Luciano Spalletti claimed there are other sides in Serie A who are ‘more complete’ than Napoli, but stressed he has ‘many leaders’ in the team to fill the void left by Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly against Atalanta.
Napoli host the Orobici on Saturday and have only won one of their last five games across all competitions.
Spalletti’s team are in a bit of a crisis due to injuries, suspensions and coronavirus and the coach, who will not be in the dugout, expects his fringe players to step up during the difficult time.
“You have to choose between those who remain,” Spalletti said at a press conference. “It’s essential to be united, to protect the team that has already shown how much they care about this shirt.
“You see it every day on the training ground. There’s no better opportunity to prove it than when you play. Every now and then when I’m joking with those who don’t play, I happen to say: ‘Look, sooner or later I’ll let you play’. Since they are ready to put their qualities in practice.
“Now, the opportunity arises and there’s no better situation than this to see if we let ourselves be scared or if we want to go and find new energy and new resources.”
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta are fourth in the table, five points behind Napoli after 15 games and are still in the Scudetto fight.
Spalletti expects a difficult game against an organised La Dea and pointed out that there are squads in Serie A which are more ‘complete’ than his.
“Atalanta are an uncomfortable opponent, very uncomfortable, because they are built well,” Spalletti added. “When we talk about the strong squad as far as we are concerned, it’s because I say it, while someone else doesn’t say it, but he has it too.
“We have alternatives up front, but when it comes to team completeness, we are fine, but there are many others who are in a better place than us.
“Alatanta are complete, a tough team that know where they want to go. We have characteristics that can create problems for them, you have to see how you can manage the game.
“Either you control it, or you become a passenger of the match, you climb on top and they take you around the pitch. We must not do this, because if you are an Atalanta passenger, they can take you to crash wherever they want.”
Spalletti admitted the Partenopei are struggling with many absentees and said he can’t expect the same from a player who recently recovered from COVID-19.
This weekend he’s disqualified due to the sending off against Sassuolo, adding to the difficulties the team are going through at the moment.
“I’m convinced that I have potential in my team, but we take one step at a time,” Spalletti added. “I struggle to bear the disqualification.
“I’m cancelled from my world. I live to be a coach, to be with the team. I spend time in meetings to say what behaviour we should have on the pitch and on the bench, not only the players but also the masseurs, doctors, warehouse workers and all those who make up the game.
“My players behave in a certain way, to be able to accept a refereeing error, not to fall into the provocations of the opponents.
“Referees make mistakes like the ones I can make, when I make a poor substitution or something else. For this, I will have to pay the fine to the team. When I ask the team to do one thing and they don’t do it, they get fines. This time, I have to pay them.
“You have to hold back, even when somethings that you think is unfair happens. Being out really disturbs me and I’m sorry, because I want to live the games, even in difficulties.
Spalletti comments on Napoli injury crisis and explains red card
“As far as the injuries are concerned, this happens. With these games so close to each other, each game is a journey into the unknown, you don’t know what happens to you.
“The 2-0 lead doesn’t make you safe, because then maybe the others can make five changes and it becomes another game.
“Let’s say that we are in a storm, because in addition to injuries, we also have COVID. If you have to put in some players who had COVID three days ago, it becomes difficult to get the answers you expect.
“Then even more compliments are made to the players for their availability.”
It was a dramatic 2-2 draw with a resilient Sassuolo last time and Spalletti was asked how his team are doing after the tough game on Wednesday.
The coach believes he has enough leaders in the squad to replace captain Lorenzo Insigne and centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
“We are still able to send 16 players onto the pitch, we can do what we want even if we lack our captain and a commander [Insigne and Koulibaly],” Spalletti continued.
“We have many leaders in the team. There are people like [Dries] Mertens, [Giovanni] Di Lorenzo, Mario Rui, [David] Ospina.
“[Amir] Rrahmani, who has now become a leader, [Piotr] Zielinski, who is tough when asked to go out on the pitch to do a certain type of work. And the others, who have been hungry. We will have to be good at controlling the game with our qualities, not clashing with the qualities of Atalanta.
“This will make all the difference. We will not have to give away the ball, but play it, win the duels. Everything is down to managing every single thing you do when you have the ball.”