Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri reveals he tried to bring Diego Maradona back to Napoli in 1991, ‘but he had already decided to retire.’
It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
The Stadio San Paolo was officially renamed the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this week and it will be the first Serie A game to be played at this venue.
Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri reveals he tried to bring Diego Maradona back to Napoli in 1991, ‘but he had already decided to retire.’
It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
The Stadio San Paolo was officially renamed the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this week and it will be the first Serie A game to be played at this venue.
“I think it’s a wonderful gesture. As well as being a world champion, Maradona was the soul of Napoli in a way, giving the whole population life in football terms,” Ranieri told the official Sampdoria website.
“The first year I went to Napoli as a coach, Ciro Ferrara and I tried to convince Maradona to return, We spoke to him twice when we were in pre-season training, but he had already decided to retire. It was very disappointing, because I would’ve loved to coach a player like him.”
Now Ranieri is the opponent to Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli, who in the absence of injured Victor Osimhen, continue to rely on Dries Mertens.
“We will be up against a solid team that has good movement and the character of Rino Gattuso. We have to show determination, passion and spirit of sacrifice to get a result.
“Napoli have many champions whose great strength is the speed with which they make moves happen.”
There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off for Paolo Rossi, the 1982 World Cup winner who died this week after a long illness.
“I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the news. Nobody knew he was ill. I had noticed he hadn’t been on television as a pundit for about a year, but didn’t know why.”
Keita Balde Diao and Bartosz Bereszynski are out of action, but Manolo Gabbiadini is available to make the trip.
Sampdoria squad for Napoli: Audero, Letica, Ravaglia; Augello, Colley, Ferrari, Regini, Rocha, Tonelli, Yoshida; Askildsen, Candreva, Damsgaard, Ekdal, Jankto, Léris, Silva, Thorsby, Verre; Gabbiadini, La Gumina, Quagliarella, Ramírez