. Many times, even though you’ve lost a lot of fluids, you don’t feel the urge to drink.
“This is why it is necessary to help replenish water and mineral salts in good time, perhaps even with something more palatable than a simple bottle. Fruit extracts are a good solution.”
He touched on the growing importance of nutritionists in football.
“It has come about over time. Before, this work was episodic, but today we understand the daily importance of the nutritionist. Even and above all when away, when it is more difficult to control food.”
Finally, Rufolo joked about the Victor Osimhen diet and revealed that the Napoli players are allowed to eat pizza sometimes.
“The Osimhen diet is top secret. I can only dispel a myth. At Napoli, pizza is not forbidden for players, once a week it’s allowed. As long as the raw ingredients and the leavening process are top quality.”
Napoli host Bologna this evening and they’ll be hoping to pick up all three points against Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side as they look to keep up the pressure on second place Milan. They have won two of their last five matches, drawing one and losing the other two.