Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti believes Milan are favourites in their upcoming Champions League tie, claiming that only the ‘footballing incompetents’ talk about good draws in the competition.
The Partenopei will face off against the Rossoneri in the last eight of the Champions League following the results of the draw at the UEFA headquarters on Friday morning.
Spalletti believes that his side have already had to overcome expectations of being labelled favourites to win their tie in the Round of 16 against Eintracht Frankfurt, which he claimed to be an enormous disadvantage.
Speaking to Kiss Kiss Napoli, the Napoli coach said: “It was very complicated against Eintracht Frankfurt, when everyone says you’re already through, you create a psychological disadvantage. That’s what they did with us against the Germans, it wasn’t easy at all.
“Then afterwards there was great happiness, we played it with a certain mental freedom. Happiness is deserved, but in these competitions it only lasts until the next round. A city like Naples with a fanbase like ours deserves even more, not just the result of the last match.”
Given that Napoli and Milan are also due to play each other in Serie A on April 2, Spalletti and Stefano Pioli will have to face each other three times in the space of 16 days.
Spalletti reiterated that due to their extensive experience in the Champions League and being the second-most successful side in the competition’s history, he considers Milan to be the favourites to qualify for the semi-finals.
“I would have preferred not to meet an Italian side,” he said. “I’ve already heard some rumours going around and only the footballing incompetents talk about a good draw because Milan feel at home in the Champions League, they have won the competition seven times, second only to Real Madrid,” the Napoli coach continued.
“Needless to say that their director Paolo Maldini alone has won five. In the past few days, I’ve read that PSG and other teams like City are struggling to go all the way because they don’t have European experience. If what they write is true then we have to say that Milan are favourites in the Champions League. They knocked Tottenham out, not just any team.”